There are over 160 unregulated substances found in American tap water. Our entire lives revolve around having a convenient, ‘safe’ source of water.
Every time you take a bath, wash your hands, cook, or get a drink of water, you’re being exposed to potentially harmful chemicals. In recent years, there’s been a backlash against tap water.
People are investing in water filters, purification systems, and so forth. While these people are sometimes viewed as tinfoil hat alarmists, the concern is real. There’s a reason that searches for ‘whole house water filter installation’ and ‘water filter systems for home’ are spiking!
That’s why we’ve assembled a guide to the impact tap water can have on your health. Let’s get started!
How Does Water Get Contaminated?
Unclean sources of drinking water cause serious diseases. As any water filter supplier will tell you, their products ensure that diseases like typhoid, cholera, and hepatitis aren’t common in the United States anymore.
Why? Because we’ve developed systems that provide disinfected drinking water at the flick of a faucet handle. However, drinking water is far from safe.
Most drinking water in the U.S. comes from groundwater aquifers or fresh surface waters. These sources are often contaminated.
Agriculture is a common source of contamination. Farmers often use pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals in order to preserve their crops. These chemicals leach into groundwater sources. Rain or snow runoff also carries these chemicals into water sources.
Solvents, petroleum, and heavy metals from waste disposal or storage sites can also contaminate water sources. This is a major issue, depending on where your immediate water source is located.
Contaminant Sources
Human and animal waste still present issues, too. Sewer systems leak, and it happens more often than people realize. Sewage from local wildlife is still an issue, and there’s no way of controlling it. Animal feedlots are also a common source of sewage runoff.
These contaminants often feature Giardia, E. coli, Cryptosporidium, and so much more. These cause illnesses in humans, that range from extreme misery to death.
Natural springs aren’t always a safe source, either. Groundwater travels through rocks and soil, where it can pick up naturally occurring elements. These elements can include heavy metals, arsenic, radionuclides, and so much more.
What about treated water? Wastewater treatment plants are big business in the United States, and they’re located everywhere. These treatment plants are largely responsible for the standardization of safe tap water everywhere.
This treatment system is largely why diseases such as cholera and typhoid have been wiped out. However, that system still has flaws.
Byproducts are left behind after the process is complete, such as trihalomethanes. Water can also be contaminated through the distribution system.
Sometimes, there’s a breach in the piping. Or, the plumbing materials have corroded, which exposes the water to lead or copper elements.
Health Issues Caused by Tap Water
The list of contaminants you can be exposed to is enough to spark action for many people. If you’re frantically Googling terms like ‘reverse osmosis water filter’ and ‘whole house water filter’, you’re not alone!
These contaminants have a very real impact on human health. Here are some factors that dictate the impact of these contaminants on human health:
- The amount of water consumed
- The type of contaminant present in the water
- The level of concentration for this contaminant
- The individual’s health status and susceptibility
- How long they were exposed to this particular contaminant/water source
Being exposed to chemicals in your drinking water can lead to health issues. Some may crop up immediately, while others will surface later in life.
If someone is exposed to a high concentration of chemicals in water, their skin may become discolored. Or, it can lead to issues like organ damage, reproductive damage, developmental issues, or cancer.
Many of these contaminants aren’t well-studied. As a new generation is exposed to often dangerous tap water, these issues are expected to crop up in future decades as a cautionary tale.
Disease-Causing Microbes
Being exposed to disease-causing microbes is another issue with unsafe drinking water. As mentioned above, typhoid and cholera aren’t common in the United States anymore.
Instead, this exposure may result in short-term misery, often expressing itself as:
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Fever
- Diarrhea
These issues are caused by parasites, bacteria, and viruses. Of course, there are more serious issues at play, such as kidney failure or hepatitis.
For elderly, vulnerable, or immunocompromised patients, hepatitis can be deadly. With all the issues presented by unsafe tap water, installing a water filter system is crucial.
Finding Alternative Solutions
If your tap water isn’t safe, what else can you do? Many people suggest that you stock up on bottled water. From single-serving bottles to massive jugs, plastic bottles are a go-to for many people.
Plastic bottles are convenient, and the water could be much safer than what comes out of your tap. However, did you know that the bottled water market isn’t regulated? According to the EPA, bottled water and tap water are basically the same thing.
Plastic bottles also have a negative impact on the environment. Millions of barrels of oil go into the production of those plastic bottles.
Plastic is also difficult to recycle. In the United States, many people don’t even try to recycle it. These bottles often end in the landfill, or in the ocean. Once they make it to the ocean, plastic often destroys marine habitats, chokes wildlife, and wrecks entire ecosystems. Plastic bottles aren’t a sustainable water solution, which is why water filter systems matter.
Purchasing A Water Filter System
If you’re searching terms like ‘water filter for sink’ or ‘best water filter’, there are lots of options out there. That’s why we’ve developed the perfect whole house system to keep you and your family safe.
We’ve designed custom water filtration solutions that last. When searching for the best water filter, it’s important to find a water filter system for home that targets all five major contaminants.
Does it target chemicals? From fluoride to arsenic, it’s important that your whole house filtration system is built to remove these contaminants before you turn on the tap.
Eliminating microorganisms is crucial to avoiding disease-causing contaminants in your water. From reducing your chances of cancer to avoiding short-term issues like vomiting, it pays off in the end.
Eliminating metals, minerals, and VOCs are also important markers of a strong water filtration system. By using a holistic approach, we’re able to keep you and your loved ones safe for years to come.
Why A Whole-House System Matters
There are lots of choices available. For instance, some people utilize water pitchers in order to filter their drinking water. Finding the right water filter system is important.
For some, this seems like a great option, particularly if there’s not a lot of space in your house or apartment. However, water pitchers are mostly an example of ‘something is better than nothing.’ They put a Band-aid on a much greater issue.
Water pitchers, under-the-counter filters, and countertop filters are all great options to process limited amounts of drinking water. They remove most major contaminants.
As any water filter company will tell you, this can be a big boost for your health. The initial investment is relatively small, and you can find these filtration options almost anywhere. However, you need to consistently invest more and more money over time. Water filter installation is sometimes complicated, too!
Filters need to be replaced. Equipment needs to be changed, cleaned and replaced over time. It’s a temporary fix and isn’t sustainable long-term.
However, there’s a greater issue at play. The average American uses up to 82 gallons of water a day.
You likely use water when you wash your hands, bathe, drink, cook, and eat. When you only filter the water you eat and cook with, you’re ignoring a major issue.
Absorbing Contaminants Through Your Skin
The skin is the body’s largest organ. When you take a shower, your pores are open to absorbing all the contaminants we discussed above. This is especially critical when it comes to chemical contaminants.
Your drinking water might be pure. But if the water you bathe, wash, and soak in isn’t pure, are you really helping your health?
It isn’t sustainable to filter enough pitchers of water to take a bath or a shower. Instead, whole-house filtration is necessary.
If you install a system that filters all your water before it emerges from the faucet, you’ll eliminate issues at the source. No need to replace filters, clean equipment, or worry about chemicals leaching into your skin.
Instead, you’ll be able to experience peace of mind with a solution that covers all your bases. Many people experience positive cumulative health effects once their water is actually purified the right way!
Finding the Right Water Filter
Finding the right water filter is a decision that could impact your life for years to come. The quality of your water impacts your health from all angles, which makes it one of the most important investments!
That’s why we offer specialized treatment for your unique water needs. We’ll send a specialist to your home in order to test your local tap water. Then, we’ll go over your options, answer questions, and present the results.
Instead of wasting time on Google searching ‘water filter near me’ or ‘water filter company near me’, reach out to us. Our goal is never to pressure you into making a decision. Instead, we want to empower you to make the right decision for your family. If that sounds like something you’re interested in, contact us today. We can help!