Water from a Filter Is Really Better than Tap Water

 

Water

The general perception is that water filters installed in the kitchen can purify contaminated tap water and make it drinkable, but are they really necessary, and can they cause any harm?

British citizen Sheema avoids drinking tap water. Her refrigerator has a water filter installed in the door and she uses it to drink water. It sterilizes the water using an ultraviolet chip.

Sheema says that ‘filtered water tastes better. Tap water has the smell and taste of chemicals.’

Some people, including her husband, find this objectionable, who even tested it with their eyes closed, and it was found that they can indeed distinguish between the two waters with their eyes closed.

The American organization Environmental Working Group surveyed 2,800 people, half of whom said that they should not drunk tap water, while about 35 percent filter their water.

In a 2023 survey of more than 500 people in the UK by Swedish filter company Tap Water, 42% said they did not trust tap water.

The water filter business is booming in the US, Europe, and China. In 2022, it was estimated that the global water purification industry was worth $30 billion and could grow by more than seven percent by 2030.

There are arguments in favor of this, saying that filtering water has many benefits, such as removing toxins, contaminants, and salts, and improving its color and taste. So, is filtered water really better than tap water?

Purpose of a Water Filter

There are many types of water filters on the market, and their prices also vary. Some filters even have Wi-Fi facilities.

According to Kyle Postmus, an expert at the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), a Michigan-based certification organization, there are two main types of water filters. According to him, some small-scale filters purify drinking water and pour it into a glass to make it drinkable, while some large-scale filters are installed at the point where the water enters a home or building.

They use water purification technologies such as adsorption, ion exchange, reverse osmosis, and mechanical suppression. The goal of all of them is to separate contaminants from water.

“Different filters have different purposes, and each filter (design) is different,” says Ditlev Knapp, a civil engineering expert at North Carolina State University.

The important thing is to know what is in your water, whether it can be made drinkable by filtering it, and which filter will be best for the job.

Is It Safe to Drink Tap Water?

Whether you filter your tap water depends on where you live in the world.

In developing countries, people often have difficulty accessing clean drinking water. “The main problem is bacteria like E. coli and Legionella,” says Brent Krueger, co-director of the Global Water Research Institute at Hope College in Michigan and a professor of chemistry.

Contaminated water can cause diarrhea. It kills one million people a year (about half of whom are children under five), but it’s still relatively easy to prevent.

According to Krueger, water filters are effective at blocking bacteria.

In Latin America, his team conducted trials that found that water filters were installed in 16 towns in the Dominican Republic. This reduced diarrhea cases from 25.6 percent to less than 10 percent.

They say children now have fewer school holidays, and adults are expected to focus on their work and support their families financially.

In the Western world, tap water is strictly monitored to ensure it is clean and is generally considered safe to drink. For example, in the United States, suppliers are required to remove more than 90 contaminants from drinking water.

In the United Kingdom, tap water is purified using Ultraviolet disinfection and chlorination. According to a 2022 study by Yale University, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and the Netherlands are ranked first in drinking water quality and cleanliness.

“In most (Western) countries, suppliers are required to carry out regular testing, and this information is available to the public,” says Kruger.

“However, having a large municipal water system does not mean that everything is fine.”

The regulations examine how much lead can accumulate in pipes, but these figures do not always take into account for residential buildings, which can cause problems, particularly in older homes. “Rusty pipes are a big problem. I have seen lead contamination in old water pipes,” says Dr. Narusa Kamran of London.

In this case, Walter filters can remove lead from water. Kamran says that the role of a water filter in purifying water is like a last line of defense that can protect against chemicals and pollution.

He says that residues of certain medications, such as hormone replacement therapy, contraceptives, and medications for psychiatric disorders, can be found in the water system. According to him, these residues can reach the river in the patient’s urine.

Blocking Chemicals

Some experts say the most worrisome is the presence of PFAS, a group of more than 15,000 man-made chemicals in tap water. This stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. They are also called forever chemicals because they persist in the environment.

They have been linked to a range of diseases, including cancer, liver disease, and sexual health problems.

These chemicals can persist in the human body, says NEP. “Globally, all water supplies contain low levels of PFAS.”

For example, 17 of 18 water samples taken from England in 2023 contained at least one of the chemicals. In the US, 6 out of 10 people are exposed to these chemicals through their drinking water.

Water filters can remove these harmful chemicals from water. In a 2020 study, Knapp and his colleagues found that reverse osmosis and two-stage filters (which are installed under the sink) can remove almost all PFAS.

Postmus suggests that three types of water filters are effective: activated carbon, ion exchange, and reverse osmosis. “We’ve been certifying filters that have low levels of PFAS for six years. We can prove with data that water filters are effective.”

What to Look for When Buying a Water Filter

Sometimes, water filters remove harmful chemicals from water while also removing beneficial minerals, including magnesium, calcium, iron, and manganese. These minerals can be released during the softening process (removing salts) and improve the color of the water, which can be beneficial to health.

Some filters remove fluoride, and some municipalities around the world add it back into the water to prevent tooth decay.

According to NAP, reverse osmosis filters are considered the most effective in some cases because “they remove all the impurities.” They come with mineral canisters so you can filter the water and add minerals back to it.

Some people filter their water and add salt to it, but there is no evidence that this is an effective practice.

Kamran says that we can get some minerals back from our food, but it is not necessary that water is the source of them.

According to experts, if a water filter is not cleaned or its parts are not replaced in a timely manner, it can actually do harm instead of benefiting.

Bacteria can grow in a carbon filter like a sponge. A study in Singapore found that filtered water had more bacteria than tap water, and the highest number of bacteria was in water whose filters were not cleaned on time.

Another study found that water that had been standing overnight had an increased presence of bacteria. Therefore, it is recommended to let the water pass through the water filter for at least 10 seconds before drinking it.

“If you don’t maintain the filter properly, you won’t get the benefits from it. The water that comes out of it may be more harmful,” says Knapp.

Filling Up on the Most Essential Water Deficiency

Using a water filter may depend on your area, and it is also important to know what impurities are present in the water.

Kruger says you can do some research to find out the quality of your water, and you can get your water tested to find out.

If your tap water does not meet drinking standards, it is important to consider which filter will be best to remove contaminants.

According to Postmus, it is difficult to recommend a single filter, but it is possible to check if the water filter has any certification. “If the device has received certification, then at least it is an advantage that it is effective.”

According to Kamran, the most important thing is whether you drink the right amount of water every day. “As a doctor, I have seen many problems arise due to a lack of water.”

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