The quality of private well and municipal water can vary a great deal depending on where you live. Well water users are solely responsible for water testing and treatment. Municipal water users get their water cleaned and disinfected to a basic standard. But, errors occur, the water delivery infrastructure needs a lot of investment and contamination does occur. Even public water can contain arsenic, chlorine, chemicals, nitrates, microplastics, microorganisms, radionuclides, heavy metals, and many other contaminants. For this reason, many people install their own home water filtration system.
The Importance of Laboratory Water Testing
Every home can have different water quality issues and you may not have the same problems as your neighbors. Many contaminants cannot be detected with our senses and the only reliable way to confirm their presence is with laboratory water testing. Accurate data is essential when you’re considering an investment in water filtration equipment.
The Water Filter Scale: POU vs POE
There are many makes and models of water filtration systems on the market. They are designed to remove a wide variety of contaminants, but the first thing to consider is the scale of your investment. Let’s take a look at POU and POE in more detail:
What is Point of Use (POU)?
Water filtration systems represent a significant investment that some people cannot afford or perhaps they don’t want to make a major commitment. A POU system is the perfect alternative, the water is filtered at a single tap and this is usually located in the kitchen. This gives the homeowner access to filtered water for drinking, cooking, baking, food prep, making ice, and more.
What is Point of Entry (POE)?
A POE filter system treats all the water coming into the home and this is delivered to every tap and plumbing fixture. This is a good idea because some contaminants can be absorbed through the skin during showering. These systems are often referred to as whole-house filtration systems and they are a considerable upgrade from POU systems. Of course, this comes at a price and POE is more expensive than POE because they are larger scale systems that require more work to install.
What Can a Whole-House Water Filter Remove?
A whole-house filter system can remove a number of harmful contaminants, including arsenic, chlorine, chloramine, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), pesticides, lead, copper, aluminum, silt, pharmaceutical byproducts and more.
The best systems have a 5 micron sediment filter to remove sand, dirt, and other suspended particles. This prevents these materials from damaging other parts of the filtration system. This is often followed by a granular activated carbon (GAC) filter to remove the chlorine and chloramine. Other filters and purification technology can follow depending on the specific water quality issues, such as reverse osmosis. UV-C lights and more. A final GAC filter is often used to improve the taste and odor of the filtered water.
If you’re considering a whole-house water filtration system installation, contact your local water treatment specialist.
By EcoWater Systems.
EcoWater Systems of Nebraska is the largest water treatment company in the state and is a member of Water Quality Association.