What’s in Your Water?
Water. It’s literally our life force. And we are SO lucky to live in a country where we can access it so easily. My world was recently SHOOK when I learned that refrigerator filters only filter for taste. They may remove a few simple chemicals, but can behind leave HUNDREDS of other toxic ones. Yes, you heard me right. HUNDREDS. TOXIC. Think about how much water you consume or are exposed to daily- your morning coffee, in the shower, brushing your teeth, drinking water, making food, etc.
Even if you aren’t gung ho about going non-toxic in your home ( I get that it can seem extreme), this is a switch that I feel is a simple and probably one of the most effective, efficient and easy ways to drastically reduce toxin exposure.
I don’t intend to share this information to alarm anyone, but rather to inform. Similar to cosmetics and cleaning products, we (or at least I) assumed that the EPA, FDA and other government organizations were protecting us from harmful chemicals, but the truth is, despite our first world infrastructure and having what’s considered one of the more safe tap water supplies in the world, there are many old regulations in place, gray areas and lack of motivation to improve things with no public outcry.
I am also not writing this to sell you a product. I am not affiliated with any of the products that I will mention, I truly just want to pass this information along so other can make informed decisions. I can’t tell you what a relief it is to know that I’ve drastically cut down on the toxins my family ingests on a daily basis, just by getting a high quality water filter.
The Truth About Tap
(Ok, so I’m going to come at you with facts and numbers here. None of this information is hard to find, and the scary thing is, I got much of the info on contaminants FROM THE EPA WEBSITE)
According to the EPA, there are 7,500 contaminants in US tap water. They deem 600 of these to be of “public health concern”. Currently, however, less than 100 of those are regulated. Tap water safety rules haven’t been formally updated in almost 30 years.
A recent, three year study conducted by the EPA found that 85% of the population is using tap water with over 300 contaminants including:
- synthetic chemicals: ie BPA, PFA’s – cancer, hormone disruption/infertility, developmental effects in infants, affect cholesterol, immune system
- pesticides: including glyphosate AKA the cancer causing ingredient in Round Up Weed Killer- cancer, hormone disruption/infertility
- heavy metals: ie arsenic, mercury & lead as well as radioactive radium, radon & uranium- cancer, affect brain function as well as other vital organs, birth defects, children are most susceptible and can affect their developing nervous systems that can lead to memory impairment, learning difficulties & behavioral issues
- prescription medicine: ie birth control, antibiotics, antidepressants- currently the EPA has NO guidelines about pharmaceuticals in drinking water, so treatment plants don’t often treat for them. The amount of pharmaceuticals that is in our water, while trace amounts, is unknown as are the long term effects.
- animal waste– results in elevated nitrates which increases risks for cancer, thyroid, low hemoglobin
**NOTE: We are exposed to very small trace amounts of the aforementioned contaminants, which is why we don’t suffer acute effects, but a lifetime of even trace amounts can certainly have an effect on our bodies.
** ANOTHER NOTE: As a woman who struggled with infertility and will always have endometriosis, it’s not lost on me that SO many of the toxins we are exposed to via inhalation, digestion or that we put on our skin have hormone disruption/infertility as a side effect.
How About Bottled Water?
So, bottled water… I come from a heavy Dasani family, y’all. But with bottled water, you run the risk of being exposed to whatever kind of plastic it’s in. BPA is a major bad guy and hormone disrupter and if you drink water thats been sitting in that… you drink the bad stuff too. Not to mention studies on bottled water show it doesn’t always come from where it claims to have come from and is not always filtered. Not to mention it contains TWICE the amount of microplastics.
The 411 on Fluoride
So, Fluoride is a super hot topic these days… here’s why. Fluoride DOES prevent tooth decay. It does this so well, in fact, that our government adds it to our tap water to improve the dental hygiene of our country. Great right? Well, here’s the catch… Fluoride (which as of 2014 was labeled as a “neurotoxin”) is not meant to be ingested in large doses…
Studies show that excess fluoride can potentially lead to:
– bone disease
– thyroid problems
– neurological problems (low IQ and potentially behavioral issues as well as ADHD)
– early puberty in girls/ infertility
– skin issues including acne
Some people opt to even use toothpaste without fluoride. I am in the camp that’s ok with fluoride in my toothpaste as I want to get the benefits in regards to preventing tooth decay, but I’d rather not have it in my drinking water.
How Does Your Local Water Measure Up?
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has an awesome tool where you can plug in your zip and see firsthand the exact contaminants in your tap water and how they compare to whats considered “safe exposure”.
In my area, there were 14 total contaminants, 10 of which exceeded health guidelines including high levels of: Bromate, Chloroform, Nitrate, Radium, and more. All of which have the fine print below which reads “potential effect: cancer”.
***Check it out for yourself: EWG Tap Water Database
What about Pur & Brita Pitchers?
These are by and large the most popular water filters and if you are using them they certainly are better than straight tap water! These filters are similar to refrigerator ones that rely on carbon or charcoal filters and are mostly geared to improve taste. On average, the Brita, Pur, and others like it filter out about 7-8 contaminants. Again, a step in the right direction, but if you are going to go through the trouble to filter water… may as well get one thats much more efficient.
My Filter of Choice
So when I say I researched, I mean I RESEARCHED. I wanted something that was: affordable, pitcher style, filtered out heavy metals/prescription drugs/synthetic chemicals AND fluoride, BUT that also left all the good minerals in the water (because let’s not forget there’s good stuff too!).
Y’all… this was NOT easy to find. Particularly when it came to filtering fluoride. But I found it!!!! And I am so excited to share!!
Enter the Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher (and other systems).
While it basically looks just like a Brita water filter, this thing is HEAVY duty in terms of filter power. It is independently tested to remove fluoride, lead, BPA, glyphosate, PFA’s, hormones and OVER 220 HARMFUL CHEMICALS. compared to the Brita type which only removes 7-8.
Due to this massive efficiency, you are going to pay more than a $27 Brita pitcher, at $75 a pitcher with the filter replacement costing you $50 every 4 months… but to me that is a steal when it comes to all the nasty stuff we are bypassing.
Im loving it. Its easy to use, clean and is white and sleek looking. I will say that I had to get used to the taste…. I dont think I knew what CLEAN water tasted like. Now I love it and can tell right away if water didn’t come from my Clearly Filtered pitcher. I use this water for all cooking/drinking needs.
**Clearly filtered also makes refrigerator filters, under the sink filter attachments, shower heads and even water bottles!
*** You can purchase from the website directly, but I did the math and the best deal is to get the bundle with three replacement filters for $225 on Amazon… you end up saving a few bucks. You can also simply purchase the pitcher and one refill if you don’t want to fully commit to the bundle!
Other Safe Options
Again, I’m not a brand rep for Clearly Filtered, but really am just excited to pass along this product. There are other safe options out there, however, though I had a hard time finding them in terms of a pitcher…trust me, I looked.
The next best pitcher would be the Aqua Gear, it costs you roughly the same as Clearly Filtered, though I believe the Aqua Gear pitcher itself is slightly more expensive. It filters fluoride and many other contaminants, though not as many as Clearly Filtered, it is still a good choice!
Ok, this is the Cadillac of water filters, scratch that, purifiers. It is big and shiny and sits on your countertop and you will probably spot it all over Instagram. Recently, I saw one at a baby shower I was out and went full nerd looking at it.
This baby removes 203 toxins including the worst of the worst. It also has customizable filters to remove certain things, for example you can choose to keep fluoride. This doesn’t use electricity, is portable and is setting the standard. The average size will cost you about $278, not including filters, but the filters last for THREE YEARS. So long term, this is probably the most cost efficient.
One day….. you will be mine, Berkey.
Similar to the Berkey, this uses reverse osmosis and sits on your counter top. It removes 78 toxins including fluoride and all the major bad guys as well as thousands of pollutants. It costs about $430 and the filters last about 6 months.
PHEW. To all those who hung around this long, you deserve a nice, cold, sip of water! I tried to be concise, but informative. I hope you feel more aware and motivated to make healthy choices for you and your family. I know I did.
Do you filter your water? I would love to know your thoughts. Feel free to message me or drop a comment.
Here’s to staying hydrated, healthy and in the know,
Caroline
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