With so many types of water available to us, it can be difficult to choose between them. Tap water and filtered water are two common types of water we use each day, so it’s important to understand which type is best for our daily routines.
Where does tap water come from?
Tap water is the water you get from your faucet. Gwinnett County gets its water from Lake Lanier while Dekalb and Fulton Counties get their water from theChattahoochee River. The water is then processed using standard filtration methods in a water treatment plant. First, sand filtration removes the large pieces of debris. Then, chemicals are added to induce a process called flocculation, which causes smaller particles to bind together and form larger pieces, which are then filtered out. Finally, chlorine is added to the water to kill bacteria.
Where does filtered water come from?
Filtered water is usually bought from a grocery store in bottles, but you can also get it by using a filter in your home. Bottled filtered water will normally say “filtered” on the label. Most filtered water starts out as tap water. The water is then filtered to remove chlorine before being ozonated and bottled. Though it’s much more expensive, most filtered water is simply tap water without chlorine.
Which type of water should you drink?
Tap water and filtered water are not as different as you may have thought. Tap water does contain chlorine, however, which isn’t necessarily good for your body, but it does kill microorganisms that can make you sick. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, most tap water is safe to drink, even though it contains chlorine.
Some people prefer to buy bottles of filtered water simply because they prefer the taste. This is often considered a safer solution as well since the chlorine has been filtered out. Buying bottles of water can become expensive, however, and it does create trash.
Another thing to consider is that some tap water may be contaminated with lead by the pipes that bring drinking water to our homes. This is more common inold homes and buildings. This can be dangerous, so if you think your water might contain lead, you should switch to filtered water and have your tap water tested.
One solution is to buy a filter for your home. These are usually pitchers or containers you can keep inside your refrigerator that filter the chlorine out of your tap water. This way you filter out the chlorine flavor of tap water without wasting money on bottles that will end up in the trash.
What other ways should we use these types of water?
Tap water is perfect for washing your car, wiping your counters, and flushing the toilet. Since filtered water doesn’t contain chlorine, it’s better for showering, drinking, and doing the dishes.
What are some other types of drinking water?
You’ve probably noticed several types of water at your grocery store. Though tap and filtered water are common, there are other types of water available to you.
Spring Water
Spring water comes from an underground source, though it usually contains the same amount of impurities of many other types of water.
Purified Water
This type of water is the purest bottled water you can buy. Purified water is different than filtered water, as it is processed through many more filtration processes and held to a higher level of quality. The source of purified water already meets the EPA standards for drinking water before the purification process even begins. Water that meets the definition of purified water contains very low levels of impurities.
Distilled Water
Distilled water is created by distillation. During this process,pure H2O is boiled out of contaminants such as inorganic minerals and metals. Because the boiling and melting points of these contaminants are much higher than those of water, H2O turns into steam and leaves the contaminants behind. The steam is then captured and cooled, producing distilled water. Distilled water often must undergo other purification techniques as well to ensure the water is clean.
With so many types of water available to us, it’s important to understand the differences between them so you can implement the right kind of water into your daily life.