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It's Not Just Water Under the Bridge

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Americans want better drinking water -- and are doing something about it(ARA) - Did you know nearly 90 percent of Americans have a serious drinking problem? The problem? Significant concern about the quality and taste of their drinking water. That's according to the results of a new 2001 National Consumer Water Quality Survey which analyzed respondents' perceptions about their household water supply and other home water quality issues.

This study, conducted and released in May 2001 by the Water Quality Association, found that nearly nine out of 10 American consumers have serious, overall concerns about their drinking water. In particular this included:

• Two-thirds have aesthetic problems with their water: its smell or taste, hardness or appearance.
• More than half are concerned about possible health contaminants.
• Almost half are worried about sediments in their water

In addition, nearly half of all respondents (49 percent) believe federal drinking water laws should be stricter, and one in every three Americans (32 percent) believes household drinking water isn't as safe as it should be. The study also noted a significant increase in both the uses of bottled water and home water treatment devices (the latter now up to 41 percent compared to 38 percent in 1999, and up from 32 percent in 1997). Respondents said they purchased and used filtration devices because they not only wanted to improve the taste of their tap water, but also because they believed it was safer.

"Water, Water Everywhere, Nor Any Drop to Drink" The above cry was from a thirsty sailor at sea made famous in S.T. Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," and that cry now echoes the feelings in close to half of America's homes, as evidenced by their purchase of some type of water filtering device. That number doesn't even include all the consumers who purchase bottled water, which is now close to being a $5.2 billion-a-year industry, according to the New York-based consulting group, Beverage Marketing Corp. However, home water treatment systems are gaining in popularity because of not only the high cost of bottled water, but also the ongoing maintenance of purchasing and transporting large bottles or heavy cases of the wet stuff.

This is why today's consumer has so many options to get better tasting and healthier water, thanks to a vast number of home water filtration devices now available. These come in varying degrees of style, convenience, filtration features, prices, and have different features and levels of necessary maintenance. All are good for improving water taste and decreasing odors, with some also designed to filter out lead, chemicals and potential health risks like bacteria.

Before purchasing a unit, check with your community's local water utility or have your water quality checked. Then you can look into a water treatment system that will meet your filtration, budget and lifestyle needs. Some of the more popular options, and their 'pros' and 'cons' include:

• Water pitchers or carafes: These allow you to directly pour water into them, then wait while the water runs through a filter. Pros: This is the largest portion of water filtering category, because pitchers are cost effective (they start at under $20), and require little maintenance and no installation. Brita, Culligan and Teledyne are some of the more popular models and all provide varying shapes and sizes of pitchers as well as different levels of filtration. Cons: Pitchers can take up considerable room on the countertop and in the refrigerator. Plus, there's often a lot of neglect refilling them (like the, "Hey, who didn't fill the water pitcher?" factor). It can take more than 7-10 minutes to filter just one or two gallons.
• At-The-Tap systems: These models are faucet attachments that convert tap water directly into filtered water. Pros: Also cost-efficient, tap attachments are usually available from $30 -- $100, and now, too, offer different levels of filtering. They provide filtered water with just a knob turn, and are fairly easy to install. PUR, GE and Culligan are among market leaders. Cons: Perceived as big and clunky, faucet attachments tend to stick out, and usually do not mesh with most kitchen decor. They also provide a very slow flow rate, often under a half-gallon per minute.
• Filtering faucet systems: One of the most recent introductions, these are single-unit faucets with filters directly built in the faucet. Pros: These systems provide significant convenience -- Moen's PureTouch system, for example, filters cold water directly through a separate port and provides filtered water at the touch of a button. It also has a visual indicator to let you know when its filter needs to be replaced. These and other filtering faucets provide great tasting water with style and functionality, including some models with pullout and multi-function spray patterns. The filters tend to be easy to change, as they are often located right in the spout. Cons: Initial cost on these units starts at $175, depending on choice of style, function and finish. But over the long run, they can actually save money compared to purchasing bottled water. In fact, they can produce filtered water for 95 percent less per gallon than the bottled kind.
• Undermount systems: These models directly connect to the water supply lines and fit under the sink in the kitchen or bathroom. Pros: These systems often feature larger, longer-lasting filters, which can also filter out more impurities. This means fewer filter changes, and increased filtration to eliminate more chemicals and contaminants. They sometimes provide a faster flow of filtered water as well. Cons: You have to go under the sink to change filters, and they require installing a separate water spigot -- usually an unattractive, generic-looking fixture. However, Moen's new AquaSuite provides filtered water with a stylish faucet fixture available in 12 durable finishes (this system also provides great tasting water in the bathroom for taking medicine, brushing teeth or meeting those late night "can I have a drink of water?" requests).
• Reverse osmosis systems: Available as under-the-sink or whole-house conditioning systems, these are multi-filter devices which push the water through a series of membranes to achieve filtration and require a separate water spigot. Pros: These systems provide a very high level of filtration, particularly when coupled with whole house conditioners, to achieve one of the highest levels of mineral and bacteria filtration. This combined system, available from manufacturers like RainSoft or EcoWater, can include filtered water for not only drinking purposes, but even for bathing and washing clothes. Cons: A complete system is very costly, starting at well over $1,000, although there are less expensive ones for drinking water only (their manufacturers usually recommend complementing these with whole-house softeners if you have hard water). These also require more maintenance than other systems and can waste two to five gallons of water for every purified gallon produced.

"So, What's The Right System for Me?" When purchasing a water treatment system, remember to keep in mind the unit's ease of maintenance, as well as the length of time between filter changes and amount of water they filter. Look for units that signal when their cartridges need to be replaced, provide easy-to-find replacement cartridges, and can even supply replacement parts, if necessary. It's also important to look for units that are certified by the NSF (National Sanitation Foundation), which qualifies filtration claims made by manufacturers. Different levels of filtration are available among these systems and vary, depending upon the homeowners' choice of filtering needs and costs. While the primary consumer concern is to eliminate water odor and improve taste, which usually means filtering out chlorine, other materials buyers want to filter out can include minerals and chemicals (lead, iodine, atrazine, mercury, turbidity, arsenic), microscopic cysts (cryptosporidium and giardia), and other bacteria.

The National Consumer Water Quality Survey noted that 95 percent of its respondents said they were satisfied with the effectiveness of their home water treatment system, with another one out of 10 looking to add a system. So it looks like the people have spoken -- no matter how you filter it, the drinks are on the house.

What is Lurking in Your Water? By:New Jersey Home Inspector Michael Del Greco

Have you ever wondered what might be lurking in the water you're drinking? There are millions of different bacteria, chemicals, minerals and toxins in the water we drink. However, they are at trace levels and are, for the most part, tolerable.

Your best protection is to learn about your water and test it regularly. Water labs will be able to give or direct you to a source that will outline the acceptable parameters or tolerances of the compositions or conditions that may be found in your tap water. A local lab should also be a good source of information for the most common problems found in your area. Public water systems are required to test their water periodically by State regulations.

Here is an overview of a few of the dangerous concerns found in some water:

1) Coliform bacteria. This is waste from animals or humans. This situation can develop in areas where there are large populations of humans or animals. Surface water may be washed into wells or their underground aquifers. In older communities, cesspools were much deeper in the ground and closer to water tables. New community requirements put on-site water systems closer to the surfaces and farther from the water tables. There is no acceptable coliform bacteria level for water that is to be consumed.

2. Nitrates. These chemicals may cause neurological problems.

3. Pesticides. These are found in areas where foliage is sprayed or dusted. Rain washes the pesticides to the surface and possibly to wells or underground aquifers.

Proper balanced water is 7.0 PH. When the PH is below 7.0, the water is acidic. With levels above 7.0, the water is alkaline, or base. It is very common to see water with low or acidic PH, especially in municipal water supplies or densely populated areas.

Low PH can be recognized at sinks and tubs after a few years by the greenish stain at the drain. This stain is caused by the chemical reaction of the acidic water and the copper piping. The acidic water causes copper to be depleted from the pipes to the point of failure, or leaking. Advanced stages of this activity can be evidenced by small, round, green stains on the pipes. This is an indication that the pipe is newspaper thin and will leak at any time.

Limits of acidic PH are typically 6.5 to 8.5. The levels are measured on a logarithmic scale. High levels of minerals will manifest themselves by leaving brownish stains at the sink and tub drains and in the toilet tanks.

Here is a partial list of maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for Safe Drinking Water:

Component/Condition MCL Component/Condition MCLPH 8.5 Nitrate 10Manganese .05 Total Dissolved Solids 500Sulfate 250 Hardness 250Lead .050 Copper 1Sodium .50 Iron .03Fluoride 2.0 Chloride 250

There is treatment equipment on the market that will address these issues and hundreds more. You should know what is in your water and the possibility of problems before you call a treatment specialist. The better informed you are, the higher the probability of purchasing a system that will be best for you, if a system is needed at all.

Information provided by Michael Del Greco, New Jersey Home Inspector Lic. GI 0121, American Society of Home Inspectors Member 102273, President of Accurate Inspections, Inc. A West Paterson New Jersey Home Inspection firm.

More great info Michael, this time about water treatment.

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