There are many who are worried about the quality of the water they get, as they open a tap for a glass of water to quench their thirst with. Many of them also want the water to taste better. May be you’re one of them too!

In case you do, first of all think for a moment. Do you really require a system for purifying water at home? According to the EPA or the Environment Protection Agency, 90% of the supply of water available in the U.S is really safe to drink, right out of your faucet. In spite of such assurances, you might find it necessary to install a water purifier at home, if the following conditions apply to you.

• Abnormal levels of lead in your tap water.
• Excessive levels of contaminants in the water, like radon as from water from a well.
• A highly compromised immune system, like those suffering from HIV or those who are undergoing chemotherapy.

Certain contaminants can affect the taste of water or make you feel sick. A good water purification system can eliminate biological contaminants such as microbes, bacteria, viruses, and perilous parasites like giardia and cryptosporidium. It can also remove chemical contaminants such as radon, lead, nitrates, radium, arsenic, certain byproducts of disinfection process and pesticides.

Water Filter Options

You need to take into consideration several factors before deciding on that water filter system you’ve always wanted to buy.

Choose either a water filter system or purification system that is pre-certified to meet all the standards of water quality established by the EPA, and also a system that fulfills your exact requirements. There is no single system that can do away with all kinds of contaminants.

In case you’re worried about any specific contaminant, such as radon or bacteria, look for a water filter system that can remove the particular contaminant that is present in your home water supply.

There are two kinds of water purification systems: POU or point of use which only filters the water coming out of a specific faucet it is equipped with; POE or point of entry by which the entire home water supply gets filtered as it enters your home, thus purifying the water that comes out of every faucet.

Such systems can consist of a filter, made out of some suitable material that can filter out contaminants such as chemicals and microbes present in the water, or they might get rid of or destroy the contaminants in some manner or other.

Important components of POE water filters are…

• Absorptive media: These are essentially filtering systems that are carbon based that entrap liquids as well as solids within the filtering material.
• Water softeners: A water softener contains an exchange system that can correct the level of hardness of the water. Tap water can contain magnesium as also calcium, which can render the water extremely hard. A POE water filter makes use of potassium or sodium ions to neutralize the magnesium and calcium ions, thereby making the water very soft indeed.
• Aerators: These are devices that pass strong jets of air through the water to eliminate chemicals such as radon as also certain chemical components contained in gasoline.

POU water filter components include…

• Distillers: A POU device boils the water in order to eliminate the contaminants that can be removed in the form of water vapor, from your drinking water. This distillation process removes almost all the naturally occurring minerals in water, although there might be some change in taste.
• Filtered water pitchers: These pitchers are equipped with a filter that is usually replaceable every three months. They trap chemicals as also other types of contaminants. You only got to fill the pitchers with water from your faucet and wait as the water drains through the filter. These pitchers are inexpensive and easy to use, and can enhance the taste of drinking water.
• Reverse osmosis devices:  This device makes the water pass through a porous membrane that removes microbes and chemicals as it does so. Such systems require a lot of water, but they will eliminate all disease causing microbes as well as numerous chemicals. This is considered the most effective system of water purification.

Alternatives of water filter systems

In case you don’t feel the need for any kind of water purification system, you can still remedy a few of the problems related to drinking water without any kind of water filter. Here are some tips:

• When turning on the water tap after an interval of a few hours, let the water run on for many minutes, as this will flush out any lead present in the water.
• Boil your tap water for around three minutes, pour it into a pitcher and place it in your refrigerator. This will destroy microbes, such as cryptosporidium.
• Pour tap water into a container and place it in your refrigerator and it will enhance the taste of the water, if it is excessively chlorinated.

By following one or other of these ways, you can achieve water safety at home, and ensure that the water you drink is safe for the entire family.