Water Filter Information

Concern about possible contaminants in drinking water -- reinforced by the aging of most municipal water systems -- has led to a sharp rise in sales of bottled drinking water. However, Good Housekeeping magazine estimates that filtering water at home can save about $200 a year compared with buying bottled water, even taking into account the cost of replacement filters. Both Brita and PUR, two of the leading water-filter brands, say their water-filter pitchers contain no bisphenol A (BPA) -- a chemical that's still in some plastic water bottles. Water filters are also much better for the environment than disposable plastic bottles, and now Brita is starting to recycle the disposable filters from its popular pitchers.

If you're shopping for a filter to reduce one or several certain contaminants, you can search the online database of NSF International, the independent testing organization that certifies water filters. The database includes all of the hundreds of filters NSF certifies. You can search by manufacturer, reduction claim, type of filter, model name or number and more.

The Water Quality Association has a similar database of its Gold Seal products. This is an industry association so its testing methods aren't as clear, but it's very easy to see which contaminants each filter handles.

Find your local water company's report online at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website. These reports of contaminant levels are required by law.

Most water filters are meant for use with safe, treated drinking water. If you use well water, you may need a different kind of system. Contact your local agricultural extension office for guidance.

Abby's Guide has a water-filter buying guide.

A Newsweek article by Anna Kuchment, "As Pure as the Driven Snow," provides helpful information on water testing and filtering that's especially useful for water wells.

The University of Missouri Extension has comprehensive, easily understood information on contaminants and filtration methods.

An activist group in the United States has convinced Clorox, which owns the Brita brand here, to start recycling Brita filters.

For more drastic whole-house water filtering, slow sand filters have been proven effective and require no electricity or additional water pressure. Blue Future Filters is one brand.

A nonprofit consumer-rights group, Food & Water Watch, recommends switching from bottled water to filtered tap water, but also notes a $22 billion shortfall in the funding that communities need for maintaining and upgrading water and sewage systems in the United States. This summary includes a link to the full 40-page report.

A Nov. 2007 article by Claudia Deutsch in The New York Times, "Two Growing Markets That Start at Your Tap," gives a larger perspective on water-filter marketing and sales in the United States and abroad, explaining that Americans are buying water filters mostly for environmental and water-quality reasons.

For directions on making your own water filter (useful in an emergency) plus information on less commonly mentioned types of filters such as infrared, ultraviolet, catalytic and magnetic filters, HeartSpring.net provides a useful article.

Manufacturers' websites:

Aquasana

Blueair

British Berkefeld and Doulton (owned by Fairey Industrial Ceramics Limited)

Brita (in USA owned by Clorox)

Clear2O (Applica / Black & Decker)

Culligan

Ecowater

Kenmore (Sears)

Multi-Pure

Omni

Paragon

PUR (Proctor & Gamble)

Sonaki America

Sprite

Whirlpool

Zerowater