Water Filtration

Clean, safe drinking water is essential for maintaining good health and well-being. Tap water can contain substances ranging from harmless minerals to contaminants you’d rather not drink. Different filters have different functions—some improve taste by reducing chlorine, others remove heavy metals like lead, and others can filter out harmful germs. You should test your water and choose a filter based on the contaminants you want removed.

Even if your water looks and smells fine, there can be hidden contaminants. Hard water is common in many homes and is defined by high levels of dissolved calcium and magnesium. While these minerals are not inherently dangerous, hard water can dry out your skin and hair and cause scale buildup on fixtures. Water hardness often co-exists with other pollutants such as hormones, pesticides, microplastics, lead, nitrate, chromium and pathogens. Common reasons homeowners install filtration include:

- Microplastics: tiny plastic particles that enter water supplies and may carry chemical additives.

- Chlorine and chlorine byproducts: used to disinfect water but can affect taste and form byproducts when reacting with organic matter.

- Lead and heavy metals: lead pipes and fixtures can leach lead into drinking water; filtration systems with activated carbon or reverse osmosis can reduce these metals.

- Hardness (calcium & magnesium): causes scale buildup and can signal other contaminants.

Modern home filtration systems use layers of technology to remove a wide range of contaminants. Common technologies include:

1. Activated carbon: absorbs chlorine, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and some heavy metals.

2. Reverse osmosis (RO): forces water through a semi-permeable membrane; removes particles down to 0.0001 microns, including heavy metals, fluoride, and many "forever chemicals." A multi-stage RO system combined with UV-C purification can remove more than 99% of fluoride, lead and other pollutants.

3. Water softening (ion exchange): replaces calcium and magnesium ions with sodium or potassium to reduce hardness.

4. UV sterilization: uses ultraviolet light to deactivate bacteria and viruses.

Benefits of a whole-home filtration system include:

- Healthier water: reduces contaminants like lead, microplastics and chlorine byproducts.

- Better taste and smell: removes unpleasant tastes or odors from tap water.

- Protects plumbing and appliances: less scale buildup can extend the life of pipes, faucets and water-using appliances.

- Softer skin and hair: lower mineral content prevents dryness caused by hard water.

Frequently asked questions:

How do I know what’s in my water? The CDC recommends testing your water to determine which contaminants need to be removed. If you receive water from a public utility, request the annual water quality report; if you have a private well, have it tested at least once a year.

Do filters remove beneficial minerals? Some filters remove both harmful and beneficial substances; for example, activated carbon can remove chlorine (which kills germs) and fluoride. A well-designed filtration system can balance removal of contaminants while retaining desirable minerals.

What is reverse osmosis and why is it effective? Reverse osmosis uses a semi-permeable membrane to separate contaminants from water. It is one of the most effective methods for removing heavy metals, microplastics, and many chemicals.

Ready to improve your water quality? LQC Plumbing offers professional water-filtration assessments and installation. Our team will test your water, recommend the right system, and ensure clean, great-tasting water flows from every tap. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.