If you conduct a random google search for information on water purification and filtration, you will find a heap of websites that are mostly commercial in nature. These websites want to refer you to water filters and purification products, so that they can make a profit. If that’s the case, how do you define what is legitimate content and what is mere fluff?
In this post, we will share some quality resources for water purification information.
- Waterpurificationhq.com – This site has been around for a number of years, and it continues to deliver solid content. While they do make product recommendations, they also offer practical advice and general knowledge on filtering and purifying your tap water. It’s a good starting point, because it explains a number of concepts in easy to understand terms. For example, they recently posted an article on figuring out whether your water is hard or soft. Articles like that provide information that is illuminating in a clear and concise manner.
- USGS – the U.S. Geological Survey has a lot of great information on water purity throughout America. If you are trying to find information on fertilizer run-off or contamination from mining sites, for instance, this is your go-to site. As it’s a government-run site, you can count on the information being accurate and up-to-date.
- NSF – as far as consumer websites go, the NSF consistently ranks near the top. Their unbiased analysis of various products has been instrumental to our understanding of which products work and which do not. When it comes to water filtration, the NSF has analyzed pitcher filters, faucet filters and even reverse osmosis systems in order to determine what actually works.
- EPA – another government website that provides accurate and up-to-date information is the EPA site. The EPA is constantly analyzing tap water supplies throughout the country. They can provide information on a variety of contaminants, such as heavy metals (for example, arsenic and lead), microorganisms and in some cases traces of things like pharmaceuticals (admittedly, they are a bit weak in this area). You can also use the EPA website to find out about any alerts going on in your area. For example, when the toxic algal blooms struck Toledo, the EPA was updating their site regularly with the most recent information.
These sites should get you started. Keep in mind that some of these websites are updated infrequently. However, sites like waterpurificationhq.com have a wide variety of static content that remains true regardless of the year that it was initially posted.
It’s also worth noting that none of these sites on water purification will charge for their content. Everything is accessible freely with an interface that makes for easy surfing. While we hope to one day be a valuable resource on purifying your tap water, we haven’t been around that long. This is why it’s always nice to shine a little light on those who are doing good work.
Pure Agua 