What’s in Your Water?

If you only invest in one thing for your family’s health and safety, make it a high-quality home water filtration system. According to the CDC, about 7.2 million Americans get sick every year from diseases spread through water, and climate change, sea level rise, and coastal and watershed development are increasing the prevalence of waterborne pathogens. Although, the U.S. has one of the safest drinking water supplies, even treated sources can become contaminated. With aging infrastructure and increasingly strained federal, state and local budgets, it may not be smart to take clean and safe water for granted.

Sediments, biological organisms, and toxins are the main kinds of water risks. Sediments include items such as dirt and debris, and primarily affect the appearance of water. Biological threats include bacteria, protozoa and the dormant forms of these known as cysts, viruses, and algae blooms, which are increasing due to climate change and industrial waste. Further hazards include chemicals, heavy metals such as mercury and lead, and countless other contaminants. The risks are meaningful.

Waterborne viruses are more common in developing countries and are not considered a major threat in the U.S. However, two of the most common dangers in the U.S. are the parasites giardia and cryptosporidium. These come from animal feces and can cause severe intestinal problems.

You can sometimes see, taste, smell or feel contaminants in water, but many harmful impurities are colorless, odorless and have no taste. Some filters only improve the taste or appearance of your water, not its safety. How effective a filter functions depends on what it blocks versus what it lets through. 

Faucet filters are effective only where they are placed in your home and do not address water used in showers and baths, dishwashers and washing machines, which can expose your family to impurities through inhalation of steam and residue left on dishes, clothes and bed linens. A whole home filtration system is vital for always-on filtration throughout your home. Just turn on any tap in your home and get pure, clean, fresh water.

The best way to know if your water is safe to drink is to have it tested by an EPA-certified testing laboratory. Although many water filter providers offer a free test before system installation, Brita PRO is the only provider that encourages and offers post-installation testing by an independent EPA-certified laboratory to ensure that our system is doing the job we designed it to do — provide a reliable supply of clean, high-quality water for your family.

Find out what’s in your tap water and contact us today to get an independent water test at https://britapro.com/contact/get-your-water-tested/.