There are all types of conflicting reports about the quality of tap water versus bottled water (which some studies claim is just tap water in a bottle), and the different types of filtered water. It seems safe to say that tap water and well water in the United States are not of the best quality due to contamination of the water supply by environmental and industrial toxins.
Municipal water filtration systems attempt to remove these poisons, but some still get through, and then there are the ingredients that are added to the drinking water supply, including fluoride and chlorine.
Home Water Filtration Systems
One of the most efficient and cost effective ways to ensure you are getting the best quality water is to use a water filtration system in your home. There are several types from which to choose, and each has its advantages and disadvantages.
Carbon Water Filters – PROSTATE.NET EDITORS CHOICE AWARD
Carbon filters are usually powdered block carbon or granular activated carbon filters that remove contaminants through a process known as adsorption, in which the nasty substances bond to the surface of the filter. When carbon filters are used as the mainstay of a multi-stage filtration process, they produce the highest quality water. You have your choice of countertop, under the sink, and inline carbon filters from many different manufacturers, or you can have all the water in your house filtered.
Carbon filters are usually made from wood, bituminous, or coconut shells, and coconut is the most efficient. Many carbon filter systems use a combination of carbon filters with an ion exchange and/or sub micron filtration. Carbon filters are good at removing chlorine, radon, lead, cysts and pharmaceutical drugs residue, as well as other contaminants, depending on the sophistication of the system.
Water Distillation
Water distillers produce pure water through distillation, which involves boiling the water to produce steam. This process leaves the contaminants behind before the steam condenses back to a liquid. The distillation process also takes out some healthy minerals, like calcium and magnesium. Therefore, the longer you drink distilled water, the more you risk developing mineral deficiencies. The loss of electrolytes (e.g., sodium, chloride, potassium) and trace minerals can cause high blood pressure, cardiac problems, and emotional disturbances. Water distillers also are not very good at removing organic substances because they usually get carried in the steam. Therefore, if you want to use a water distiller, you should use it along with a carbon filter.
Distilled water is fairly pure, but only if the water you start out with is relatively pure. One problem is that distilled water carries the risk of harboring disinfection byproducts (DBPs), such as trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids, which are found in most treated water supplies. In fact, the distillation process increases the presence of DBPs. Unless your water source is free of such disinfectants, such as a well, DBPs will remain in your distilled water. DBPs form when chlorine and other disinfectants are added to water, where they react with natural organic matter. DBPs are more than 10,000 times more toxic than chlorine and have been linked to cancer in lab animals and shown to cause reproductive problems.
Another issue with water distillers is that they are slow and not very cost effective. Because they leave mineral deposits behind, they must be cleaned frequently.
Reverse Osmosis – PROSTATE.NET LOWEST RANKING
Osmosis is a process by which water diffuses across a membrane from a solution with a low solute concentration to one of high solute concentration. In this case, the solutes are the contaminants in the water that is being filtered. Reverse osmosis uses pressure to force water across a semi-permeable membrane, which then leaves behind the solutes. Some herbicides and pesticides are smaller than the openings in the semi-permeable membrane and thus can slip through into the finished product, which means you need to use a carbon filter in conjunction with a reverse osmosis filter.
Similar to distilled water, the water that undergoes reverse osmosis is stripped of natural minerals like calcium and magnesium. This process also wastes a great deal of water: 2 to 3 gallons wasted for every 1 gallon of filtered water produced. And here’s the clincher: water that has been stripped of minerals (demineralized water) is more acidic than natural water, and when the body’s fluids become more acidic than alkaline, it triggers the production of more free radicals. Free radicals damage cells and can increase the risk of cancer.
Therefore, while both distilled and reverse osmosis water may be good for some applications, drinking it is not one of them. If you currently have either system in your home, you may want to consider a different system.
Pitcher Filters
Pitcher filters are an effective and healthy alternative to tap and bottled water and are popular because they are initially low-cost. They can get a bit expensive, however, because the filters require frequent cartridge replacements. While pitcher filters are convenient because you can put them on your refrigerator shelf or table top, they also have a low capacity, because you can only filter one pitcher at a time. Some people find that pitcher filters are perfect for camping, in mobile homes, and when traveling but that at-home use is too limiting.
