Choose the Best Drinking Water

Water is a basic human necessity, and it should be the best it can be for you and your family. We will walk you through your drinking water choices and help you pick the best one.

Your home may have everything you desire and more: great features, nice community, good schools, safe neighborhood. But what about the drinking water? This is something homeowners rarely consider, and drinking water quality is not uniform in the United States. So, how do you know what water source is best for your family?

Drinking water quality is dependent on three things: safe sources, competent processing and constant monitoring by a regulator. Out of those dependencies, you basically have three drinking water choices: well water, tap water or bottled water. Keep in mind, however, that not all choices are equally available in all areas.

Well water is your first choice. This may be a good option if you can install a well that produces healthy water and if you monitor it often enough to make sure the water does not become contaminated. Most people do not monitor their well water enough, and you need to understand that the quality of your well water depends not only on your on-site activities, but on the activities of your neighbors. Therefore, even if you monitor your water quality regularly and are careful not to contaminate the water yourself, you may not be able to prevent contamination from nearby properties.

Public tap water is another option, provided that it is available in your area. For many people, this is a good option since you are receiving a product that is monitored by professionals, water quality engineers who regularly evaluate the treatment of your drinking water, the quality of the distribution system and the quality of the final product. The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has strict regulations applicable to tap water, which is another benefit. If your water provider fails to meet these standards, they could be fined or face criminal prosecution.

Public water providers are required annually to produce reports related to the water quality. If you are interested in how good or bad your water is, you can request and review the most recent report. It may even be available online.

A word of caution: make sure you review the report thoroughly. You may find, on close inspection, that many levels are legally acceptable, but just barely so. You may find, for instance, that your water has very high levels of pesticides. They may still be within the legally “safe” range, but is that good enough for your family? You may find the same situation with bacteria or microbe problems. Keep in mind, however, that some contaminant levels are normal, safe and acceptable. You just need to decide whether levels that approach the high end of the scale are acceptable for you and your family’s consumption.

If you decide to rely on tap water, you may want to consider investing in some kind of water filtration system. Filtration can not only help eliminate dangerous elements in your water, it can improve the taste of your drinking water. Some estimates indicate that over 40 percent of American households treat their drinking water in some way. There are many choices available, from filtration on your refrigerator’s water line to filtration that attaches to your tap. The most inexpensive filtration system is a standalone pitcher that you fill with water and let sit for several minutes while it is filtered. Since some systems filter out more pollutants than others, you need to understand what your needs are before investing in a filtration system.

If you eliminate the first two choices, well water and tap water, your final choice is bottled water. It is not necessarily true that bottled water is always better than tap water. The two are actually very similar in terms of the product’s source and processing. If your bottled water comes from a source in a highly industrial or agricultural area, the quality may be affected. Bottled water companies do often treat their water before selling it to the public, and there are various kinds of treatments available. Basically, however, bottled water companies should provide you with a quality of water that is similar to the quality of tap water set by the EPA.

Which choice is best for your family? This depends on the quality of your local water supply, your safety requirements and your budget. Gather all of the information you can and make the decision that is best for your particular needs.

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