With the COVID-19 crisis having us staying in place at home, many of us are more aware of a healthier lifestyle. Washing our hands more often, using face mask protection in public, and of course social distancing is now common practice.
Many residents have also noticed that water quality is critical.
But have you had your water tested recently? How much chlorine is in your water? What is the hardness of your water? How many dissolved solids are in your water? What other toxins might be in your water? It is your water – you need to know what’s in it!
Did you know 99% of your water is used to water lawns, flush toilets, take showers and baths, wash dishes, and other household applications. This 99% is known as “working water.” The other 1% is the water you cook with, make drinks with, or consume – this is your “drinking water.”
The good news is there’s final barrier water treatment for all the water in your life.
Final barrier is technology installed at the point where water enters your home, or it can be at the point water is consumed. It can be a whole house filter or a water softener. At the point of consumption, it can be pour-through pitchers, faucet-attached devices, refrigerator filters, under-the-sink filters or state-of-the-art reverse osmosis systems.
Despite central treatment of tap water to EPA Safe Drinking Water Standards, contaminants, aesthetic issues and points of contamination can still be present in tap water when it reaches your home. Pharmaceuticals, disinfection biproducts, pesticides, herbicides, leaching of pipe wall and biofilms are just a few of the possible contaminants.
Local PSD annual tap water quality test results are public record and posted on each PSD’s website. We recommend reading this report, as well as researching your tap water supply on the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) National Tap Water Database at ewg.org/tapwater.
Regardless of your tap water source, we recommend having it tested to ensure your family has high quality, safe water. And when choosing a filter for your home, make sure the filter is certified to remove any contaminants found in your tap water.
There are many economical treatment solutions on the market today to increase the quality and safety level of your family’s water. Pitchers, refrigerator filters, faucet mounted filters and under-sink carbon filters are excellent starting filters to remove some contaminants. But reverse osmosis technologies with pre-filtration and thin film composite membranes are the most reliable final barrier to ensure the highest percentage of contaminant reduction and deliver great tasting, safer drinking water.
To learn more about final barrier, visit wqa.org, or call a local water treatment professional.
Disclaimer: Contaminants might not be in your water.
Chris Lane is the owner of Culligan Water Conditioning of the Lowcountry, serving Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton counties. culliganhhi.com
