There is no getting around the fact. America’s water supply can, at times, be seriously substandard. Things like home water filtration systems and the myriad different water-based health products such as hydrogen, purified, and filtered water would have no market were this not the case. Millions of people are extremely dissatisfied with the quality of their water. But why is this water substandard? 

The main reason (although it is a broad one which encompasses many others) is that mains water in the U.S. is often contaminated. To avoid any alarmism, it should also be stated that there are laws in place which regulate the quality of the water and it is nearly always safe to drink. Nevertheless, it can also come riddled with contaminants which, while they might pose no immediate danger, arfynere in fact associated with long term health issues. Furthermore, these contaminants are not one or two – there is a whole load of them. 

However, a word about what contamination actually means for drinking water is very much in order before we go any further. All water that we drink is “contaminated” to some extent. But sometimes, it is contaminated with good things. To take a very simple example, mineral water is “contaminated” with the very minerals which it advertises. 

Distilled and purified water are the products which probably get closest to a bottle full of nothing but H2O, but these waters have very specific appeals. Synergy Science, a company providing alternative water products, say that people simply want all the extra stuff; myriad health benefits lie in that direction. 

Home Water Filtration 

More than alternative water products, however, it is water filtration systems that are doing a roaring trade off the back off substandard water supplies in American homes. Water filtration can optimize home drinking water, meaning better tasting and healthier water. Nonetheless, it can also be an absolute necessity. To take one troubling example, if your house were built before 1987 (the year lead plumbing was banned), you could be looking at faucet water that is not only substandard, but also potentially dangerous. 

So, water filtration is what millions of Americans are turning to to sort out their water woes. But to understand those water woes a bit better, we will need to look at just what is polluting the water we drink. 

Most Harmful Contaminants 

Lead

We just mentioned that led piping was banned back in 1987. Today, almost 33% of water systems in the U.S. contain a harmful substance. The quantities are usually miniscule, but not negligible. Without going into too many horror stories, lead exposure can cause serious long term brain damage.

Copper

As pipes and plumbing fixtures degrade, they can release quantities of copper into drinking water. Anemia and liver and kidney damage are the potential threats of excessive copper exposure. Tiny amounts though are rarely harmful. 

Arsenic 

Arsenic is naturally occurring in the Earth’s crust. Excessive groundwater pumping (particularly in arsenic-rich areas in the southwest) can lead to quantities of the poisonous substance getting into the water system. 

Nitrate

Another one typically found in groundwater sources, but which can also enter through fertilizers and septic systems. The amount in drinking water is nearly always safe for adults. However, for infants who consume more water relative to their body weight, it can become harmful. 

It might be wise to finish off with a warning against alarmism. Few (though not all) sources of drinking water will cause an immediate and serious health condition. But nevertheless, we could really do without any of these contaminants entering our home water supplies.