Water Trouble? Here are some filter tips.

As we finally discover that all of our man-made pollutants end up in our drinking water, we need options because we are not going to stop drinking water.

TYPES OF FILTERS

Carbon filters remove many organic chemicals and chlorine and radon. Carbon filters should be of good quality and maintained properly. Because bacteria can grow on some filters, it is imperative that carbon filters be changed frequently.

Reverse osmosis units remove most toxic minerals and organic chemicals but generally do not remove radon or chlorine. They should be used with carbon filters. Reverse osmosis units are slow and should only be used for drinking water at a spigot. The purified water becomes aggressive and can corrode the pipes of the delivery system. These pipes and faucets should not be made of lead or lead components.

Distillation removes pollutants by boiling water and cooling the steam so it condenses back into water. Distillation is slow and expensive and distilled water is poorly buffered. Therefore, distilled water can be highly aggressive and should be stored in glass or other inert containers.

Water softeners remove calcium and magnesium from hard water and make it clean better. However, calcium and magnesium are considered human nutrients.

The healthiest water is free of pollutants but contains beneficial minerals like calcium and magnesium.