Is Your Water Filter Getting all the Bad Stuff Out? A Green Irene’s Story (Part I)

In its latest water quality report, New Jersey American Water states that water from my area (Somerset and five surrounding counties..Somerset, Union, Hunterdon, Morris, Mercer, and Middlesex counties) meets all standards except for the following:

- Tetrachloroethylene (discharged from factories and dry cleaners):  the highest allowable level is 1 part per billion (ppb), and the actual level found was 1.9 ppb;

- Trichloroethylene (discharged from metal degreasing sites and other factories): the highest allowable level is 1 ppb, and the actual level found was 1.9 ppb.

The report notes that “some people who drink water containing tetrachloroethylene and tricholorethylene in excess of MCL [maximum contaminant level] over many years could have problems with their liver, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.”

The EPA’s water quality website says that if these contaminants are found at levels of 5 ppb or above, that the water company “must notify the public via newspapers, radio, TV and other means. Additional actions, such as providing alternative drinking water supplies, may be required to prevent serious risks to public health.” Needless to say, I was concerned!

We have a water filter in my home, but I had no idea if it filtered out these chemicals. So I called the EPA safe water hotline number listed on my water quality report, and they pointed me to the National Sanitation Foundation International’s Water Filter Database. This is a great tool to find out about all water filters and what they filter out (You can also call NSF International at 1-800-673-8010).

It turns out that my water filter does not filter out these chemicals! They are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and my filter does not filter any VOCs. Fortunately, Green Irene’s 10-stage water filter does filter out these chemicals. I’m buying a new filter! If it weren’t for Green Irene, I never would have known to do this. Thank you Green Irene!

Note: Click here or on the picture above to purchase the 10-stage water filter from the catalog.

Sue Dorward, Authorized Green Irene Eco-Consultant

Bridgewater, NJ

http://www.greenirene.com/SueBridgewater

sue.bridgewater@greenirene.com