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Clean and Safe Water for Your Home
Can you say with 100% certainty that you have clean and safe water in your home? Often we don’t even think about the safety of the water coming from our tap. After all, we trust the city or county officials to make sure our water isn’t contaminated, right?!?
When my husband and I lived in a small town in northern Washington we noticed our water smelled odd. Every time I ran the water upstairs it smelled like I had just cleaned with bleach. It was so bad my best friend noticed the strong bleach smell every time I brought a bottle of our tap water to school. Finally, during a geology class I was taking on water supply, I asked my professor about it. He said that the town we lived in treated our water with a heavy dose of chlorine. It begs the question…what is in your water supply? Do you really have clean and safe water in your home?
Is it Really Difficult or Expensive to Have Clean Water for Your Home?
Often we take it for granted that the public water supply is clean and safe to use. Many of us don’t even really think about it. We turn the tap on and water comes out. But what we don’t realize is that sometimes our water can get contaminated, it can be treated with chemicals that we don’t have long-term safety studies on, or it can be of poor quality due to the location we live. That’s why it’s so important to have a way to purify your water.
You might think it’s expensive or difficult to provide clean and safe drinking water for your family at home. That just isn’t the case. Often you can find an inexpensive way to filter your family’s water supply. Or even have clean water stored for emergencies rather easily.
Why You Shouldn’t Always Rely on Your Tap for Clean Water
- If you live in an older home your water pipes could have heavy metal contaminates. Many types of dangerous metals weren’t outlawed completely until the 1980s.
- Even if your home uses copper or galvanized pipes, they could still be leaching lead into your water supply.
- Your water may taste funny due to the chemicals used to treat it.
- Your municipal water supply could be affected by flooding or random contamination.
- If you live on a well losing power can interrupt the supply to your home due to the pump running on electricity
Best Products to Have a Clean Source of Water in Your Home
Water Filter Pitcher
We actually used this in our home in northern Washington that had the excessive chlorine smell. The active charcoal in the filter reduced the taste and smell of the chlorine in our water. It is a great inexpensive option to filter your water. Brita water pitchers are perfect for smaller families and homes. I love this new version that has a large cup capacity.
In Faucet Filter Devices
Brita also offers a filter you can add to your water faucet if you would like to filter all the water you use in the kitchen for both drinking and cooking. It is really easy to hook up and has an on/off to switch from filter to tap. It is perfect for larger families to have as an option. You can even have them for multiple faucets in your home.
Bottled Water Delivery
A bottled water delivery service is another great way to have a clean and safe water supply for your home. You can have clean and safe water delivered directly to your home on your schedule. You can determine how much you want to spend and keep a good supply on hand for emergencies as well.
Berkey Countertop Purification System
This is my personal favorite. Not only because we have one ourselves, but because the Berkey is a purification system, not just a filter. What this means is that it not only rids your water of bacteria, heavy metals, and other contaminants. But it also removes viruses from your water.
They have many different options to choose from on their website to fit your family’s specific needs. They even have portable options to take camping or in your RV.
Lifestraw Personal Water Filter Bottle
I absolutely love Lifestraw! We have them for our bugout bags. But they have really raised the bar and now have a personal water filter bottle. This thing is so cool. Not only does it filter out bacteria and parasites; but it also filters out chemicals and microplastics.
This is a great bottle for hiking, camping, or just everyday use. It comes in a variety of colors and is BPA-free.
Common Questions/FAQ About Home Water Purification
Here are some great questions commonly asked about water purification and filtration for your home.
What’s the Easiest/Cheapest Way to Have Clean and Safe Water for my Home?
One of the best options for a family to have clean and safe drinking water in the home is to purchase a countertop purification system like the Berkey. It provides a continual supply of purified water with a minimal upfront cost. You are protected against multiple contaminants and the filters can last up to 6000 gallons depending on which size you get. Much cheaper than a whole-home filtration system.
If you’re a smaller family or looking for a cheaper option, I would recommend the faucet attachment filter. Although it is not going to filter out as many contaminants as a purifier, it will protect your family from most of them.
Do Countertop Water Filters Work?
Yes, countertop water filters work great for removing the majority of contaminants from your water. They are also convenient and store a decent amount of water. There is a difference between water filters and purifiers (see below). Purifiers remove more contaminants than filters. It’s really up to you which method is best for you to provide clean and safe water for your family.
What is the Best Way to Store Emergency Water?
The best way to store emergency water is in a food-safe, BPA-free, plastic container. Remember to store it in smaller containers if you plan on moving it frequently, as water is really heavy of course. You also should store it in a cold room with little light. Water bricks are a great option!
What you don’t want to do is store water in milk jugs or juice containers. These are both notoriously difficult to clean. And if they are not cleaned properly it can result in bacterial and fungal growth caused by residual milk or fruit juice sugars.
Is Boiled Water Safe to Drink?
In most cases, yes, absolutely. But to be clear boiling water will not remove chemical contaminants and if your water has been contaminated by sewage boiling will not make it safe.
Water that has been at a rolling boil for 3 min in most elevations will clear the water of bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. But can actually concentrate some chemical contaminates. So it is always best to purify it.
What’s the Difference Between a Water Filter and a Water Purifier?
Water filters remove most chemical contaminants, bacteria, protozoa, and water-soluble metals. Purifiers go even further by also removing viruses. Water purifiers can assure that your water is 99% clean and safe.
The Last Thing You Need to Know about Products for Clean and Safe Water in Your Home
When Aaron and I discovered our water had something in it we personally didn’t feel was good for our family we took steps to minimize its effects. After all, we had a young child in the home. We bought a filter for our sink and a pitcher for drinking water and it worked well for our little apartment. Today we have a Berkey countertop purifier because we live out in the country around a lot of mining activity, and we just don’t want to take a chance with our health. Thanks to our purifier we know we have clean and safe water.
Whatever option you pick for your family you should feel good about your decision to protect your family’s health. Taking control of your water supply is just another step toward self-reliant living. And that’s an awesome thing!
If you want to learn more about water purification and storage methods for everyday or an emergency I highly recommend you pick up Daisy Luther’s book The Prepper’s Water Survival Guide. It is a great book full of great tips and no-nonsense facts.
