Water Filtration

In 1974, Consumer Reports published a landmark three-part series on the safety of the United States water supply, contending that water purification systems in many communities had not kept pace with increasing levels of pollution and that many community water supplies may have been contaminated with potential carcinogens. Those reports, which won the magazine’s first National Magazine Award, have been credited with playing a role in the enactment by Congress of the Safe Drinking Water Act in December 1974 and prompted inquiries into drinking water safety on local levels.

Since then, much has been done to improve water quality and to certify to the general public that their drinking water is safe. However, in many parts of the U.S. citizens are not happy about their water…concerns about its taste, its color and more importantly, the things that may be present in the water that they cannot see.

For many of those individuals, their only immediate recourse is to purify their water with one of the many water filtration systems on the market today. But, with so many systems available, how is one to know which is right for them. The easiest solution is to simply buy a water filter or water treatment system that removes a multitude of contaminants, but that may not be effective enough for the more serious situations. Testing the water, even from a do-it-yourself kit, although having a professional lab or testing company is generally advisable, should always be the first step. Those test results will be key to knowing what you will need and how best to proceed. Don’t be afraid to get advise from such organizations as the EPA or even good ole Consumer Reports. Afterall, it’s your health and the health and well-being of your family that’s at stake. 

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