Whats in your water?

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Why Filter Your Water

Occasionally, I meet people that ask why should they bother filtering their water, isn't the government supposed to take care of that?

I have others that when I suggest they have their water tested or actually take the time to review and understand their water report that respond with, "I really don't want to know."

In the movie, "Flow" it is estimated that as many as 7,000,000 Americans are made sick from drinking tap water each year. One fact that people have a tendency to ignore is that the very chemicals that are put in the water to treat the water, (chlorine and chloramines) and the one that is put in to treat us, (fluoride) are all poisonous.

It is just as bad when talking to folks that have wells. It has been recommended that people have their wells tested once a year. If you tell someone that they need to do that they look at you like you are crazy. Yet, private wells can change quickly and the types of changes can be scary. Have your well tested! Many county extension offices will do a minimal battery of tests for free. If you are interested in a specific test or for a large range test, contact us and we can point you in the right direction to the labs we use.

My only question is what do you want in your water besides water?

A few articles you might appreciate.......

Five Hidden Dangers of Your Morning Shower

Chlorine in Bath Water

Fluoride

Should Fluoride be Ingested or Used Topically?

Did you know that over 99% of fluoride winds up back in our environment?

What does Dr. Oz think about water filtration?

"How can we get digital cable and Internet in our homes, but not clean water?"

By CHARLES DUHIGG New York Times

Millions in U.S. Drink Dirty Water, Records Show

By CHARLES DUHIGG New York Times

States With the Most Toxic Tap Water

Bottled Water

What works to remove specific contaminants?

Please note: This list was compiled for research and informational purposes only. It is not intended to suggest that any of the listed contaminants are present in your water supply. Only testing by an accredited lab can identify the presence of contaminants in your water supply.

Contaminant Name	Maximum Acceptable Level	Common Sources	Health Effects	Most Effective Purification Technology
Arsenic	0.010 mg/L	Natural deposits, smelters, glass, electronics wastes, orchards	Skin, nervous system toxicity	Reverse Osmosis
Asbestos	7 MFL (million fibers / liter)	Natural deposits, asbestos cement in water systems	Cancer	Reverse Osmosis, Activated Carbon
Barium	2 mg/L	Natural deposits, pigments, epoxy sealants, spent coal	Circulatory system effects	Reverse Osmosis
Bacteria / Coliform	-	animal & human waste, septic fields, sewage, farming	various illnesses	Ultraviolet
Cadmium	0.005 mg/L	Natural deposits, galvanized pipe corrosion, batteries, paints	Kidney disorders	Reverse Osmosis
Chloradane	0.002 mg/L	Leaching from soil treatment for termites	Cancer	Activated Carbon
Chlorine	4 mg/L	Water disinfection	see chlorination by-products (Trihalomethanes)	Activated Carbon, KDF
Chromium	0.1 mg/L	Natural deposits, mining, electroplating, pigments	Liver, kidney, circulatory disorders	Reverse Osmosis
Copper	1.3 mg/L	Natural / industrial deposits, wood preservatives, plumbing	Gastrointestinal irritation	Reverse Osmosis, KDF
Cryptosporidium	Zero	Animal or human waste, contaminated food products	Gastrointestinal illness	Reverse Osmosis, Carbon Block (0.5 micron)
E.coli	Zero	Naturally occurring, human or animal wastes	Gastrointestinal disorders (often severe)	Ultraviolet
Fluoride	4 mg/L	Natural deposits, fertilizer, aluminum industries, water additive	Skeletal and dental fluorosis	Reverse Osmosis
Giardia	Zero	Naturally occurring, human or animal wastes	Gastrointestinal disorders (Beaver Fever)	Reverse Osmosis, Carbon Block (0.5 micron)
Hydrogen Sulfide	n/a	Natural deposits	Rotten egg taste and odour	Manganese Greensand Filter, KDF
Iron	0.3 mg/L	Natural deposits	Staining of laundry, plumbing, appliances	Iron Reduction Filter
Manganese	0.05 mg/L	Natural deposits	Staining of laundry, plumbing, appliances	Iron Reduction Filter
Mercury	0.002 mg/L	Crop runoff, natural deposits, batteries, electrical switches	Kidney, nervous system disorders	Reverse Osmosis, Activated Carbon
Microbiological Contaminants	-	Animal & human waste, septic fields, sewage, farming	various illnesses	Various
Nitrate / Nitrite	10 mg/L	Animal waste, fertilizer, natural deposits, septic tanks, sewage	Methemoglobulinemia (blue baby syndrome)	Reverse Osmosis
PCB	10.0005 mg/L	Coolant oils from electrical transformers, plasticizers	Cancer	Activated Carbon
Radium	5 pCi/L	Natural deposits	Bone cancer	Reverse Osmosis
Radon		Natural deposits	Cancer	Activated Carbon
Selenium	0.05 mg/L	Natural deposits, mining, smelting, coal/oil combustion	Liver damage	Reverse Osmosis
Sulfate	500 mg/L	Naturally-occurring	laxative effect - gastrointestinal irritation (loose stools, diarrhea, etc.) especially in infants or individuals not acclimated to high levels	Reverse Osmosis
Total Dissolved Solids	500 mg/L	Erosion of naturally occurring mineral deposits	Gastrointestinal irritation in some individuals	Reverse Osmosis
Toxaphene	0.003 mg/L	Insecticide formerly used on cattle, cotton, soybeans	Cancer	Activated Carbon
Trihalomethanes (THMs)(chlorination by-products)	0.08 mg/L	By-product of chlorination in drinking water	Cancer	Activated Carbon , KDF
Turbidity	n/a (5 NTU max. recommended)	Soil runoff	Interferes with disinfection, filtration	Whole-House Sediment Filter, Reverse Osmosis
Uranium	0.03 mg/L	Natural occurring	Kidney disorders, cancer	Reverse Osmosis
Viruses	-	animal & human waste, septic fields, sewage, farming	various illnesses	Ultraviolet
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)	Varied	Varied	Varied, incl. cancer	Activated Carbon
Zinc	5 mg/L	Natural deposits, industrial waste	Metallic taste in water	Reverse Osmosis, KDF