Home Water Treatment

Bottled Water

bottled waterFirst off, let me mention that bottled water does not mean cleaner or safer water, but it definitely does mean more expensive and wasteful water. If you are buying bottled water because you are concerned about your tap water, there's a good chance you are flushing your money down the drain. About 90% of the cost of bottled water is the bottle, lid, and label - the water is nearly free. And, the amount of plastic waste generated from all those individual water bottles is staggering.

The EPA (Envionmental Protection Agency) found in studies that bottled water is not necessarily safer than tap water. The EPA enforces cleanliness standards for public water systems, but it is the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) that regulates bottled water. That's right, bottled water is considered a food product rather than drinking water. Weird!
Does it matter whether EPA or FDA regulate bottled water standards? Well, the EPA has strict standards regarding e-coli, giardia, and cryptosporidium in tap water, but the FDA does not require bottled water to meet the same standards.

Instead of buying bottled water, whether its individual sizes or large delivered bottles, check into a home filtration system. A filtration system will save you money, give you good clean water, and conserve the resources wasted on all those bottles.

Home Filter Systems

A simple home water filter is a great alternative to bottled water for making your tap water better tasting and clean. See water filters page for information about types of water filters or water filter products page for reviews of some products.
BRITA makes excellent water filter systems that remove contaminants often found in tap water. They have pitchers that filter your water or devices you attach right to your faucet. The faucet device can be turned on or off with a switch so you only filter the water you want, such as a glass of drinking water. The price is around 30 cents/gallon.
PUR also manufactures great faucet-mount filters, pitchers, coolers, and dispensers for a similar price and function as BRITA.
These filters will remove protozoa contaminants but not viruses and not all bacteria. A water purifier is needed to take care of those scoundrels.

 

Reduce Water Use and Pollution

By reducing the amount of water consumed in your home, you are reducing the amount of waste and pollution. Here are some tips to follow that will help us all.

In your home:

In your yard:

Your other activities:


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