A Guide to Commercial Water Filters

The water resources that supply drinking water in the United States are some of the cleanest in the world; however, even they are subject to contamination from airborne pollution, fertilizers, and other disease-causing agents. In order to remove a wide range of these contaminants, a city’s water treatment facility will implore treatment processes that include a number of different steps. The type and severity of these steps can vary depending on whether the water is sourced from surface level bodies of water or underground wells because surface water is subject to more pollution, higher sediment levels, and contamination. Regardless of this variation, the most common treatment steps used by city water systems include: coagulation and flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection (Drinking Water, 2015).

Even with these water filtration processes, dangerous contaminants can persist in our household water supply by circumventing these treatments, leeching through water-transportation pipes, and infecting our water during vulnerable times between testing. Therefore, it is essential to raise public awareness of the dangers of water contamination, test your household’s water supply in order to educate yourself on contaminants that affect your daily life, and use that information when deciding if or which commercial water filtration system to purchase. In order to better understand water contamination and its various sources, let’s take another look at the average city’s water treatment process.

1. Coagulation and flocculation, which is generally the first step in water filtration, involves positively charged chemicals being added to the incoming water supply. These positively charged chemicals neutralize and then bind to negatively charged dirt, sediment, and other dissolved particles. This binding creates larger particles, named floc.
2. The next step, dubbed sedimentation, is when this ‘floc’ substance gains enough weight to settle to the bottom of the water supply within the treatment facility.
3. Filtration, the third step, occurs when the clean water located on top is funneled through a series of filters. These filters involve varying compositions- such as gravel, sand, and even charcoal- used to extract contaminants like disease-causing agents, dust, chemicals, and other dissolved particles.

The final step, disinfection, involves chemical disinfectants being added in order to kill off any remaining viruses, bacteria, and germs that can be picked up by the water when it is transported through piping. Common disinfectants include chlorine and chloramine, but fluoride has also been used to effectively improve dental health in communities across the country by safely preventing tooth decay.

In fact, water fluoridation has been recognized as “one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century (Drinking Water, 2015)”.

The federally regulated and locally maintained treatment of water has saved citizens from considerable disease and toxin exposure; however, there are issues that accompany the water treatment process that are important to acknowledge and understand. First, when using chemicals to further purify water, there will be traces of these chemicals left behind and consumed by individuals. Furthermore, these chemicals can and do come into contact with other organic or inorganic compounds to form disinfection by-products (DBPs). These chemical disinfectants can encounter naturally occurring acids, other organic matter, as well as bromine and iodine ions to create a wide range of DBPs; such as, trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, bromine-based compounds, iodine-based compounds, and chlorine-based derivatives. Due to variations in disinfectant concentrations and types organic matter present, different DBPs are consistently emerging and we are falling behind in determining the risk they pose. Unfortunately, regardless of this, not much scientific research and public awareness has been generated in this area of study.

Another issue regarding systematic water purification is the presence of other organic and inorganic compounds that either survived the treatment process or naturally occur and leak into the water supply after it has been purified. Unsurprisingly, the ability of these contaminants to either survive or bypass the water treatment process leads to their consumption, and (once again) the threat of this is untested. In all, the most toxic substances that arise from the two problems mentioned above are lead, chlorine, chloramines, and mercury, and their affects on public health must be understood by citizens in order for them to better assess their risk of toxin exposure.

The critical research that has been conducted on lead exposure has ruled it as “one of the most pervasive environmental health threats in the United States (Knowles, et. al., 2015)”, and there is growing public concern over the safety of lead exposure. But, how does this substance find its way into our household water supply? Interestingly, a main source of lead in tap water is from old fixtures and piping used to transport water filtered by the city. Water that lies inactive for long periods of time in these metal-based structures are vulnerable to lead contamination, but the effects of this contamination are sometimes controversial.

In this debate, research surrounding whether lead present in tap water contributes to blood lead levels is crucial to determining a potential correlation between the dangerous symptoms of lead poisoning and an individual’s tap water. Unfortunately, long-exposure testing for many toxins is difficult, expensive, and unethical in certain experiment constructions. Lead is no different. Therefore, published data on lead exposure must come from studies that are observational instead of experimental, and in these situations high lead levels in blood can be attributed to other factors; regardless of how strong the correlation is. However, the relationship between lead in tap water and negative changes in the body is still something the public should be aware of. For example, a survey of 24 towns in England found a distinct geographical pattern in the concentration of lead present in their blood. Finding that “towns with the highest mean blood concentrations have soft water supplies and have the highest water lead concentrations”, this study determined that “individual blood lead can be considerably increased by raised household tap water lead concentrations (Pocock, et. al., 1983).” In fact, this blood lead level is “estimated to be 43% higher for men when the concentrations of lead in first-draw domestic tap water is 100 micrograms, compared with a zero concentration (Pocock, et. al., 1983).” This study demonstrates that high lead concentrations in household tap water definitely correlate to high lead concentrations in an individual’s blood.

Furthermore, the public concern surrounding lead concentrations in tap water is centered on neonatal and infant exposure due to the undeveloped nature of a child’s immune system. To research this topic, an experiment that targeted neonatal exposure to tap water was constructed using rats. Generally, when measured with a shock-elicited aggression test, groups exposed to higher lead concentrations displayed “significantly less aggressive behavior (Hastings, et. al., 1977).” Although these findings suggest that cognitive development wasn’t significantly altered in these test subjects, their emotional behavior was definitely affected. Of course, due to ethical constraints, a human-based experiment to replicate these findings is virtually impossible. However, these studies still represent crucial information that consumers deserve to know and understand about lead before ingesting unfiltered water that is distributed into homes from city treatment plants.

Unlike lead, chlorine and chloramines have found a purpose in the water treatment process. During the disinfection step of water purification, chlorine and chloramine derivatives are introduced to the water in order to kill off disease-causing agents and protect water while it is being transported through piping. Ironically, these same chemicals that are serving to protect our drinking water from contaminants are being studied due to the potentially toxic by-products they can produce. An example of how chlorine and chloramines can react with other substances to form these potentially dangerous by-products comes from a unique phenomenon occurring in Washington D.C. This area is naturally exposed to chronically high levels of lead, however, lead levels shifted significantly following their transition from free chlorine to chloramine disinfectants. When free chlorine was being utilized, “a red-brown-colored lead solid (Edwards & Dudi, 2004)” was created and persisted for 12 weeks. Following the shift to chloramines in the disinfectant process, the formation of this solid substance was not detected; however, these chloramines “dramatically worsened lead leaching from brass… whereas new lead pipe was not strongly affected (Edwards & Dudi, 2004).” Studies such as this demonstrate that chemicals utilized during the water treatment process can interact with other organic and inorganic substances to cause and perpetuate toxin ingestion.

Furthermore, studies are being pursued that investigate the carcinogenic potential of other by-products; such as the trihalomethane by-products bromodichloromethane, chlorodibromomethane, chloroform, and bromoform. By constructing an experiment that exposes one group of mice to chlorine and chloramine at doses mimicking tap water levels and another group of mice to the trihalomethanes listed above in similar amounts, researchers found that the trihalomethane group experienced cancers of the liver, kidneys, and intestines at much higher levels. This study and others demonstrate that if concern should be focused on a specific area of chemical contaminants, it should be the disinfectant by-products that arise from using chemical disinfectants in water treatment processes (Dunnick & Melnick, 1993).

Mercury, like many other heavy metals, occurs naturally in the environment, yet it can also be manipulated by organic and inorganic processes. The results of these processes can be elemental, inorganic, or organic mercury, and these derivatives can vary in how threatening they are to the human body. The largest man-made sources of mercury pollution are coal-burning power plants; however, mercury is also used “in thermometers, dental fillings, switches, light bulbs, and batteries (Martin & Griswold, 2009).” After being flushed into the surrounding air by the burning of coal, mercury particles then permeate soil and bodies of water. Furthermore, when mercury is used in the items listed above and discarded into landfills, their toxic mercury can also leak into the surrounding soils, penetrate underground water tables, and poison plant and animal life.

Mercury’s dangerous history within the sphere of public awareness began in small fishing villages that surrounded the Minamata Bay in Japan. The first red flag went up in these sleepy towns in 1953 when cats began to scream and dance like they had gone mad before ending “their dance and their lives by flinging themselves into the sea (D’Itri & D’Itri, 1977).” In 1960, these shakes, tremors, and eventual death spread to other wildlife in the area before villagers also started exhibiting these behaviors. Soon researchers began to examine the daily lives of these individuals, and discovered that the fish from Minamata Bay, which sustained local communities, had been poisoned by the wastewater from the Shin Nihon Chisso Company. Samples from their effluent revealed a number of heavy metals, yet it was mercury specifically that caused these dangerous side-effects. Different from the symptoms of inorganic mercury poisoning, the organisms affected by this newly-discovered methyl mercury experienced “pathological changes in their central nervous systems (D’Itri & D’Itri, 1977).” Methyl mercury, a form of organic mercury, “is produced by specific bacterial organisms in surface waters (Mercury in the Environment and Water Supply)” and can bioaccumulate and biomagnify in the tissues of aquatic organisms; especially fish (Hylander & Goodsite, 2006). Thus making the prolonged consumption of contaminated fish life-threatening.

Shifting towards the most common type of mercury found in drinking water, inorganic mercury is the product of elemental mercury being oxidized and can lead to “kidney damage from short-term exposures at levels above the maximum contaminant level (Water Quality Association, 2018).” Regardless of type, mercury present in tap water possess a significant risk to developing children and fetuses. As seen in a study of Ghanian children, between “approximately 7 and 15 resident children in Obuasi are likely to show neurological effects associated with exposure to mercury and lead such as increased nervousness, loss of memory and/or decrease in concentration, impaired writing ability and tremor (Obiri et. al, 2010).”

Fortunately, the Safe Drinking Water Act, established by the EPA in 1974, began to set guidelines regarding water contaminants. Though mercury was categorized as a possible human carcinogen by the EPA, it wasn’t until 1992 that stringent regulations were implemented. With water treatment systems able to effectively filter mercury from municipal tap water, the Maximum Containment Level was enforced at just 2 parts per billion (ppb). This level is considered safe by the EPA, however, water treatment facilities are not required by law to test water on a daily or even weekly basis. In fact, once a treatment facility tests for mercury over the set amount of 2ppb, it is only required to test every three months and only after repeatedly exceeding this guideline will it be forced to take specific measures (Mercury in the Environment and Water Supply). It is crucial that, regardless of city water treatment processes and regulations, citizens educate themselves on the effects of mercury and take proper steps to test their own water. After all, mercury can penetrate private wells and leach into water even if water treatment plants managed to effectively remove appropriate quantities of it from the municipal water supply.

In all, water treatment systems can fail to catch toxic substances and perpetuate toxic exposure by generating by-products. Due to ethical and financial restrictions on long-term exposure studies, conclusive evidence in tricky and difficult to attain. Fortunately, observational studies and animal testing can facilitate the construction of important correlations. As discussed above, the prevalence of lead, chlorine, chloramines, and mercury in tap water can have serious negative effects on the human body, and this information should and does generate public concern. It is crucial for consumers to understand and contextualize this information when deciding on which commercial water filters can best serve them and their families. To aid in this process, some water filtration systems are referenced below in consideration of the issues we’ve discussed…

Unsurprisingly, there are several factors, besides those discussed above, that need to be taken into consideration before purchasing a water filtration system. Price, maintenance, and ease of installation are just a few of the characteristics that must be reflected upon to ensure that your water system is a perfect fit. Therefore, I recommend doing some research into your specific needs before purchasing, or consider watching the video below to get started!

Another crucial step to consider before investing in a water filtration system is to have your water tested. By testing your own tap or well water, you gain a better understanding of which particular contaminants are affecting your daily life. This information can benefit you as a consumer when considering how filtration systems are able to effectively remove these specific contaminants. Testing water can take several different forms. Whether you hire a company to rigorously inspect your water supply or simply purchase a testing kit online, the information you gain from that experience can have a positive impact on your final purchase! Below I have listed a couple of water testing products to get you started on better understanding your water supply.

• First Alert WTI Drinking Water Test Kit ($9.99): In addition to meeting the required standards set forth by the EPA, this testing kit tests for “substances like pH, bacteria, nitrates, lead, pesticides and chlorine (Best Water Test Kits)…”

• Watersafe WS425W Well Water Test Kit ($24.95): Specifically made for testing private wells, this test kit saves consumers hundreds of dollars that would typically be spent on traditional lab testing conducted by hired companies. This kit can check the levels of various heavy metals, chlorine, pesticides, fertilizers, nitrates and nitrites, and it has also been recognized by the EPA for meeting their standards.

• Essential Indicators Water Test ($129): This water testing kit is able to offer a more in-depth look at your water supply because it utilizes a lab to test the collected water. With a turnaround of about 6 business days, this kit has become popular with consumers due to its relatively straightforward instructions and ease of process. After the lab has conducted its analysis, the company will send you the “comprehensive results for over 170 different indicators of water quality (The 7 Best Water Testing Kits to Buy in 2018).” This lab testing is in addition to the at-home bacteria analysis, conducted by consumers, that explores the presence of 8 different forms of bacterial growth. In all, this water testing kit includes an extremely in-depth analysis of your households water, but it also comes with a much higher price than other (less-thorough) water testing kits.

There are essentially two routes to take when filtering water in a household. If your focus is only on drinking water, water pitchers or other containers with attached filters are favored because they can be stored in a fridge for easy access. Because these appliances utilize simple filtration measures to cleanse tap water before storing it for future use, consumers are able to have cold filtered water at their finger tips; however, their niche use leaves you vulnerable to the dangers of tap water when showering, cleaning dishes, and washing your hands. Regardless, these small appliances provide a great start to water filtration for individuals that might not have the means to pursue large-scale systems. For this type of filtration system, here are some things to consider when purchasing…

1. Jug material: Almost all water filter jugs are made of plastic. This facilitates affordability and a lightweight design; however, not all plastics are created equal, and some of these plastic substances can be toxic themselves.
2. Filter life: It is relatively easy to change a water filter, but a system should not require a change in filter more often than every two months. It is also a bonus if a filtration system alerts you when a change in filter is needed.
3. Cleaning: Cleaning a water filtration system every once in a while keeps the system free of “algae, bacteria, and other unhealthy stuff (Luna, 2018)” that could potentially pollute your drinking water. A good water filtration system will be designed in a way that limits the proliferation of these substances; for example, there will be a limited use of corners, tubes, and other small crevices.

Keeping these factors in mind, here are some products that are popular with consumers and critics alike…

• Aquagear’s (8 cup pitcher, $70): At $70 dollars, this pitcher truly delivers in efficiency, functionality, and quality. It has a streamlined design that focuses on functionality, and the jug is made of “FDA approved food grade plastic (Luna, 2018).” Besides being BPA free, this pitcher is also completely recyclable and vegan. This system’s filter has undergone rigorous testing in various US labs and is certified to remove over 89 contaminants. For example, it has been shown to reduce “a significant amount of fluoride (90.06%), lead (99.9%), mercury (97.8%), arsenic (99.8%), copper (99.7%), to name a few.” In addition, “the filter also cuts off 99.9 percent of chlorine from your tap water (Luna, 2018)”, which leaves your potable water with an improved odor and taste. In addition to being incredibly effective, the Aquagear’s filter can cleanse 150 gallons of water before needing to be replaced. For an average household, this results in a replacement cycle of about 7 months.

• Restore Alkaline Pitcher ($50): This system, which can be found on Amazon for $50 dollars, is also made with BPA free plastic; however, the design of this pitcher is definitely unique. Avoiding the hassle of holding open a lid when refilling the pitcher, this system possesses something called a ‘smart lid’. With a small hole that is covered by a flexible flap on top, this system’s filtration reservoir is filled when the pressure created by a stream of water is enough to activate the flap. Another unique feature of this filtration system is the option to use multiple filters. The PH001 filter is extremely effective because it utilizes a duo micronet system with “coconut charcoal and KDF to remove not only visible particles but also various heavy metals such as lead, copper, arsenic, and mercury (Luna, 2018).” The optional PH002 membrane filter, which is sold separately, “filters 99.9% of all organic and inorganic matter out of the water (Luna, 2018).” Another impressive aspect of this filtration system is the life-span of the filters themselves at 1500 cups or 96 gallons. In addition, the smart lid keeps visual track of these quantities on an electronic indicator, notifying you when a replacement is needed.

• Brita Everyday Pitcher ($27): Available on Amazon for as low as $27 dollars, this water filtration system serves as an economical option that still consistently removes toxic contaminants. Also made with BPA free plastic, this pitcher is capped with a flip lid and can filter about 80 ounces at a time. This filtration system has also received a certification by the National Sanitation Foundation. This certification “means it is tested and confirmed to significantly reduce the amount of copper, cadmium and mercury impurities, and other chemicals in the water that threaten to cause serious health problem in the long term (Luna, 2018).” Consumers have also recognized that this pitcher significantly improves the taste and smell of the filtered water by effectively removing chlorine and other chemicals that are added during the municipal filtration process. Although the filter for this pitcher needs to be replacement more often than the other systems mentioned, about every 40 gallons, there is a sticker that will indicate when it needs to be replaced.

As opposed to pitchers and other filtration systems that are focused solely on drinking water, there are more expansive systems that are able to filter water before it even flows from a sink or shower. These systems, which sometimes need to be installed by professionals, are definitely more expensive than the pitchers discussed in the previous section; however, these filtration systems are able to protect families from toxic contaminants during every stage of household water use.

As opposed to pitchers and other filtration systems that are focused solely on drinking water, there are more expansive systems that are able to extensively filter water before it even flows from a sink or shower. These systems, which sometimes need to be installed by professionals, are definitely more expensive than the pitchers discussed in the previous section; however, these filtration systems are able to protect families from toxic contaminants during every stage of household water use. Because all of these advanced filtration systems are effective at removing almost 99% of contaminants, the following recommendations are focused on other characteristics. For this type of filtration system, here are some things to consider when purchasing…

1. Water Flow: Different filtration systems will filter different amounts of water per minute. Therefore, it is important to consider the concurrent water flow needs of your household before purchasing. Smaller households would be able to operate on a filter that only produces 10 gallons of clean water per minute, but “if you know your household usually consumes large volumes of water at the same time (in the morning before going to school or work, or before going to sleep) you should buy a unit capable of producing a better water flow (The 6 Best Whole House Water Filters, 2018).”
2. Filters: Because different filters block different contaminants, it is important to consider your household’s water test results. Also, changing the filter will most likely be the only maintenance required for your water system; however, if you don’t choose the right filter, you could be stuck changing it constantly. Therefore, the filter’s longevity and price should be considered.

Keeping these factors in mind, here are some products that are popular with consumers and critics alike…

• Aquasana 10-Year, 1,000,000 Gallon Whole House Water Filter ($799): This whole house water filtration system, available on Amazon for $799, is one of the best on the market. With a series of high-efficiency filters, this system will immediately change the taste and smell of your water. In addition to being effective, these filters are also known for their longevity. With a filtering capacity of 1,000,000 gallons, households could easily go 10 years without having to change their filter; making this system extremely low-maintenance. Another highly regarded characteristic of this filtration system is its pro-grade install kit. Made with top-notch materials, this kit- which “includes brass fittings, a pre-filter, a post-filter, and all the supports and shut-off valves (The 6 Best Whole House Water Filters, 2018)”- is all you need to conduct a fast and easy home-installation without having to shell out hundreds for a professional plumber.

• 3M Aqua-Pure Whole House Water Filtration System ($191.99): Priced at $191.99, this water filtration system is praised among consumers and critics for having a high flow rate. Able to filter 20 gallons per minute, this system goes above and beyond to ensure a drop in water pressure never occurs when multiple faucets are in use. Like the other recommendations, this filtration system also requires little maintenance. Besides having a filter longevity of over a year, changing the filter will only take 3 minutes! Their unique design ensures that to install a new filter, “you just have to twist them off and twist new ones in their place (The 6 Best Whole House Water Filters, 2018).”

• Watts WH-LD Premier Whole House Water Filter System ($64.99): Although this system, coming in at $64.99, is the cheapest whole house water filtration system on my list of recommendations, it is often still rated first among its more expensive peers on consumer websites. NFS tested and certified, the Watts WH-LD Premier system “has passed even the harshest standards (The 6 Best Whole House Water Filters, 2018).” In addition to possessing high-efficiency filters that remove 99% of contaminants, this systems boasts one of the best price/value ratio of any filtration system on the market. Another factor that consumers consider is the ease of maintenance and installation. By utilizing stainless steel components, this system has proven to be easier to install and less prone to cracking over time.

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