Consumer Guide to Water Filtration
Prepared by: Peter Norton-Baker, Director, Water Plus.
Water - a colourless, transparent liquid devoid of taste or smell. It may look clear and pure, but for many reasons this will probably not be the case.
Water Essential for Life
All the water you drink, unless it has been purified, will contain contaminants. Water, being the ultimate solvent, will dissolve and/or corrode most things it comes in contact with. Moreover, particles such as dirt and rust, and organisms such as bacteria, protozoa cysts (cryptosporidium and giardia) and algae, can be suspended in water.
Your family deserves the best quality water possible. You deserve the peace of mind of knowing that you have a controlled, consistent quality of water. If you use town water supplies you have the benefit of the local water authority's testing and treatment. Chemicals such as chlorine and fluoride are added to your water, but one or both of these chemical additives may not suit your drinking water needs. Rural water supplies from rivers, wells, bores, dams and rainwater tanks are also exposed to contamination. Birds and animals can cause bacterial contamination. Contamination can also result from airborne dusts, herbicides and pesticides. It takes many hours of rain to clear the air of such pollutants.
As water travels from its original source, or from the treatment plants to your home, it may pick up contaminants along the way. For example, the water mains may be corroding and there may be lead solder joints in the copper pipes in your home.
You may hear water authorities talk about 'acceptable risks'. It is rare to experience mass illness outbreaks due to water contamination. However, some outbreaks such as the Milwaukee cryptosporidium outbreak in 1993, have had serious consequences for thousands of people. Cryptosporidium is found in all water supplies - even in the most pristine environments. You may recall that in 1999 Canberra experienced one of the largest cryptosporidium illness outbreaks in Australia's history when this parasite infected some of its swimming pools. In 1998 Sydney had high levels of the cryptosporidium cysts in the water supply and consumers were warned to boil their drinking water.
Epidemiology studies have identified certain cancers attributable to chemicals in water. Chemical additives are introduced to water for good reasons but you must decide whether you wish to drink them and any by-products that they may produce. Water filters provide you with options. You may wish to remove the chlorine, rust and dirt and retain the fluoride. Alternatively, you may want to completely remove all additives and contaminants from your drinking water. If you rely on tank rainwater you may be concerned with bacterial contamination. People relying on bore water may be concerned with pipe corrosion and staining. There is no universal water filtration solution for all problems. It depends, among other things, upon the problem itself, the water source, whether the water is sanitised or not, the type of application, the type of contaminant and your needs and budget.
There are four important steps to follow to ensure that you always have the best drinking water.
- Determine the quality of your water supply;
- learn about the problems you may encounter;
- find out what options best suit your needs and budget; and finally
- regularly maintain the water filters.
Testing your water
Your local water authority can provide a typical analysis of the municipal water supply. Some councils may be able to test rural water for certain contaminants, whether it be rainwater, borewater, dam or river water. Check to see what services are provided in your area. Water Plus can also help you in this. We can test certain water parameters and also help to decipher the reports provided by your local water authority.
Water testing should be regularly undertaken to be effective. Water tested pure one day can change quickly. It may take only a shower of rain or for the water pipes in the street to burst.
Learn about the problems
There is literature available to help you understand the types of impurities in water and the best way to treat or remove these contaminants. The book,'The Water You Drink' by John Archer, is available from ABC Shops or the Water Plus showroom. 'The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines' , available from Commonwealth Government Bookshops, provide guidance to water authorities and the public on the acceptable levels of contaminants in drinking water. The Choice Magazine web site also contains good reference material.
Discover your options
Once you have determined what is in your water you can take the necessary steps to improve it. There are many recognised technologies available to meet your needs and budget. Most technologies and filters are on display in the Water Plus showroom at Unit 8 of 64 Wollongong Street, Fyshwick. ACT.
Maintain the water filters
Most water filters suspend contaminants within the filter media and may either become blocked or cease to remove contaminants. Some filters and treatment systems wear over time and lose their effectiveness. Manufacturers provide a guide as to the serviceable life of their products but there are many variables that may affect these recommendations. These include the quality of the water being treated, the amount of usage, water temperature and pressure. Most consumers replace their filters regularly based upon elapsed time, usually every six to twelve months. Water Plus provides full installation and maintenance services. We also log the service history for each installation and remind customers when filters are due for maintenance.
Water is essential for life. You should be aware that, apart from yourself, no-one is taking final responsibility for its purity. Governments set guidelines and Water Authorities do their best to comply with them. However, by following the tips above you can achieve known outcomes, guaranteed peace of mind and guard you and your family against the unexpected.
| Contaminant | Treatment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reverse Osmosis | Carbon | Distillation | Sediment | Ultra Violet | |
| Chlorine | yes | yes | 4 | ||
| Colour | yes | yes | yes | 3 | |
| Tastes | yes | yes | |||
| Odours | yes | yes | |||
| Trihalomethanes | 4 | yes | 4 | ||
| Herbicides | yes | yes | yes | ||
| Pesticides | yes | yes | yes | ||
| Fuels/detergents | yes | yes | yes | ||
| Nitrates | yes | yes | |||
| Flouride | yes | yes | |||
| Cryptosporidium | yes | 1 | yes | 1 | |
| Giardia | yes | 1 | yes | 1 | |
| Bacteria | yes | 2 | yes | 2 | Yes |
| Viruses | yes | yes | Yes | ||
| Dioxin | yes | 3 | 3 | ||
| Lead | yes | yes | |||
| Arsenic | yes | yes | |||
| Cadmium | yes | yes | |||
| Sulphates | yes | yes | |||
| Sodium | yes | yes | |||
| Dirt/silt/rust | yes | 5 | yes | 5 | |
| Asbestos | yes | yes | |||
| Radioactive | yes | yes | |||
| Related Factors | |||||
| Energy Use | low | low | high | low | low |
| Maintenance | low | low | high | low | low |
Notes
- Filter must be rated at 1 micron absolute or lower
- Filter must be 0.2 micron or better
- Some effectiveness
- Yes if activated carbon is part of the system
- Depends upon micron rating of filter
Water is...
Water Plus.