Given the ever-increasing facts showing many contaminants our water supplies, more and more householders are filtering all of the



water that comes into their house to preserve health.

In December 2010 the Environmental Working Group released a study that showed 31 of 35 cities tested had hexavalent chromium



(Chromium 6), a likely carcinogen. The biggest point here is not those places that have it, but the reasonable assumption that most



places do!

Earlier, an AP study reported a vast array of pharmaceuticals in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans. These



included antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones. Other studies and common sense suggest that illegal drugs



are also in our water supplies. Studies in Spain and Italy have shown cocaine in the water. The point is that where they test, they



frequently find contamination.

Many of these contaminants are not regularly tested or treated by water supply organizations. While tests have indentified some



specific problems and the EPA is looking into more regulation, the larger issue is that we now know there are many chemical, organic



and metal contaminants in the water. It seems we can assume that there are others that haven’t been tested for. Waiting for specific



contaminants to be found in your local supply, and then waiting further for them to be addressed, means your family is right now



being exposed to contaminants with unknown consequences.

While these studies show specific concerns, the greater issues is that there are all kinds of contaminants in the water supply. To a



very large extent, the effects of these are not known. It is hard to imagine how all the prospective effects could ever be known,



since how all of these combine, and what you will find at different places and different times is always changing.

The best solution is to get a filter with a considerable amount of those filters materials demonstrated to work on the categories of



contaminants that cover all of those contaminants – chemical, organic and heavy metal. Reverse osmosis is not recommended for



several reasons.

Many combine a whole house water filter with lots media to filter those contaminants and last years, combined with a kitchen filter



to remove fluoride and polish drinking water. The primary risk of fluoride is from ingestion, and should particularly be addressed in



your drinking and cooking water.

If a whole house system is out of reach, nearly any household can afford an excellent kitchen fluoride water filter, or other water



filter that works on the categories of contaminants and with enough media to work well for a year.

Timothy Hickey is the Big Splash at fluoride water filter , a family-run website and online store with lots of information and products to whole house water filter, save water, and celebrate water. Email Timothy at timothy@friendsofwater.com.