Do you know how much chlorine is in your water? The hardness of your water? How many dissolved solids are in your water? Do you have any idea what other toxins might be in your water?
These are all questions that you should be able to answer sooner rather than later. A recent consumer survey indicated that homeowners wanted four things for their family’s water: Overall water quality from every faucet throughout their home; water that is virtually free of toxins; softer water for softer, healthier skin; and water that makes appliances last longer and work better.
A one-size-fits-all home water filtration system just won’t deliver the desired water quality for your home to meet the four criteria desired. Hardness, chlorine, total dissolved solids, pH, pharmaceuticals or any other contaminants will vary from home to home and time of the year.
To provide the quality water your family deserves throughout the home, toxin-free water, softer water and better water for appliances, every homeowner must have their water tested. Once the water is tested and water problems identified, a water filtration system can be recommended to reduce the contaminants in your family’s water.
Local public service districts’ annual tap water quality reports are public record and posted on their respective websites. We recommend every homeowner reads this report, as well as researching your tap water supply on the Environmental Working Groups National Tap Water Database at ewg.org/tapwater.
Regardless of your tap water source, we recommend having it tested at the kitchen sink to ensure your family has high quality, safer water. And when choosing a filter for your home, make sure the filter is certified to reduce any contaminants found in your tap water.
For more information on how you can safeguard your home’s water supply, visit the Water Quality Association at wqa.org or call a local water treatment professional.
Chris Lane is the owner of Culligan Water Conditioning of the Lowcountry, serving Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton counties. culliganhhi.com (Disclaimer: Contaminants might not be in your water.)
