An Under Sink Water Filter Can Remove Some Contaminants From Your Tap Water

By Roxy Albright


It isn't always easy to tell if the water in your house is safe to drink, but if you have a purification system, such as an under sink water filter, you may feel more assured. While you can rely at least a little on your senses to alert you to things that might be making their way into your water system, such as sulfur or too much chlorine, in some cases, contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, lead, and other chemicals can't be smelled or tasted. It might seem obvious, but if your water smells like rotten eggs, tastes like salt, or spots routinely appear on your glasses, testing your water will help to assure safety. Certain additives, such as shilajit powder, may also help with water quality.

The water in most municipal systems within the United States is safe because any system that serves 25 people or more must comply with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Unless you have a private well on your property or live in remote rural area, chances are that your water comes from a municipal system. Unless you have reason to believe otherwise, you can reasonably assume that the water you receive in your home meets federal standards; however, unless you are using an under sink water filter, the only way to know for sure if your water is safe to drink is to have it tested. This brings up a few questions, such as: how can I test my tap water? Should I test my well water? And am I better off just using filters or drinking bottled water?

If you want to test your tap water and you are on a municipal system within the United States, you can call your local water supplier and they, by law, must provide you with the results of the testing routinely performed for your area. Some municipalities will come and test the water directly from your tap, free of charge. If you do not live in a location that will do this, you may have to have a test done by a state-certified lab or independent firm. You can also test your water yourself with a home test kit. These tests do not test for everything, but they can detect lead, arsenic, pesticides, and bacteria. Whichever method of testing you decide upon, be sure to use the first-draw water, water that comes out of the faucet first thing in the morning, as this will be your most accurate measure of possible contaminants.

Federal drinking water standards do not apply to private wells, so if you are in a location that utilizes one, it's up to you to have your water tested. Your local health department can advise you of possible well-water contamination in your area, but you should also test your own water regularly or consider using an under sink water filter. Well water should be tested at least once a year for nitrates, coliform bacteria, total dissolved solids, and pH. You may also need to consider checks for lead, copper, arsenic, radon, pesticides, or other substances.

Some people wonder if they are just better off using an under sink water filter, combined with shilajit powder, or wholly drinking bottled water. Perhaps, but bottled water is certainly more expensive then tap water and really may not be any safer. In fact, about one fourth of bottled water is simply tap water that has been processed and repackaged. Bottled water quality varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, so it may not be any better for you then tap water. Filtered water can be an excellent solution, as lead and other contaminants are removed from the water, but filters do not necessarily remove all contaminants, especially smaller particles such as bacteria.

Obtaining safe drinking water then, in most instances, can be achieved with an under sink water filter, combined with shilajit powder.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment