Green Lemonade

You’re an online research and shopping guru, tackling projects swiftly. You unearth the best finds like a pro. But lately searching for a good water-filter has your head spinning. One thing is for sure though you’re Brita filter is due for an upgrade.

Are Brita filters and PUR filters good to use?

Widely sold Brita filters and PUR filters are fine in a pinch but longer-term it’s best to think of a more robust solution. These brands use a single stage carbon filter to remove contaminants. All contaminant particles greater than ~5 microns will be removed (this will mean something in a minute). In general, these filters will remove some larger particle contaminants, but not the chlorine (added to kill parasites and bacteria in water) and fluoride (generally considered a toxic chemical) that most cities add to their water supply. Brita filters and PUR filters are an OK start, but for the money there is much cleaner water you can and should consider drinking.

Consider a reverse osmosis water filtration system

If you can, invest in a quality at-home water-filtration system. A reverse osmosis system is considered to be one of the most effective home water treatment systems by leading health experts(*) followed by solid carbon block filter systems and distillation systems. A reverse osmosis system is believed to have a slight edge over a carbon block filter system because much smaller particles (down to 0.0001 micron or ~0.00000004 inch) in the water can be removed. After hours of research, conversations with industry veterans and my own personal investment, I would suggest a reverse osmosis system from APEC as a good starting point for most everyone. Longer-term, health seekers may consider upgrading to an ionized water filtration system.

Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment System From APEC

APEC makes a great reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment system. In a reverse osmosis system, pressure from your tap pushes water through a series of filtering mechanisms. Chlorine, flouride, arsenic, bacteria and more contaminants are removed with this system. Learn more about the contaminant reduction achieved with this system here.

I recently purchased one of these APEC RO systems for my home, after finally coming to the realization that my old Brita just wasn’t really doing much. The system makes 30+ gallons of water a day – which is helpful so that you don’t have to sit around waiting for the water in your tank to refill. I ordered and installed this APEC unit myself…and was very thankful to have such a supportive service staff at APEC to turn to. (If I had to do it all over again though, I probably would call in my plumber. It did require a little time and patience!)

The most popular 5 stage APEC RO system costs $300. If you live in a low water pressure area (or rely on well water) the cost for your system may be slightly higher (+~$100). Reach out to the support team at APEC to make sure you order the right RO system for your water pressure. Water pressure is critical with RO systems – the more powerful the better they work. Home Depot sells water meter gauges if you would like to test your water pressure at home. To work well reverse osmosis systems require 50psi (pounds per square inch), but APEC has a special design for lower pressure (30-50psi) based homes as well. Ongoing maintenance with APEC RO systems averages about $40 / year to replace stage 1-3 filters. Stage 4 ($65) and stage 5 ($15) filters are replaced once every 5-7 years. A meter is included with the RO system for you to determine when these final stage filters need to be replaced. For more information refer to APEC. You may also appreciate their family and friends referral program where you can earn $40 cash back.

Notes:

1. (*) Source: Staying Healthy with Nutrition, Elson M. Haas MD with Buck Levin PhD, RD
2. Water quality is very important. However, quality food choices are very important too. It is important to stay hydrated and nourished through a balance of pure drinking water and water-rich, hydrating foods. When you adopt a rejuvenating and cleansing diet-lifestyle most of your hydration (and mineral intake) will come in part from a diet rich in alkaline foods including all vegetables, most fruit as well as green smoothies, fresh juices, energy soups and abundant salads.