| Doesn't "GE Reverse Osmosis Water Filters"-sound | | | | types sold in the U.S. |
| like a good thing? If GE puts their name on a water | | | | The GE reverse osmosis water filter is probably |
| filter, it ought to be good, right? | | | | among the better ones of its type. One problem, |
| First some background: | | | | though, with all reverse osmosis systems, is that |
| You already know there's a problem with our water, | | | | they waste water. For each gallon of filtered water |
| or you wouldn't have been looking for information on | | | | produced, some three to ten gallons is wasted and |
| water filters. One issue is the increasing contamination | | | | sent on down the drain, depending on the system, |
| of our water supplies with pharmaceuticals. | | | | because of the need to wash the trapped chemicals |
| Prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs are | | | | and sediment off the membrane. |
| increasingly being found. We consume, then excrete | | | | Because forcing the raw water through the very fine |
| (or discard without consuming) these substances, and | | | | pores of the membrane used in these systems is a |
| they wind up in our rivers and ground water. | | | | very slow process, reverse osmosis systems require |
| Since our water treatment plants, for the most part | | | | storage tank, typically 2-5 gallons, which takes up a |
| at least, weren't designed to filter out these | | | | lot of room under the sink. |
| chemicals, they end up in our tap water. Everything | | | | Even though the membrane has very small holes, |
| from antibiotics to pain killers like ibuprofen and | | | | most of the pharmaceuticals and other organic |
| codeine to hormones to sun screen to cancer | | | | chemicals such as pesticides and weed killers in our |
| chemotherapy drugs to anti-depressants-- and | | | | water are smaller than those holes, so they flow |
| anything else you can think of can be found in our | | | | right on through the membrane. To catch them, a |
| water. | | | | carbon filter is used. |
| Pharmaceuticals are only part of the problem. Studies | | | | So why complicate things? Why not just use a |
| have found that approximately 2100 chemicals can be | | | | carbon filtration system in the first place? |
| found in our water as a result of the 80,000 or so | | | | Reverse osmosis systems also cost more to operate. |
| chemicals used by industry, agriculture, and in our | | | | They typically produce drinking water at a cost of |
| homes. | | | | $.25 per gallon or more. By comparison, the |
| Many of these chemicals we know to be dangerous. | | | | best-selling carbon filtration system, the one I installed |
| Many of them we don't know about, and we | | | | in my home, does it at a little less than $.10 per |
| especially don't know about the effects of drinking | | | | gallon. |
| the combinations of chemicals. | | | | It should also be noted that any filtration system is |
| So far, most of the pharmaceuticals have been | | | | much better for the environment than buying bottled |
| found at very low level, perhaps too low to cause a | | | | water. Sixty million bottles water bottles a day are |
| problem... but we don't know for sure what the long | | | | manufactured in the U.S., and most of them end up in |
| term effects might be, especially on infants and | | | | landfills. That's a lot of plastic in the landfills, and a lot |
| children. Scientists differ, but many are very | | | | of petroleum used to manufacture the bottles in the |
| concerned. For example, what if a strain of bacteria | | | | first place, not to mention the transporting of all |
| becomes immune to the effect of a particular | | | | those bottles. Huge environmental impact-do your |
| antibiotic? | | | | part to not participate! |
| OK, so we know there's a problem. How do we | | | | For my money, the carbon filtration, or "Carbon |
| solve it? | | | | Block" filter unit is the best answer to contaminated |
| The best answer is a home filtration unit, of which | | | | water. They're the least expensive type to operate, |
| the GE reverse osmosis water filter is an example. | | | | don't waste water, and do a better job of filtering |
| Reverse osmosis filters are one of the two primary | | | | out the bad stuff. |