FridgeFilters.com Blog

Hexavalent Chromium found in US Tap Water

Recent testing of 35 cities across the country has revealed that at least 31 of those cities could have elevated levels of the contaminant hexavalent chromium, also known as Chromium-6. More information on the report can be found in this CNN article.

Reports have indicated that simply drinking bottled water will not safeguard against ingesting chromium-6 as many bottled water companies use municipal water supplies to fill their bottles. Filtering tap water is also not guaranteed to reduce chromium-6 unless you are using a system that is certified to reduce chromium. Many reverse osmosis systems can reduce chromium-6 as well as a variety of other contaminants from drinking water.

Home Depot currently sells the GE reverse osmosis systems PXRQ15F and GXRM10RBL that reduce chromium-6. Replacement filters for both systems can be found at Fridgefilters.com

New Water Station from 3M Offers Alternative to Bottled Water

According to an article in the Star Tribune, 3M’s Water Station design was in the works for more than 2 years before finally hitting shelves in 2010, but it was definitely worth the wait. The Filtrete Water Station offers an innovative new approach to how we filter and consume drinking water. The Water Station combines the convenience of bottled water with the cost effective and environmentally friendly practice of filtering tap water. This dual purpose unit fits easily in any home and is sure to be a big hit with families all across the country.

The Filtrete Water Station uses a fast-flow cartridge to quickly dispense filtered water from the station directly into 4 reusable water bottles. The result is an environmentally friendly, inexpensive source for cleaner, better tasting bottled water. The reusable bottles can easily be detached from the water station and either refrigerated for later use or taken on the road as you rush out the door to soccer practice, dance rehearsal or a visit to grandma’s house.

The filter cartridge can be easily replaced and recycled and Filtrete also offers consumers the ability to order additional water bottles for the station so you can be sure to always have a supply of bottled water ready to go.

D.C. water supply may have dangerous levels of lead contamination

An effort to disinfect the water in the D.C. area may have contaminated as many as 15,000 homes. The disinfectant caused corrosion in lead pipes that leached into the water supply. The CDC has concluded that many homes may still be at risk of elevated levels of lead contamination.

For more information you can find the full report here.

Many older homes may still use lead pipes for the water supply and this can increase the risk of lead contamination. In some cases the visible piping in the home may be made of PVC or copper, but the service lines that lead to the house may be lead. Here are some tips to check if your house has lead water lines from ehow.

You can also test your own water for lead contamination with a Drinking Water Test for Lead.

If you know that you have lead pipes or that you are at risk of lead contamination you can also use a water filter to remove lead from drinking water. Just make sure that the filter cartridge you are using is NSF certified for lead reduction. A simple inline filter like the GXRLQ from GE reduces 99% of lead as well as filtering out chlorine, cysts, asbestos and other contaminants.