Tap Vs. Filtered Water

In this article, you'll find information on the health benefits of tap vs. filtered water from Express Water, your home water filtration system company.

The typical person should drink 11 to 15 cups of water per day. If you drink only 8 cups of tap water a day, that’s still over 182 gallons of tap water in a year. 

But what do you know about that water?

A study of water quality monitoring violations found that about 63 million Americans have been exposed to potentially unsafe drinking water in the last ten years. Even the water deemed safe to drink can contain countless chemicals in what the EPA deems “acceptable levels”. This doesn’t include other chemicals like fluoride and chlorine that the EPA approves adding to water supplies.

Tufts University Professor Jeffery Griffiths (who has been a science advisor on America’s drinking water to the EPA for over 20 years) said, “There’s a nagging concern that we’re getting a mixture of chemicals at low doses. When you get a hundred of them, what does that mean? Nobody knows.”

It’s difficult to say what you’re drinking when you pour a glass of tap water. Every area has its own profile of problem contaminants. But how do you deal with them?

What Is a Water Filter?

According to the EPA, more than 40% of Americans use water treatment at home. The main difference between the tap water piped into your home and filtered water is safer to drink.

A water filter uses one or more types of water treatment media to remove potentially hazardous chemicals and contaminants from your drinking water. Filtered tap water is simpler and cleaner, containing mostly H2O to keep your family happy and healthy.

What Contaminants Are in My Tap Water?

Lead — Approximately 30% of the public plumbing infrastructure in the United States contains lead, either in service lines or in the piping itself. As treated tap water travels from a water treatment plant to your home lead can leach into your tap water, proving disastrous for your health.

As the crisis in Flint, Michigan demonstrates, lead is a deadly contaminant that can cause fatalities and chronic health conditions even in miniscule amounts.

Chlorine — Chlorine and chloramines are chemicals designed to kill bacteria and other dangerous organic matter in the drinking water supply. While these chemicals are effective at sanitizing water, several studies have linked chlorine and chloramines to bladder and colorectal cancer. These chemicals can also create disinfection by-products in your water that can jeopardize your health.

Comprehensive water filters remove most chlorine and chloramines from your tap water so you can drink and shower in water free from these abrasive and potentially harmful chemicals.

Fluoride — The EPA recently reduced the maximum amount of fluoride allowed in drinking water from 1.2 mg/L to 0.7 mg/L because of its proven negative effect on IQ in concentrated doses. Fluoride is a neurotoxin, but is often not present at concentrations high enough to cause permanent damage.

Fluoride is added to public drinking water to prevent tooth decay, but any toothpaste approved by the American Dental Association will contain an effective dosage of fluoride. Fluoride levels vary widely across the country’s water systems, and over-exposure to fluoride can cause gastrointestinal problems.

What Water Filter Is Best for Me?

Once you test the water in your home you will know what contaminants are present in your tap water. Switching to filtered water will help you maintain simple and clean drinking water free of any unwanted impurities.

 The water filter you choose will vary based on your needs. Express Water’s Reverse Osmosis Home Water System will effectively remove 99% of chemicals like chlorine and fluoride as well as lead, arsenic, and other dangerous contaminants to deliver simple pure filtered water, making all the difference in your family’s health. Featuring easy installation and quick filter changes, a water filter from Express Water is a breeze to maintain and presents a fast effective solution for your tap water quality problems.