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.
Many people understand the importance of drinking clean, fresh water to stay healthy. One area that is not discussed very often is a need for cleaner water for cooking purposes. The food that we eat is affected a great deal by the water that’s used during the cleaning and cooking processes. Washing salad leaves or making homemade soup in unhealthy water is not an option for most health conscious people. This is where access to a whole house water treatment system that provides cleaner filtered water can really help.
Reducing Exposure to Harmful Contaminants
Many people simply use the water from the kitchen faucet when they need to prepare or cook food. In some cases, these same people will only choose filtered water from a filter jug for drinking purposes. It is true that boiling water will kill off some of the viruses and bacteria found in water, but this isn’t the whole story. The same contaminants are also present in water used for other purposes, such as: washing vegetables, making ice and soaking beans. When you use unfiltered water to prepare, wash and cook food, you’re exposing yourself to the very same contaminants found in unfiltered drinking water. These contaminants could include viruses, bacteria, cysts, chlorine, and lead.
Improved Cooking Results
A rolling boil will kill some waterborne contaminants, but it will not get rid of any other materials present. When filtered water is used for cooking and making your favorite beverages, most people notice the difference immediately. Many people report that their food and drinks taste better or cleaner. This is not an added flavor imparted by the water. The difference in taste is the actual real taste of the food and drinks that have been masked by poor quality water. When the contaminants are removed, the real taste of your food and drinks can shine through. In fact, many chefs exclusively use filtered water as the natural tastes of the food are retained throughout the cooking process. Unfiltered tap water can contain contaminants, such as lead, chlorine and heavy metals that will impair the taste of food and even affect how ingredients work in a recipe.
Cleaning Dishes
Cooking can be a fun activity, but one of the least appealing aspects is the inevitable mess that needs to be cleaned afterward. This could involve multiple sessions of scrubbing pans, scraping food and soaking those tougher dishes in hot water. Throughout this dish cleaning process, your hands will be absorbing a great deal of water. Unfiltered water can dry your hands out significantly leading to cracked skin. When you wash your dishes using filtered water, the chlorine has been removed, and this will help to protect your hands from drying out.
When you have a whole house water filtration system, you will have access to filtered water from every faucet in your home. This will be helpful for cooking and preparing food that is tastier and healthier for your family. A local water treatment professional will be able to offer more advice on the right water treatment system to suit your needs.