Removing Contaminants From Tap Water Can Occur With An Under Sink Water Filter

By Lucy Cho


While it certainly isn't easy to tell if the water in your house is safe to drink, if you have a purification system, such as an under sink water filter, you may feel better. Most of the time, you can rely at least a little on your senses to alert you to things that might be making their way into the water system of your home, such as sulfur or too much chlorine; however, in some cases, contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, lead, and other chemicals can't be smelled or tasted. Certainly, in the case of your water smelling like rotten eggs, tasting like salt, or spots on your glasses, testing your water, or having it professionally tested, will help to assure quality. Certain additives, such as shilajit powder, can also help make sure the water in your home is safe to drink.

Most municipal systems within the United States have safe drinking water because any system that serves 25 people or more must comply with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. So, unless your water is supplied from a private well on your property or you live in remote rural area, chances are good that your water is relatively safe to consume. Unless you have reason to believe otherwise, the water you receive in your home must meet federal safety standards; however, unless you are using an under sink water filter, the only way to know for sure if your water is safe to drink is to have your individual water supply tested. How then can I test my tap water? Should I test my well water? And with all the risks involved in consuming tap water, would I just be better off using filters or drinking bottled water only?

If you want to test your tap water and you are on a municipal system within the United States, you can call your local water supplier and they, by law, must provide you with the results of the testing routinely performed for your area. Some municipalities will come and test the water directly from your tap, free of charge. If you do not live in a location that will do this, you may have to have a test done by a state-certified lab or independent firm. You can also test your water yourself with a home test kit. These tests do not test for everything, but they can detect lead, arsenic, pesticides, and bacteria. Whichever method of testing you decide upon, be sure to use the first-draw water, water that comes out of the faucet first thing in the morning, as this will be your most accurate measure of possible contaminants.

Since federal drinking water standards do not apply to private wells, it's up to you to have your water tested if you are in a location that utilizes one. Your local health department can advise you of possible wide spread well-water contamination in your area but testing your own water regularly and considering using an under sink water filter might be a good idea in these instances. Well water should be tested at least once a year for nitrates, coliform bacteria, total dissolved solids, and pH. Checks for lead, copper, arsenic, radon, pesticides, or other substances might also need to be conducted based on your location.

Are we just better off using an under sink water filter, combined with shilajit powder, or wholly drinking bottled water? Perhaps, but bottled water has downsides too! It is more expensive than tap water and in many cases may not be any safer. About one fourth of bottled water is simply tap water that has been processed and repackaged, in fact. Bottled water quality varies based on the manufacturer and their standards, so some bottled water may be even worse for you than tap water. Alternatively, filtered water removes lead and other contaminants from the water, but most filters do not necessarily remove all contaminants, especially smaller microorganisms.

While there is no perfect solution to clean, safe drinking water, an under sink water filter, combined with shilajit powder, may help remove many contaminants from your home's water.




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