| The more you know about water purification, the | | | | Underwriter's Laboratory and the National Sanitation |
| easier it is to find an effective water purifier for your | | | | Foundation will also provide certifications. If a |
| home. With so many water purifiers on the market | | | | company has all of these certificates, you can rest |
| today, consumers face a daunting, but not | | | | assured that you are buying the highest quality. |
| insurmountable, task, as they try to compare | | | | The best home water purification devices include the |
| performance, without actually buying different | | | | following separate stages to provide the highest level |
| products and bringing them home. | | | | of contaminant removal. Granular activated carbon |
| There are certain water purification certifications | | | | reduces chlorine and other chemicals. Multi-media |
| (described in more detail below) that make the | | | | adsorptive blocks further reduce chlorine and other |
| decision a little easier. Some companies also provide | | | | chemicals that are left behind by granular carbon. |
| certified "product performance data", but others, like | | | | Ion exchange removes traces of lead and other |
| Clean & Pure claim to provide a water purifier, | | | | metals, while improving taste, mineral content and pH |
| when the only thing that the system can really do is | | | | level. Submicron particle filtration removes cysts and |
| remove some chlorine and odor. | | | | sediments. All of these steps are important, but the |
| It's the cheap and heavily advertised water purifiers | | | | average water purifier only includes one or two. |
| that you have to look out for. But, the expensive | | | | If you're worried about cancer-causing contaminants |
| reverse osmosis step is a waste of money, time and | | | | like THM, you should know that researchers believe |
| energy for most people. | | | | that inhalation and skin absorption during a shower |
| Years ago, the most effective home water | | | | amounts to a greater risk than does drinking or |
| purification technology was reverse osmosis. But, we | | | | consuming them. There are only three shower filters |
| have better, less expensive options today. If you are | | | | on the market that are certified to reduce THMs. |
| serviced by a public treatment facility, you do not | | | | Most target only chlorine. |
| need reverse osmosis. | | | | As with drinking water purifiers, there are some |
| If you have a private well, you should find out what | | | | overpriced shower filters on the market that are not |
| contaminants are present in your supply and then | | | | worthy investments. Wellness, for example, charges |
| consider all of your options, before you buy any | | | | $250 for a filter that does nothing more than a $68 |
| water purifier. That's the only way to be safe | | | | brand. |
| without spending more money than you need to. | | | | Comparison shopping is always necessary for today's |
| The California Department of Health provides | | | | consumer. Companies are not nearly as honest as we |
| certifications for water purifiers that meet their high | | | | would like for them to be. Home water purifiers is |
| standards. In order to receive the certification, | | | | simply one more area where the "buyer must |
| companies have to provide laboratory analyses that | | | | beware". |
| detail the type of contaminants that are removed | | | | Hopefully, this information will help you find effective |
| and to what extent. | | | | water purification, at a price you can afford. |