Back in the 90's you started buying bottled water because you heard it was 'healthier'.  And you thought, hey, I’m doing the right thing, right?  The next thing you know, you’re getting glares from the Trader Joe’s checkout guy because you have….bottled water in your cart.  Because, as any Smug Greenie would like to inform you, you are wasting plastic by facilitating the evil bottled water industry! And shipping water around the world (creating CO2) and possibly contributing to the overpumping of local aquifers where the water is bottled. Suddenly, the Great Water Debate of 2009 is bigger than the Bring Your Own Plastic Bag Drama-Rama of 2008. 

Dutifully, you then rush out to buy water filters.  Why? Well, it might not be as healthy as it should be. While most tap water in America is very safe (and some even safer than bottled, as local water is required to be tested daily, whereas bottled has no such requirements). However, you still might have water that contains: chlorine, arsenic, cooper, lead, iron, fluoride, and good old bacteria (this last one is highly unlikely in America).  Mostly, the contaminants don't come from your water supply, but from household plumbing.  According to the EPA, these materials “are the most common source of lead and copper in home drinking water.”  As the temperature and alkalinity of your water changes, so does their effect on your pipes.  And so, you want to test your drinking water every six months to account for these changing variables. 

What are the signs you might want to test your water?  Do so if your plumbing system has brass pipes or lead fixtures, if your water has a strange taste, or if your water is hard and leaving a soap scum.  Also do so if you have reoccurring gastrointestinal problems, you are moving into a new home, you live near livestock, or if you suspect pesticides in your area.  Some experts also suggest water testing if you are pregnant or about to have a baby.

And don’t forget to look at your water.  Do a visual test. Is it clear?  Brown?  Are things floating around in it?  Does it smell like a swimming pool (indicating chlorine) or rotten eggs (indicating sulfur)?  If your water stains around your drainage system, that can indicate problems.

So how do you go about testing your water?  First, you can call your water supplier/state health department to request water treatment reports or a Consumer Confidence Report.  This way, you can find out how often your tap water is treated and if there are any violations on file.  Experts also suggest contacting a national laboratory specializing in water analysis.  According to expert Don Vandervort, you can get “National Testing Labs (800-458-3330) or Suburban Water Testing (800-433-6595) to send you instructions and a water sampling kit that you mail back.  A lead-only test costs about $35; a comprehensive test for organics, inorganics, and bacteria runs from $137 to $167, depending upon the range of the tests.”

You can also buy your own water testing kits.  Often, your local hardware store will carry one.  There are many available online, but you want to get one that is EPA certified.  Like this one from WaterSafe!

This includes tests looking for lead, pesticides, chlorine, nitrates, hardness, E.coli and corrosive pH levels.  Discover Testing also offers water testing kits.  

And finally, invest in a water filtration system.  Brita has the monopoly on the market – I’ve been using their pitchers for years.  If you want to find a system that will work for your entire house, try EcoWater or another whole house wlater    Systems like EcoWater operate on a reverse osmosis filter.  According to experts, this “utilizes normal household water pressure to force water through a selective semi-permeable membrane that separates contaminants from the water.  Treated water emerges from the other side of the membrane, and the accumulated impurities left behind are washed away.”  However, some experts note that these systems waste more water than traditional water filtration systems.  So keep your options open to more traditional water systems, do some reading, and find out what system is best for your budget and needs.  

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