FridgeFilters.com Blog

How much do you know about your water quality?

It’s something that we often take for granted, but do you really know what’s in your water? A friend sent me a link to a great FAQ page on the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) website with answers to that nagging question, “what is in my drinking water?”

The EPA sets the regulations that govern community water suppliers and this includes a test of your drinking water. These tests check for the presence of over 90 different contaminants, including E.coli and Cryptosporidium, and that is information that you really want to know.

Using a filtration system on the water that you drink not only helps your water taste better, but also helps filter out potentially harmful contaminants. Even if you are already using a water filter you should check out the CDC site for more information on the quality of your public water system.

Remember to change your water filter about every 6 months (or as recommended by the manufacturer) to insure that your filter cartridge is providing you with quality contaminant reduction.

How to Purify Water

Most of the time we have access to clean water and water treatment is not an issue, but what about those other times?

If you have ever been camping you may have been tempted to drink from a freshly flowing stream or crystal clear lake. Chances are you didn’t know what else may have been in the water with you. Any time you drink water from an untreated source such as a river, lake, or in some developing countries, you could be at risk from water-borne viruses and bacteria that can cause diseases.

I found a great article on the Wired How-To Wiki that provides an in depth guide for purifying untreated water, found here.

Of course, if you know you will be out hiking, biking, camping, or traveling to other countries where safe drinking water is a concern you can also plan ahead and try one of the Katadyn purifying water bottles. The Katadyn bottles double as both a filter and a dispenser and their lightweight design makes them perfect for on-the-go use.

If water-borne viruses are a concern you should definitely consider getting one of the Katadyn MyBottle purifiers that includes a virustat filter.