Purifying City Water
If you�re one of the many millions of people who get their drinking water from a municipal water system, you�ve likely read and heard some alarming things about what is in the water that you use every day for drinking, bathing, and cooking. As we learn more about what is in our water, more and more people are proactively seeking their own solutions for purifying city water, and for very good reasons. If you are looking into buying your own water filter, this article will outline common city water contaminants and tell you which water filtering solutions are the best for treating and removing them.
Hard Water
Hard water is a term used to describe water that has lots of minerals in it, but it is not regarded as a health concern. However, over time, minerals can build up and clog plumbing, ruin water heaters, and cause unsightly scale on your plumbing fixtures. Virtually everyone has some minerals in their water, and water softeners are an excellent solution for removing minerals such as calcium, iron, and magnesium. In recent years, reverse-osmosis filters have become popular as they not only remove the minerals that cause hard water, they also remove many other types of water contaminants like bacteria and viruses.
Chemicals
If you live in a small town of a few hundred people or a city of millions, your water is treated with chlorine and other chemicals to kill and remove all sorts of organisms that can make us sick. The problem is that these chemical contaminants can cause problems of their own. If you want to remove chemicals from your drinking water, carbon water filters are an excellent choice for absorbing and removing all sorts of chemicals. Carbon filters can be bought separately or incorporated into a whole house water filter system.
Taste and Odor
People that live in cities where the water mains are old often find that their drinking water has a bit of color and an odd smell. The color usually comes from old iron pipes that rust and leach particles of rust into the water. The �rotten egg� smell comes from hydrogen sulfide gas from bacteria or the decay of organic matter. These impurities generally don�t cause any health problems, but they sure make your morning coffee taste funky. If you�re tired of it and want them removed from your drinking water, a carbon water filter or reverse-osmosis system will be your best bets.
Bacteria, Protozoa, and Viruses
Pathogens such as E. coli, Cryptosporidium, and others can give us mild flu-like symptoms or make us dangerously ill. Infants and senior citizens are especially vulnerable to these organic water contaminants. The best way to make sure that your water is free from these microscopic menaces is by installing either a reverse-osmosis system or an ultraviolet water filter that can eliminate them all.
Lead and Asbestos
Lead and asbestos are often found in the pipes of older city water systems that were installed before we knew about the dangers of using these materials. They can cause dangerous, chronic illnesses and developmental difficulties in children. A reverse-osmosis water filter is a very effective way to remove both of these contaminants from your drinking water and make it much safer for everyday use.
Summary
If you get your water from a public water utility and want to know what�s in your water, you can contact your local water department for a free report. These reports are required by law and are updated on a regular basis. A copy of this report is the best way to find out exactly what contaminants are in your water and in what amounts. Once you have the report, you can start your own research on which water filters will do the best job of removing these impurities. This site features lots of information on water, water filters, and types of water contaminants. We encourage you to bookmark this site for future reference so that you can be more informed about all sorts of local and global concerns about water.