You probably already know how important water is to your overall health. It makes all of the body’s systems function more effectively and flushes toxins from the body. But what if the water you’re drinking to keep you healthy actually contains toxins and unhealthy contaminants? Water filtration can help prevent this from happening.
What is there in tap water that should concern you? The residents of Flint Michigan could tell you about their long and difficult struggle with lead in the drinking water, but lead is only one of the contaminants that threaten our tap water.
- Lead is a neurotoxin, and it can be damaging to human health, even in low levels. It can cause small problems like itchy skin and hair loss, or serious issues like kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, infertility, and, in children, profound neurological damage. Lead can seep into the water supply from the ground water, but it can also leach into tap water from lead pipes and fixtures. That means that even if the water coming into your home from a municipal source is clean, it could pick up lead when it travels through your pipes.
- Chlorine has a very good reason for being in your tap water. It’s added to community water supplies to kill bacteria that can make people sick. It does a good job, but unfortunately, high levels of chlorine can be dangerous, even leading to congenital abnormalities in infants. Just a small amount of chlorine can have a drying effect on your skin and hair, fade your laundry, and corrode the plastic parts of appliances and fixtures (think o-rings/toilet stopper). Plus when chlorine interacts with organic matter, it can lead to the formation of trihalomethanes, compounds known to have carcinogenic qualities.
- Minerals can contaminate your water supply. Minerals leached from the ground as water passes through it can build up in your plumbing, causing clogs and damage. They can clog your fixtures and make your appliances run less efficiently, and mineral buildup can cause dry skin and dull, straw-like hair.
- Water filtration adds extra protection against viruses and bacteria. Municipal water systems are tested for biological threats like giardia, rotavirus, and norovirus, but a water purification system gives you an additional safety net. If your water comes from a well, a water filtration system is even more important.
- Improper disposal of medication can have an impact on drinking water. People are sometimes careless when they have excess over-the-counter or prescription medications. Unfortunately, throwing medication away in landfills or flushing it into the wastewater system can lead to pharmaceutical products seeping into the water supply. You wouldn’t take someone else’s medicine, so why would you put up with medication contaminating your drinking water? Water filtration can significantly reduce the concentration of pharmaceuticals in your water.
- Depending on where you live, different toxins might threaten your water supply. In some parts of the United States, radon seeps into the groundwater. In other parts, arsenic from fertilizers is a bigger threat. In agricultural regions, pesticide runoff can contaminate your drinking water. On the other hand, areas prone to flooding can have problems when chemicals, waste products, and other contaminants are swept by flood waters into well-water and reservoirs. Knowing the issues in your area can help you choose the home water filtration system that will address them.
Benefits of Water Filtration
When you use a drinking water filter, it not only removes contaminants but can also improve the water’s taste and smell.
Water filtration also reduces the risk of certain cancers, as well as the risk of gastrointestinal illnesses, and healthy, clean water helps protect children’s developing immune systems. Overall, drinking clean, filtered water makes you feel better. It also does a better job of washing your clothes, hair, and skin.
Whether you opt for a tap water filter or a whole-house water filtration system, you’ll be doing something good for your health and for your family. Water filtration is convenient and cost-effective, but it’s not one-size-fits-all. There are many different types of filtration systems available to meet your household’s unique needs, based on the size of your home, the number of residents, the size of your pipes, and the condition of your water. When you have a consultation with a water filtration expert, you can get recommendations for which systems will work best to protect your pipes, fixtures, and appliances, along with your family’s health.
For a free water analysis, consultation, and water treatment plan, trust AquaZona.
We are Phoenix, Arizona’s local source for water filtration, providing the cleanest, greenest, most efficient water systems. We understand the challenges in the Valley of the Sun, and our systems use less water than traditional water softeners. What’s more, we stand behind our products with the most comprehensive warranty coverage in the industry. Call today or contact us for a free quote.
