Water Filter Facts A National Assessment of Tap Water Quality Tap water in 42 states is contaminated with more than 140 unregulated chemicals that lack safety standards, according to the Environmental Working Group's (EWG's) two-and-a-half year investigation of water suppliers' tests of the treated tap water served to communities across the country. In an analysis of more than 22 million tap water quality tests, most of EWG's analysis of tap water testing from 42 states validates the public's concern about tap water. We found that between 1998 and 2003, water suppliers collectively identified in treated tap water 83 agricultural pollutants, including pesticides and chemicals from fertilizer- and manure-laden runoff; 59 contaminants linked to sprawl and urban areas, from FACT: Over 99% of pollutants that are found in the water that may be harmful to our health, are not detected by our bodies senses (taste, smell, sight orany other way). Consumers have three choices: 1. Drink what the government gives you. (tap water) Pitcher/Carafe $.20 per gal. Vending Machine Water $.25 per gal. Home Delivered Bottled Water $1.74 per gal. Domestic Purified Bottled Water $2.23 per gal. Imported Bottled Water $3.84 per gal. Costs are averaged, based on several different brands. Many Americans have become concerned about the quality of their tap water and have turned to bottled water as a solution. Studies have shown, however, that bottled water is not necessarily cleaner or safer than tap water, and that bottled water actually has fewer standards regulating it. 3. Buy a drinking water system. NSF International, The Public Health and Safety Company™, a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, is the world leader in standards development, product certification, education, and risk-management for public health and safety. For more than 59 years, NSF has been committed to public health, safety, and protection of the environment. While focusing on food, water, indoor air, and the environment, NSF develops national standards, provides learning opportunities through its Center for Public Health Education, and provides third-party conformity assessment services while representing the interests of all stakeholders. The primary stakeholder groups include industry, the regulatory community, and the public at large. Solid Carbon Block How do other water treatment methods compare with Solid Carbon Block Filters? End of Tap (Faucet Mount) Low filter capacity. Frequent filter changes needed, resulting in ongoing filter replacement costs. Reduces some contaminants of health concern. Carafe/Pitcher (pour-through) Reduces some contaminants of health concern, but not VOCs. Inconvenient to use: water must be poured through the filter and then refrigerated while you wait. Reverse Osmosis No independent ability to reduce most Volatile Organic Chemicals. Very low output - takes up to 24 hours to process 5 gallons of water. Must have holding tank to store the processed water. Wastes water - for every gallon processed, 3 to 9 gallons are wasted. Removes minerals and trace elements essential to good health. Charcoal Filters These come in powdered or granulated form which allows water to flow around rather than through the carbon. Referred to as taste and odor filters because of the limited contact time the water has with the carbon.Can promote the growth of bacteria.
Same as Charcoal Filters above; however, uses silver to inhibit the growth of bacteria while water sits in filter. Silver ingested in certain doses can be poisonous to the human body; Limited Media Filters As the demand for quality drinking water continues to grow, new types of media will be test-marketed, from metal shavings to coconut shells. Some materials can be quite ”exceptional” in reducing a particular contaminant in the water, but there is a wide range of contaminants that should be addressed - not one or two. Distillation Removes dissolved minerals and trace elements essential to good health. No independent ability to remove all chemicals - the chemicals can vaporize and recondense into the distilled water. Daily chore to provide enough water for the entire family. Requires electricity at a cost of about $240 per year. Technical Information on the Solid Carbon Block Filtration Drinking water pollution comes from many sources. Surface water becomes contaminated from agricultural runoff, community landfills, polluted runoff (the nation's leading cause of water pollution), and hazardous waste produced as byproducts of manufacturing. Groundwater is contaminated by leaks of pollutants such as gasoline and MTBE from underground storage tanks and injection of hazardous waste into deep wells (which is being phased out). The drinking water treatment industry is experiencing significant growth due to consumer demand for products that could protect them from these potentially harmful contaminants which may be found in drinking water supplies as well as aesthetically improve their water. Highly Regarded The effectiveness of any drinking water treatment device is measured by the performance of its filter. A close review of drinking water treatment unit certifications shows that solid carbon block filters are the most effective for reducing a wide range of contaminants, including those that may be found in groundwater. Certain drinking water treatment units (DWTU) that use solid carbon block filters have been tested and certified to reduce as many as 65 contaminants. In the early 1970s, the solid carbon block filter technology was developed for the purpose of treating contaminants for health reasons as well as aesthetically improving water quality. The technology combines mechanical filtration, chemical reaction and physical adsorption into a single device to reduce a broad spectrum of harmful contaminants. Importance of Raw Materials Activated carbon is the primary raw material used in solid carbon block filters. Multi-Pure determines the characterization of activated carbons to use for its filters. Carbons specified are especially effective in reducing inorganics such as lead and mercury as well as organic compounds - disinfection by-products (DBPs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), PCBs, Many carbons are selected with a high surface area and high retentivity characteristics. Years of research, development and manufacturing experience have helped to develop specifications for carbon and other media that give its compacted carbon block filters distinctive performance advantages over other treatment alternatives. Quality assurance procedures are carefully developed and maintained to assure that raw materials meet our high standards. Technological Advantages Materials are formed into a carbon block, which is densely compacted. Compression enhances the kinetics of the filter and provides performance that cannot be achieved with extruded or granular activated carbon (GAC) filters. Compacted solid carbon block filters have a large surface area for chemical/physical adsorption to take place. With a solid carbon block, the water contact time is longer and provides for greater adsorption of many different chemicals, pesticides, herbicides and certain heavy metals. A close review of product listings confirms that solidcarbonblock filters are among the few that have been certified to reduce PCBs -a difficult contaminant to treat. Only a handful of products have been tested and certified to reduce a wide range of contaminants that are more difficult to treat. In addition, the densely compacted carbon block mechanically filters particles down to 0.5 micron, including Giardia and Cryptosporidium, asbestos, turbidity and particulates. Our filter design incorporates an outer prefiltration medium to remove large particles and prevent premature clogging of the filter. Solid carbon block filters are exceptionally uniform Filter Capacity Filter capacity varies depending on the density and size of the filter. The characterization of activated carbons used, determines the capacity of the water filters. Capacity ratings apply to the chemical adsorption capabilities of the carbon and specialized media. Carbons with a high surface area allow for long life and high adsorption capacity. Capacity ratings for the solid carbon block range from 400 gallons to 1,200 gallons, depending on model. Claims of capacity aren't applicable to contaminants reduced by mechanical filtration because of broad variations in the quality and quantity of physical matter in the drinking water. The solid carbon block filter is engineered so that contaminants removed by mechanical filtration will cause the flow rate to decrease and the water filters to clog, thus offering Applications Solid carbon block filters are used in point-of-use drinking water treatment devices designed for countertop, under sink and inline applications. Conclusion Solid carbon block filters effectively treat the age-old contaminants of yesteryear, such as lead, TCE, chlorine, benzene and "new" contaminants found in the nation's drinking water supplies today like MTBE, chloramines and PCBs. They also likely will be proven capable of significantly reducing contaminants that may be found in drinking water supplies in the future such as antibiotics and other drugs. The effectiveness of solid carbon block filters in treating a broad spectrum of contaminants of aesthetic as well as health concern makes it the technology of choice by distributors and more importantly, consumers throughout the country. Filters can only be sold and shipped to USA residents. Contact me for: data performance sheets (nsf) certification, models, prices and any other tap water filtration questions you may have. Chris Anderson |