Water is life, and its cleanliness and purity can directly impact our health, wellbeing, and quality of life. Despite being treated and filtered by municipal water facilities, various contaminants can still make their way into your household water supply. Tap water often contains a mix of chlorine, lead, pesticides, bacteria, harmful chemicals, and even small plastic particles that can post risks to human health. This where the utility of household water filtration systems come into play. This article explores some of the best water filtration systems for home use available in the market.
Why Invest in a Home Water Filtration System?
The use of a home water filtration system is often a personal preference. Some individuals invest in them for health considerations, to improve the taste of tap water, to minimize reliance on bottled water, or a combination of any. Regardless of the motivation, investing in a home water purification system holds several notable benefits.
- Healthier Drinking Water: Many filtration systems can successfully remove harmful contaminants, such as lead, chlorine, bacteria, and other substances that can have adverse health effects [^1^].
- Improved Taste: Purification systems can enhance the taste of water by removing elements that cause bad taste and odor.
- Environmentally Friendly: Investing in a filtration system decreases dependency on bottled water, reducing plastic waste.
[^1^]: B. D. Roeder et al. Duquesne University Small, “A Review of the Health Risks Associated with Major Chemical and Biological Contaminants,” Sci Rep. 2019; 5(June):1750.
Types of Home Water Filtration Systems
Before we delve into the specifics of the most popular products, it’s essential to understand the various types of water filtration systems and how they work.
- Activated Carbon: This popular method leverages activated carbon granules (derived from charcoal) to absorb contaminants such as chlorine, solvents, and pesticides that affect taste and smell.
- Reverse Osmosis: This system uses pressure to push water through a semipermeable membrane, removing contaminants like salts, nitrates, bacteria, and some metals.
- Distillation: Water is boiled, and the steam is captured and condensed back into liquid in a separate container, separating contaminants with higher boiling points.
- Ion Exchange: Water is passed through spherical resin materials. Ion exchangers ‘swap’ contaminants’ ions with their own, removing hardness and heavy metal contaminants.
- Ultraviolet Radiation: UV radiation is used to kill bacteria, viruses, and other microbes.
Top Picks for Best Water Filtration Systems
APEC Water Systems ROES-50 Essence
As one of the most popular reverse osmosis (RO) filtration systems, the APEC ROES-50 removes up to 99% of contaminants. This system offers super-efficient filtration, a lead-free faucet, plus it comes with filters that give up to 12 months of purified water [^2^].
iSpring RCC7AK 6-Stage RO Drinking Water Filter System
The iSpring RCC7AK is a comprehensive six-stage reverse osmosis system that neutralizes the pH of the water and restores healthy minerals, offering a unique alkaline remineralization. Its multi-layer filtration ensures incredibly clean and pure drinking water.
Berkey Countertop Water Filter
For ease of setup and lower cost, the Berkey Countertop Water Filter is an excellent option. Despite its small size, it can filter out bacteria, viruses, chlorine, and other harmful contaminants. Plus, it has a lifespan of up to 6,000 gallons per filter [^3^].
Aquasana 10-Year, 1,000,000 Gallon Whole House Water Filter
For whole-house filtration, the Aquasana 10-Year filter reduces 97% of chlorine present in tap water, in addition to other hazardous contaminants.
Final Thoughts
Investing in a home water filtration system is a critical step towards ensuring the quality of your water supply, improving taste, and protecting your family’s health. It is essential to understand your needs and choose a system matching your water quality and budget. Always check for certification from authoritative entities to guarantee the system’s efficacy.
[^2^]: Consumer Reports. “Water filter buying guide,” (2021).
[^3^]: NSF International. “Certified Drinking Water Treatment Units,” (2021).