Home Water Treatment
Water pollution and fears about possible attacks on public water supplies have prompted some to consider installing home water treatment systems. Non-profit public safety watchdogs such as NSF International have verified that filtration systems such carbon filters and reverse osmosis do in fact improve the quality of water. However, some less reputable companies push products that may not work as advertised.
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Function
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Although purifying water of chemicals not regulated by the local utility district is of vital importance, there are several other reasons why a family or individual might want to install a home water treatment device. According to home water treatment provider Rainsoft, filtered drinking water and ice cubes do not have a bitter taste or "odor." Purer water does not leave as many minerals and residue from a dish washing cycle, reducing the amount of soap needed to clean dinnerware. "Softening" water reduces the amount of time it takes to lather shampoo and rinse it out; that also helps washers use less soap when cleaning clothes.
Methods
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There are only a few legitimate methods to purify water, according to NSF International. Carbon filters, usually made from coal, are widely used and very successful at purifying water. Softeners work by replacing calcium and magnesium, which make water hard, with regular salt. Reverse osmosis uses a membrane barrier to force water into one side, while preventing contaminants from passing through the small holes in the barrier.
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Style
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Home water treatments generally come in two styles: those that treat water as it enters the home's plumbing system, and those that treat water at the point of use (i.e., at the kitchen faucet). Water treatments that filter water used by the whole house are considered entry filtrators, such as water softeners that treat water after it goes through the meter installed by a water company or from the pump of a private well. Point of use water treatments only work on certain exits for water, such as a purifier on a facet.
Verified Entry Systems
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NSF International received funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to test the safety of water treatment systems. They found some systems that live up to their advertised claims. For example, The RASco ASOP Water Treatment Module purports to remove chemicals through three processes: reverse osmosis, oxidation and carbon filtration. The NSF report found that system was, in fact, effective for removing all test chemicals, except for the common agricultural herbicide Paraquat; the system only removed half of the Paraquat test sample.
Verified Point of Use
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NSF International has verified several point of use systems. The Ecowater ERO-R450E was one of the best reviewed systems. The Ecowater system uses reverse osmosis and carbon filtration. This system removed more than 80 percent of test chemicals for both methods of removal, except for mercury and cesium, which it was almost ineffective at removing.
Private Wells
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According to the Centers for Disease Control, home water treatment systems are much more vital for those who use private wells because EPA regulations usually only apply to public water supply systems. Private wells use ground water, which can become polluted with waste from landfills and pesticides. This is not a rare situation, according to the CDC website---more than 15 million households in the U.S. use private wells.
Warning
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According to the Federal Trade Commission, while there are certainly water treatment systems that really work, some nefarious salesmen sometimes coerce people to buy unnecessary or ineffective systems through offers of "free water testing." The FTC recommends that you check with your local department of health for water-safety concerns.
There is no such thing as a "one size fits all" solution for home water-treatment systems.
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