We have discussed so far the importance of staying hydrated and the downside of water contamination. So we know that filtration is important, but what is the best way? To be honest, I don’t think there is any real simple answer. There are a variety of water filtration systems and the more you are willing to pay…the better your water will be.
There are many good resource sites regarding water filters online. You can check out the Environmental Illness Group or the Environmental Working Group. The simplest, most cost-effective place to start is with a regular charcoal filter system that you see at the store. These are commonly used with water pitchers and jugs. It uses granulated charcoal filters for filtration which is able to remove chlorine, pesticides, parasites and most other large chemical residues.
Reverse osmosis, or RO, is a commonly used water filtration system and units can be purchased for the sink only or for the entire home. Reverse osmosis is not able to remove chlorine or pesticides due to particle size so a charcoal filter should be used in addition to RO. Reverse osmosis also removes minerals from the water making it essentially the same as distilled water. You do not want to drink distilled or only RO water for long term because of the theoretical impact on diminishing your body’s trace minerals. With that being said, if you are taking a daily multiple vitamin/mineral support you should be well covered. You could also consider adding minerals back to the water after the filtration process.
The most effective systems would consist of a pre-filter with a carbon-based filter then run through a reverse osmosis filtration system, passed through an additional carbon filter for post-filtration and addition of trace minerals before you drink. Some online research or contacting a water filtration company in your area would be beneficial. You may also want to consider having your water tested from an independent lab to identify any micro-organisms or toxins in your water.
The least you could do is use a carbon filter system for your drinking water and cooking water while you look into more complete systems that you may want to use in the future. This will ensure a reduced exposure to many common contaminants and will help promote a cleaner and healthier you.
