Which Water Filter is Best for My Home?

by Katie E. Boyle, MPH

​My first career out of college in the early 2000’s was as an Environmental Scientist for an environmental consulting and engineering firm, GeoInsight, Inc., in Connecticut.  There, I learned from the best* about how water is sourced, treated and delivered to our homes, along with the state and federal water quality standards that public water is required to meet.  I learned how to properly collect a water sample from the tap, submit it to a lab for testing to look for contaminants and interpret and report the results.  I also learned that I can be in charge of my home’s water quality by learning more about the testing that’s regularly done on it, along with the filtration systems I can use to supplement the treatment the water has already received.
 
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has made being in charge of your home’s water quality much easier by publishing a national Tap Water Database and Water Filter Buying Guide.  

What does this tap water database do?  It compiles results from drinking water testing done by our public water supply companies across the nation.  And it answers these questions for us:

• Does the public water supply feeding your home meet federal drinking water guidelines?
• What contaminants were found in the last quarter and how do they compare to your state and national levels of that contaminant?
• What health effects are linked to those contaminants?

 
EWG also provides an in-depth guide to the water filtration options out there.  It contains descriptions - in one easily-accessible place - of every type of water filtration system one can buy, from the tiny ones inside a water bottle to the big expensive whole house filtration systems that are professionally installed.  Based on the water quality results you find for your water system, you can choose a filter that's right for you.  Each filter description is linked to options for purchasing: how handy!

I was pleasantly surprised at the under-sink options available in the $100-$200 area, a price point I feel like my family can manage.

To see whether your water supply company is in compliance, along with any contaminants found in your water in the last quarter, enter your zip code by clicking the link for EWG's Tap Water Database.  Then click through to research water filters that make sense for your needs.

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