To Understand What Kind Of Filter System You Should Use, First Test Your Water Supply To See What You Truly Need Protection From.
You need to understand what is in your water in order to find the best way to combat it. Running tests on your home water supply is the best way to figure out what chemicals and contaminants are lurking. Once you know what you’re dealing with, it becomes easy to figure out the right water filtration system and products you might need for your home.
When it comes to running the tests, there are several options available to you. First and foremost, if you are on municipal (city) water, the municipality tests their water and typically sends the findings to citizens through the mail. Many folks toss it because it has a lot of stats and data that seems tedious to sift through but you should hang onto it. This is a great way to see what levels you should be concerned about.
If you’re on well water, you will need to have it examined for microorganisms and bacteria either by a testing kit or hiring an independent lab to run tests.
Whether you have well water or you’d like to test your home water supply on your own, here are a few options:
County Health Department – You can voice your concerns to your county’s health department. Often times they will help test your water to explore if there are potential problems that could pose a risk to the public at large.
Independent Lab – You can use a state-certified lab to test your home water supply. To find one closest to you, call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800.426.4791 or visit the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website. That link is www.epa.gov/safewater/labs.
Testing Kits – You can head to your local hardware or home improvement store and purchase a home water testing kit. Some, like Home Depot, even have a free kit you can take home and mail-in for results. You can even shop online at places like Amazon. There are a wide variety of water testing kits available at a price range running from $11 to $250.
No matter what you feel most comfortable doing or what works for your budget and time frame, the most important aspect is that you have your water tested. Knowing the chemical makeup and possible contaminants lingering in your tap water is a critical way to determine which filtration products will produce the best results for you.
