Cleaner Water

To Filter Or Not To Filter

Tap water in, many places is safe to drink and has been tested for any harmful components by your local council. However tap water is far from optimal. If your really considering prioritising your health, then elevating the quality of your water is a great place to start. Even though most tap water is safe, the water in some cities contains trace amounts of pollutants.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets certain standards for tap water in homes throughout the United States. These may not be enough to align with your water quality goals, if your looking for optimal health results. For example, the maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) for arsenic, a known human carcinogen, is 0.0 mg/L. However, the maximum amount the EPA allows in tap water is 0.01 mg/L. The MCLG is the highest amount of a contaminant allowed in tap water before there is concern for adverse health effects. This means it’s possible people could experience harmful effects from arsenic by drinking tap water that adheres to EPA water quality standards. Furthermore, though EPA regulates approximately 90 contaminants in tap water, there are many more it doesn’t regulate. It’s really our responsibility to create an optimal environment for our health to thrive in, this cannot always look like relying on a governmental system. 

Water Filtration

Water filtration is the process of removing and limiting impurities from drinking water. Technically, filtered water could be water that has been physically strained through a mesh sieve, activated carbon filter, or something else. Purified water has been filtered through reverse osmosis, distillation, nanotechnology, or even ultraviolet (UV ) light to remove physical, chemical, and bacterial contaminants. Filtered water tastes fresher and cleaner, the filters remove the chlorine and bacteria that can make tap water taste flat or chemical.

The Effect On The Microbiome 

Our water has an effect on our microbiome. This is because of our very complexed skin microbiome and its effects our overall microbial health. You may now be wondering, how can drinking different types of water have a different effect on your gut? A few scientific research studies with animal models say that it may. They’ve narrowed down on one key trait of municipal tap water, chlorine. Chlorine is added in the water treatment process to disinfect the water and eliminate parasites, bacteria, and viruses. This process is tightly regulated, and harmful health consequences are unlikely to occur from water chlorination. However, prolonged consumption of chlorinated water (most tap water in the United States) has been linked to disruptions to microbial diversity in the mouse microbiome. This may be associated with the effects of chlorine itself, its disinfection by-products, or the observed increased bacterial exposure from home water filters.  

The Future Is Filtered

While you can purchase bottled water that a company has already filtered, you can also filter water yourself. By investing in a water filter, especially for your drinking water, is an ideal way to ensure your water is clean and pure. By investing in a filter your saving on the cash you would spend on bottled water, you’re also saving on all that plastic usage. Even when you choose water bottles that can be recycled, there’s still a cost and effect of the recycling process. Plus, all that bottled water is transported, so you’re reducing your carbon footprint too. Using a water filter can therefor reduce waste and have less impact on the planet. Home water filters, are an extension of this filtration process. Looking into investing in a house filtration system, can also be wise. This would filter the water we use in all aspects of the home. Did you know that water vapour, enters our systems almost faster than drinking. What we wash ourselves in still matters!  Washing with filtered water will remove most contaminants that might be aggressive or damaging to your hair and skin, preserving natural oils. 

Water filtration is a simple way to support the health of a house hold. Avoid unnecessary consumption of chemicals, improve the taste and reduce your environmental impact.