Clean, pure water. Our bodies want and need, no, crave, this most precious resource. Living in the western world automatically puts us at an advantage, with developments of modern society providing healthy water to our homes for our use. But the reality of this situation isn't always so rosy when a potential quality issue sends us looking for a company that specializes in treating our household water. Safety, performance, and taste are all reasons to look for additional water treatment besides what is provided by your municipality. While some reasons can be damaging to our health and homes, others are more aesthetic, like taste and odor. Both are important and can impact our quality of life. But what should you look for in a water quality company? Is it reputable? Do their products actually perform as promised?
If "something in your water" has prompted you to shop for a water quality company or products, there are several things you must consider:
First, contact your local municipality
Your local water utility should be able to help you determine if it is even necessary to treat your water. Tap water providers are required to conduct frequent water quality testing and must inform their customers about the results of testing and quality issues. You know that report or statement that comes once per year from your utility company or city about your water? It may be worthwhile to actually read it!
Determine what issue(s) you are trying to tackle
If you are concerned about discoloration, deterioration of plumbing fixtures, and decreased performance of soaps and detergents, then you have "hard water". Hard water refers to excessively high mineral content in water. Generally speaking, mineral content in water is a good and healthy thing. But excessive amounts of minerals like calcium, magnesium, as well as other compounds are not household friendly. Mineral content can vary by geographical location. A reputable company can help you test for water hardness to determine if you need a whole house water softening system.
Your water concerns may be more aesthetic. While technically safe to drink, strong odors or tastes are commonplace in tap water and can be very off-putting. Odor can be due to high sulfur content. Additionally, as water utilities change the source of their water throughout the year from ground water aquifers to surface water like lakes or streams, taste can fluctuate. This may discourage you from maintaining proper hydration or drive you to purchase bottled water for drinking. Water is big business. In the US alone, $35 billion dollars is spent annually on bottled drinking water. In the US, 1500 plastic water bottles are consumed every second and 80% of these bottles will end up in landfills where they will never biodegrade. Water that could cost mere pennies from the tap is costing thousands and hits budgets hard. What you may need is the latest in environmentally friendly water quality systems that lead the industry for waste to good water ratios - 90% great tasting drinking water 10% is used in the process and not the other way around.
Perhaps you truly have a safety concern. It is not uncommon for tap water to be contaminated with metals, micro organisms, and chemicals. However, a more commonplace contaminate that may exist to some extent in nearly every home in America is lead. While lead is a naturally occurring element, it is usually not found in source ground water. It is our water delivery system that introduces lead to our tap water. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to contain problem plumbing. Lead pipes as well as solder used to join copper pipes, brass in faucets, coolers, and valves all contribute to elevated lead levels. Private wells fitted with parts that contain lead also pose a threat. A filtration system like reverse osmosis may be all you need at your kitchen sink.
Do Your Homework
One of the best things you can do is be proactive about selecting a company to help filter and treat your water. By doing your own research, you are in control and not at the mercy of the scare tactics employed by some less than ethical companies out there. Get educated - check out websites like NSF International, known for the development of standards, product testing and certification services in the areas of public health, safety and protection of the environment. This is a great place to start to learn about a variety of concerns about water quality.
Another great place to look is the Water Quality Association. WQA is a trade organization committed to providing up-to-date and accurate information about water quality as well as the companies and products intended to help and treat problems. You will want to be on the lookout for products that are certified to treat the issue(s) you have in your home. When a product is certified, it means that the model was tested in the WQA's laboratories and was found to meet the standards to reduce the specific contaminates in drinking water. Additionally, components are rigorously tested as well. Go to the websites of products and companies you are considering. Look at how long they have been in business - a company who has a 50+ year history of satisfied customers and clients will happily share this information on their company website. The BBB is a great place to look as well; watch for excessive complaints and unresolved conflicts. A reputable company will come to your home to test your water with no strings attached.
Signs of a Scam
Knowing that consumers are concerned about the safety and quality of their water, several companies prey on the fears of the uneducated user, selling products that don't do what they say, peddle misleading information or treat the wrong problem. Consider these red flags:
? A filter salesperson comes to your door with bleak news that your drinking water supply contains cancer-causing chemicals or that your water comes from recycled wastewater and you need to treat your entire house.
? A sales representative provides you with "scientific data" but will not provide the source of the research or balks at the idea of you checking out their claims and inviting them to come back afterwards
? A company tries to sell you testing kits and implies that your water contains high levels of contaminates without ever testing your water
? A company claims their filter product is approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (who doesn't actually test water quality products) and will help all your water problems or they claim that their filter is NSF Certified when in actuality the filter may be but the housing unit is not
? A company claims that the bottled water they will sell you comes from secluded lush springs deep in the woods of Western Washington or that their special vitamin or mineral water has special health benefits
? A salesperson comes to the door warning of a chemical spill near your water supply and they have been asked to go help outfit homes with their (very expensive, yet under performing) water filter to help the problem and prevent illness
Choosing a Water Quality Partner
If you have done your homework, you will not give in to pressure to buy overpriced, unreliable and untested water filter for your home. You have seen the evidence of water quality issues in your own home or have had a reputable company invited to your home to test for contaminates or hard water levels. You understand what kind of product you may need, whether it is a water softening system or a smaller system designed to treat just your drinking water at the sink. Make sure your company leaves you with literature so you can research their company, products, and ratings with the industry leaders like the WQA. Make sure you understand what you will be purchasing, that it takes care of your issues in your home, if it meets all safety standards, and is fully Gold Seal Certified by the WQA.
By understanding your needs, doing some homework, and working with a reputable and reliable company, you and your family should be able to safely enjoy water at the tap for many years to come.
M. Simpson writes for Boncor Water Systems. Boncor is a member of the Water Quality Association and the Pacific Water Quality Association. Boncor offers a wide range of residential and commercial/industrial water systems. They provide better service at a competitive price and work every day to provide quality service. boncor.com boncor.com/
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