With more than 30 years’ experience in the residential and commercial water treatment space, Mark Nelson is a Class 1 Drinking-Water Operator and a CBWA (Canadian Bottled Water Association) Certified Plant Operator. As founder and president of Nelson Water in Ottawa, Mark focuses on dealing with challenging water treatment system designs for problem water. He also heads the largest water bottling plant in the city of Ottawa with a delivery network throughout the Valley.

We rely on a supply of clean and fresh water to stay healthy and hydrated. Without access to clean drinking water, we become vulnerable to waterborne diseases, harmful contaminants, and other problems. Choosing the right system for your home can be tricky if you’re not sure about the makeup of your tap water. For this reason, it’s a good idea to invest in some laboratory water testing to get an accurate breakdown of your water. To learn more about your water supply and get some advice on the right system to suit your needs, contact your local certified water treatment specialist. In this article, we will take a look at five clear benefits for your family when you install a water filtration system in your home.

1.  Cleaner Tasting Drinking Water

Many people don’t appreciate the taste of drinking water, they find it bland and unappetizing and this can affect the volume that they consume. Bad smelling and tasting drinking water is often laced with a variety of contaminants, including Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs. These are chemicals that are in common use and they have a tendency to leach into our water supplies. In fact, studies have shown that around 20% of water supplies contain some level of VOCs.

A prime example of VOCs found in our water supplies is chloroform, which is formed when chlorine or chloramine (chlorine and ammonia) is used in the water disinfection process. Water that contains chlorine is mixed with the organic material found in water leading to the formation of chloroform. Both VOCs and chloroform can affect the taste of your drinking water and they are known to be carcinogenic.

When VOCs are removed from drinking water, you will notice that it tastes clean and fresh. The best filter method to remove VOCs will contain activated carbon, which has a large filtration surface to capture a wide variety of chemical contaminants. This process is known as adsorption and it’s a common filtration method used in many filtration systems.

2.  Removing Waterborne Microorganisms

The local water treatment plant removes waterborne pathogens with basic filtration methods and disinfection with chlorine based treatments. And yet, every year there are millions of cases of gastroenteritis caused by drinking tap water. Unfortunately, some pathogens always seem to get through the disinfection process. The water delivery network needs significant investment, microorganisms can enter the water supply through cracks in the pipes.

At the moment, the most effective way to remove waterborne pathogens that can affect your health is a reverse osmosis or RO filtration system. The RO filtration process works by forcing the water under pressure through a semipermeable membrane. This membrane only allows water molecules to pass through and it’s 99% effective. This process does take time, so a water tank is required to store the water until you’re ready to use it. Most people have a point-of-use or POU faucet installed at their kitchen sink. This makes it convenient for filling drinking water pitchers or to fill a pan for cooking.

After the installation of an RO filtration system, most people notice a significant increase in their drinking water quality. Beverages and food made with RO water have a more authentic taste which can be a pleasant surprise. More importantly, RO filtration can remove harmful bacteria such as Legionella and E.Coli and viruses including Giardia, protozoans, rotavirus, and more.

3.  Removing Heavy Metals

There have been a number of high profile cases in North America related to heavy metal pollution in water supplies. Heavy metals such as lead can leach into water from aging pipes, industrial pollution, soil erosion, dissolved lead paint flakes, and a wide variety of other sources. Some of the most common heavy metals found in water include lead, zinc, copper, chromium, and more. Although heavy metals are found in nature they do represent a significant health risk and they can contribute to the hardness of your water.

There are many home water filtration systems such as RO that can capture or remove heavy metals from your incoming public water supply. To reduce the contamination and remove the hardness, it’s a good idea to install a water softener system. The most effective systems use an ion-exchange process to remove the hard ions and replace them with benign sodium or potassium ions.

4.  Saving Money

Installing a home water filtration system is a great way to improve your water quality. Your drinking and cooking water will be free of harmful chemicals, which will make it a healthier option. But, this type of system will also help you to save money because it’s less expensive than buying bottled water and getting water delivered to your home. Although a good water filtration system represents a significant investment, it makes good economic sense in the medium to long term.

If you have hard water, it’s a good idea to install a water softener to remove the mineral ions that make the water hard. Hard water creates scale that coats the inner surfaces of water carrying pipes. This narrows the aperture of plumbing pipes that can lower the water pressure and degrade the integrity of the plumbing system. Pipes will develop leaks, cracks, and breaks which can lead to an expensive plumbing repair bill. Your water using appliances are also at risk, the useful lifespan of your dishwasher, washer, water heater, and other systems can be significantly shortened. Heating elements covered in scale increase the heating times and this can drive up your energy bills too.

5.  A Flexible Approach

If you want cleaner water delivered to every plumbing fixture in your home, it will be a more significant investment. This type of system is known as a whole house water filter and it’s an ideal solution for all your water quality needs. But, if your budget is more modest or you only need better drinking and cooking water, you can choose a point-of-use or POU system instead. A POU system is installed at a single faucet which is usually the kitchen sink for your convenience.

If you want to install a whole house or POU water filtration system or water softener in your home, contact your local water treatment specialist today.