Is a Water Filter Worth the Trouble?
Walk into almost any home today and you’ll probably encounter some type of water filtration system, whether it is on the tap itself or as part of a container in the refrigerator. People seem obsessed about filtering their tap water to use for drinking, cooking and even showering. But are water filters really necessary?
The water you drink should be the highest quality possible. Most tap water contains too much chlorine, fluoride and other toxic chemicals that can harm your body. For these reasons alone, a water filter is a good idea. Some other health-related reasons to filter your water include:
- Drinking contaminated/impure water is major source of illness/disease, including increased risk of colon, rectal and bladder cancer
- Government agencies state that lead in our drinking water contributes to learning disorders in children
- Children need pure drinking water for proper mental and physical development and to protect their developing immune systems
- Municipal water treatment plants cannot always control the level of bacteria and other contaminants in tap water
- More than 2100 known contaminants have been found in test samples of municipal drinking water
While portable water filters can be effective for treating tap water for drinking, you might want to consider a whole house water filter to protect the air you breathe and the clothes you wear from potentially dangerous contaminants that infiltrate your home through toilets, dishwashers, washing machines and especially showers.
A recent report in the American Journal of Public Health associated chlorine with a considerable increase in some types of cancer, asthma and skin irritations. The report also stated, “up to 2/3 of the harmful exposure was due to skin absorption and inhalation of chlorine in shower water.”
Installing a whole house water filter is one way to ensure that water from every source in your home is clean, pure and chemical free.
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