In recent years, more and more consumers have become concerned about alleviating health risks and inconveniences associated with poor quality tap water. Do you know what’s in your water? And how can you find out? According to Dennis Friedrichs of Chicagoland Water Conditioning & Purification in Morton Grove, Illinois, a trusted provider of water filtration in Chicago, “What’s in your water depends on where you live and where your water comes from. Unfortunately, without testing your water, unless you notice an unpleasant taste or odor, there’s no way to know exactly which contaminants are in your home’s water supply.”
Friedrichs says that many contaminants in water can’t be seen, tasted or smelled. “And,” he explains, “there’s no such thing as completely contaminant-free tap water.”
Calcium and Magnesium
The most common problem with residential water is hardness. Water is considered “hard” when excessive calcium and magnesium is present. If you find that your dishes are spotty or that you have a hard time getting your clothes clean, you may have hard water. Hard water is “softened” by replacing the calcium and magnesium ions with sodium. Softened water lathers more easily, keeps skin and hair soft, and more effectively cleans clothes and dishes. In Chicago, says Friedrichs, about 90% of the city’s water comes from Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan’s water is moderately hard, so most residents should have a water softener. “If your water comes from a well,” says Friedrichs, “your water is probably extremely hard. A water softener is a necessity for you.”
Lead
Lead in drinking water has been a source of concern for some time, says Friedrichs. Just two decades ago, high levels of lead were common in drinking water thanks to the widespread use of lead pipes in household plumbing. Action taken by the government in the ’80s and ’90s greatly reduced our exposure to lead in tap water. However, lead is still detectable, in small quantities, in many homes’ drinking water. And in some homes, concentrations are high enough to warrant real concern.
“Lead doesn’t naturally occur in water,” Friedrichs says. “It enters drinking water through older lead pipes, from corrosion of older fixtures or from the solder that connects pipes.” When water is allowed to sit in lead pipes for hours, lead leaches into the water. Lead has been associated with a number of adverse health effects, and children under six are at the greatest risk. Because lead is tasteless and odorless, the only way to determine whether your home’s water is contaminated with lead is to test for it.
Chlorine
Chemical contaminants in drinking water are another source of concern. Chlorine, says Friedrichs, is one of the most common chemical contaminants. Chlorine is present in almost all tap water. It is a powerful disinfectant, he explains, and is added to water to kill disease-causing bacteria. Unfortunately, chlorine can react with organic materials in drinking water to create dangerous toxins called trihalomethanes (TMHs). Because of the effects of TMHs, consuming large quantities of highly chlorinated water has been shown to increase miscarriage and birth defect rates in pregnant women. Chlorinated water has also been linked to a host of other health problems including asthma, skin problems, heart disease and some types of cancer.
What Can Be Done?
“Just because water meets the Environmental Protection Agency’s standards doesn’t mean it’s 100% safe,” says Friedrichs. “Over time, ingesting common contaminants in tap water can cause real problems.” Bottled water isn’t the answer, however, he says. Although some bottled water may have fewer contaminants than tap water, the manufacturing, distribution and disposal processes of plastic bottles all raise environmental concerns. Fortunately, Friedrichs says, an in-home water treatment system can soften your water and remove nearly all of the contaminants to deliver great tasting, chemical-free water that’s safe for all members of your family to enjoy.
“More and more evidence is pointing to the importance of clean water,” says Friedrichs. “If you can improve the quality of your family’s drinking water, why would you choose not to?”
