October 8, 2009

Water Quality in a Healthy House


Excellent indoor air quality is not the only aspect of a healthy house. The quality of our drinking water is just as critical. Tap water can be contaminated with toxic chemicals, radioactive hazards and infectious agents, along with medications and other personal care products whose health impacts are only now just being realized.

Water purification is an "extra" in new home construction, and will typically not be included unless you specifically request water testing and purification.

A whole house purification system will remove contaminants at your water source's " point of entry" to the home, which provides the most protection. The same contaminants that you do not want to drink from your kitchen tap are those that you do not want "aerosolized" by your showerhead for easy inhalation, or absorbed into your skin, as you shower or bathe.

Of the three types of whole house filtration methods - reverse osmosis, distillation and filtration - my research tells me that filtration is the most effective and most energy efficient match for municipal water, particularly if it utilizes solid block carbon filters.

Check your local municipal water report to identify which contaminants are most important to filter. Use a search engine to locate the report, or check your town's website under Public Works. Well water users will need their own water analysis, and may require a different approach to meet their specific needs.

Based on my research, and with our plumber's endorsement, we will be installing the Rhino 300 EQ Whole House Water Filter.


For more information on water filtration, check out AllAboutWater.org. I suspect that this site may be sponsored (perhaps by Aquasana), but the information is still useful.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts with Thumbnails