Every year, tens of millions of people in the United States are exposed to drinking water that contains heavy metals, prescription drugs, and other contaminants.
Many of these people don’t even realize that the water they’re drinking is unsafe.
If you’re worried about the water you and your family members are consuming, you might want to consider investing in a water filtration system.
Read on to learn more about the importance of water purification and how you can make sure you’re always drinking clean water.
Why Purify Your Water?
There are lots of benefits that come with purifying your water. Even if you live in an area where the tap water has been deemed “safe,” you could still be exposed to problematic compounds.
Some of the greatest benefits of water purification — no matter where you live — include the following:
Reduce Cancer Risk
Throughout the country (and the world), people drink water every day that contains potentially cancer-causing compounds.
Much of the drinking water in the U.S. is contaminated with arsenic, lead, and other ingredients linked to an increased risk of cancer.
By purifying your water, you could significantly limit your exposure to these compounds and minimize your cancer risk.
Improve Water Taste
Not only is purified water safer to drink, but it also tastes better.
If you find yourself avoiding drinking water because you don’t like the way it tastes, you might be surprised at the effect a water purification system can have.
Reduce Carbon Footprint
Filtering your water is good for the environment, too.
Many water filtration systems help you to conserve water. They also allow you to avoid relying on plastic water bottles, which often end up in landfills.
The transportation of plastic water bottles also results in increased carbon emissions, so cutting back on your use of them helps to decrease air pollution as well.
Reduce Chlorine Exposure
Water purification also helps to minimize the amount of chlorine you’re exposed to.
Chlorine exposure has been linked to increased rates of asthma, cardiovascular problems, and even birth defects. Chlorine may also increase your cancer risk, as well.
Avoid Plumbing Contaminants
The water coming from your faucet might not be heavily contaminated itself.
However, if it’s transferred through rusty or corroded pipes, you could be exposed to heavy metals and other dangerous contaminants.
Water purification helps to get rid of these compounds and ensure your water is always safe to drink.
Save Money
Investing in a water purification system helps you to save money, too.
You won’t spend a fortune on bottled water, and you won’t have to wrack up your energy costs boiling water so that it’s safe to drink.
Keep Pets and Plants Healthier
Finally, a water purification system ensures that your pets and plants stay healthy, too.
If you’re giving your furry friends polluted water from the tap, they face a greater risk of illness, too. Your plants won’t thrive, either, when they’re being watered with heavy metal- and chemical-laden water.
Water Purification Tips
Clearly, there are lots of reasons to make water purification a priority. How do you go about purifying your water, though?
There are lots of options you can try, including the following:
Boiling Water
One of the easiest ways to purify your water is to boil it before you drink it.
Boiling water gets rid of many of the harmful chemicals that pollute the water supply.
It does not get rid of solid compounds in the water, though, and it can be quite time-consuming.
Purification Tablets
If you’re in a pinch or want to drink clean water while you’re traveling or out in the wilderness, water purification tablets can be helpful tools.
You simply drop them into your water and they get to work killing bacteria and other harmful compounds.
Purchase a Water Filter
Boiling water and water purification tablets can work on an occasional basis, but they’re not great for everyday use.
Of all the water purification options available, a water filter is generally your best option.
There are lots of different water filters you can purchase, including filters for your home and filters that you can drop in your water bottle to purify water while you’re out and about.
Choosing a Water Filter
If you’re interested in purchasing a water filter, you might be wondering what kind of filter is going to be best for you.
There are lots of options to choose from. According to this company, the following are some of the most popular water filtration options:
- Filtration pitchers
- Under-the-sink filters
- Wall-mounted filters
- Whole-house filtration systems
- Shower filters
Filtration pitchers are a good starting point, but they aren’t as effective as other filters at getting rid of contaminants.
Under-the-sink and wall-mounted filters are affordable, easy to install, and do a great job of filtering out the most common contaminants.
The problem, though, is that they can only filter the water coming from a specific faucet.
If you want to filter the water throughout your home — including the water you use for bathing and cleaning — you’ll be better off investing in a whole-house filtration system.
When you use one of these systems, you’ll have to spend more money up front. At the same time, though, you’ll get to enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing all the water in your home is clean and toxin-free.
Go Green Today
As you can see, water purification is essential if you want to improve your health and avoid a variety of illnesses.
You know how to make sure your water is clean, but did you know that there are also steps you can take to keep the water in your area from becoming polluted in the first place?
You might not be able to totally eradicate water pollution on your own. You can do your part to keep things from getting worse, though.
Check out the Green Living section of our site today to learn how you can minimize the impact you have on the water in your area.
You’ll also learn about other ways you can change your lifestyle to protect the environment.
