Tap Water

• Always let the water run a few seconds before drinking to be sure any sediment or lead from the pipes is cleared through.
• Never dump any household cleaners, bleaches, paint or automotive fluid down a household or storm drain.
• Conserve water to make sure there will always be enough for everyone. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and install a low-pressure valve on your shower and toilet. Keep showers short, do not run the dishwasher until it is full, and water your garden early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Alternatives To Tap Water

Bottled Water
The different types of bottled water suitable as tap water alternatives can be broken down into 3 basic categories: distilled, spring, and purified. Bottled water is not regulated by the EPA if it is distributed only within the state of its origin. It is monitored by the FDA if it is distributed across state lines. The FDA, however, goes by the EPA's legal standards for regulating tap water. What it all boils down to is that, in some cases, the water you buy at the supermarket may only be as good as, or could even be worse than, the water at your tap. The best thing you can do before buying bottled water from any company is to call or write them and request information about their product. This information should indicate the source of their water, any purification processes or additives they use, and an analysis of the impurities in the water. Also, remember that if you choose unrecycleable plastic containers you are only contributing to the nation's already out of hand landfills. Also, the risk of leaching chemicals from polycarbonate plastic bottles could outweigh any possible benefits from using bottled water in the first place.

Costless Options
If you don't have the money to buy a home purification device or bottled water you still have options. The following are things anyone can do to make their tap water safer:

• 15 minutes in a blender with the lid off will cause 90% of VOCs to evaporate. If you don't have a blender, wisk your water in a bowl with a spoon. Remember, once these chemicals become gases, you can inhale them, so make sure you do this in a well-ventilated room.
• If you know your water is low in lead, boiling it for a few minutes will evaporate 90% of the VOCs. Because lead is a heavy metal, it will not evaporate and you will only increase its concentration by boiling. While you started with 50ppb of lead in an unboiled liter of water, after boiling you will have 50ppb of lead in 1/2 liter of water.

Home Purification Equipment

Solid Block Activated Carbon Filters
Activated carbon is charcoal which has been burned in the absence of oxygen. This process creates crevices in the carbon which trap contaminants when water is passed through the activated carbon filter cartridge. Effectiveness varies greatly depending on types and quantity of contaminants and the age of the filter. Counter-top point-of-use models take up little space and are relatively inexpensive. In addition the cartridges are inexpensive and easy to replace. Larger point-of-entry models are also available to treat a whole household's water supply. These large models remove many organic compounds that can be absorbed through the skin. Overall, solid block activated carbon filters do not remove as broad a spectrum of contaminants as RO or distillation. In addition, to operate most effectively, the filters need to hold the water forapproximately 7-18 minutes. Most household filters hold the water for less than one minute. Finally, with these filters new water must be passed through the old contaminants, lowering the effectiveness if the filter is not properly maintained. Filters must be replaced periodically and you cannot tell when it is saturated without testing. Once the filter is saturated, it cannot remove contaminants from the water but can actually start to release contaminants. [Note: Solid Block Activated Carbon Filters are not the same as Activated Granular Carbon Filters. The latter contains loose granules through which water, with tendency to seek the path of least resistance, can make a pathway without being filtered. We recommend granular systems as a finishing filter only, to be used in conjunction with other methods to improve taste and odor.]

Reverse Osmosis (R.O.)
With Reverse Osmosis, water is forced under pressure through a synthetic, semi-permeable membrane. Larger contaminants are flushed past the membrane down the drain. In this way, pure water is actually removed from water containing a high degree of total dissolved solids (t.d.s.). Kidneys are a perfect example of an R.O. system. The principle behind R.O.s is essentially the opposite of how plant life takes in water (osmosis), hence its name. R.O.s are highly effective in removing a broad range of contaminants, however the effectiveness varies depending on the type of contaminants. They do not require electricity and are easily installed by the home owner. R.O.s do require high water pressure, though, to be most effective; so you must determine if the water pressure in your home is sufficient. Also, the effectiveness of the R.O. system decreases with wear and the somewhat expensive membrane needs periodic replacing. Again, it is impossible to know when the membrane needs replacing without periodic testing. R.O.s are impractical for non-home owners because the plumbing under the sink and the sink area itself must be modified. Also, R.O.s have many plastic parts which plastic sensitive individuals might want to avoid. Finally, for conservation minded individuals, 7-12 gallons of higher density water are flushed down the drain to bring 1 gallon of filtered water to your tap.

Distillation
In distillation, water is boiled creating steam which is collected and condensed into highly pure, distilled water. Heavy impurities remain in the boiling tank and are drained later (automatically or manually, depending on the system). With distillation you loose only a small amount of water due to evaporation and virtually all contaminants are removed. Distillers are available both in small, counter top models and in large, 10 gallon storage systems that are as completely automatic as a hot water heater. Either model requires very little maintenance and the user can do this maintenance themselves without professional assistance. The smaller models don't require permanent hookup and are portable. Stainless steel models can last 15-20+ years. Glass units are vulnerable to damage and may be impractical for households with children or pets.The initial investment in a distillation unit is the most expensive of the 3 options listed here and they do require electricity to run. Emergency campfire units are available, however.

© 2007 Green Home, Inc.