IS IT SAFE TO

DRINK THE WATER?

 

When it comes to drinking water, how many of you are concerned about the contaminants in your glass of water? We must ask ourselves: is it safe to drink the water?

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The Fort Lauderdale Commission has approved a new billion-dollar water plant that promises to provide higher quality drinking water. But what happens to that quality as it travels through potentially contaminated, antiquated pipes to our homes?

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Did you know Broward County has one of the highest advanced late-stage breast cancer rates in Florida, and some studies suggest the entire U.S.? Some experts believe these alarming numbers could be linked to higher-than-normal levels of arsenic, glyphosates (a common ingredient in weed killers), and let’s not forget forever chemicals like PFAS and plastics.

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Another concern is saltwater intrusion into our aquifers due to rising sea levels.

Did you know Florida has over 150 desalination plants to address this issue?

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While residents can't control the quality of drinking water traveling to their homes, they can manage the quality that comes into their homes.

That's why R4R recommends reverse osmosis systems and carbon filters.

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Reverse osmosis (RO) is generally considered better than carbon filtration for drinking water because it can remove a significantly wider range of contaminants, including dissolved solids, bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, and many chemicals, while carbon filters primarily focus on removing chlorine and improving taste, leaving many other contaminants untouched;making RO a more comprehensive purification method. 

Key points to consider:

• Contaminant removal:

  RO systems utilize a semi-permeable membrane that filters out much smaller particles, allowing them to remove a broader spectrum of contaminants compared to carbon filters. 

• Mineral removal:

  While carbon filters may leave some beneficial minerals in the water, RO systems often remove most minerals, which can be a concern for some people. 

• Effectiveness against harmful contaminants:

  RO is particularly effective at removing harmful contaminants like lead, bacteria, and pesticides, which carbon filters may not fully eliminate. 

• Taste and odor improvement:

  While carbon filters excel at removing chlorine and improving taste, they may not address other odor-causing compounds that RO can remove. 

 

Reverse Osmosis  -

if you need high purity water, especially in areas with heavy contamination or

if you have specific health concerns.

 Carbon Filters  -

for general use, especially if you're mainly concerned with taste and chlorine removal,

and if you want a more cost-effective solution.

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​Chloramines are best removed from water by catalytic carbon filtration, ultrafiltration, and reverse osmosis. Catalytic carbon, activated carbon with an enhanced capacity for contaminant removal, is one of the few filtration media that can successfully reduce chloramines from drinking water.

 

In many cases, a combination of both systems can be used to maximize water quality.

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 R4R does not support or endorse any specific type of filtration system.

  We have provided links below to many of the articles and various websites we visited, to help you gather thorough information, so that you can make an informed decision on the options that work best for you.  Cheers!

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