Water Filter Pitchers

Many American families have been using Water Filter Pitchers for years now. Until recently, the filtering pitchers that have been available have used primarily carbon, and perhaps an ion exchange resin. Carbon is an excellent water filter madia - but it only works on some contaminants. And in the amount that can be fit into a water filter pitcher, the amount of filtration carbon alone can do is limited. The claims of the companies manufacturing the popular water filter pitchers available have been accurate: They reduce chlorine, sediment, odors and bad taste. The pitchers that many have in their kitchens do indeed do those things, including that they remove most chlorine. They do make your water taste better.

If however, you are concerned about ingesting the long list of contaminants that we now know are now in the water supply - look at the much higher level of filtration that is now available in a water filter pitcher. It is remarkable what the new filtering pitchers can do.

The best of the water filter pitchers now available in the marketplace not only filter those things traditionally removed by water filter pitchers (and the little filters that screw onto your kitchen faucet), but they filter a tremendous list of the contaminants that may be in your water (or that may be in your water soon) and they filter them out to a very high level. This includes contaminants linked with cancer and other health problems.

315 Pollutants in the Water Supply

According to an Environmental Working Group drinking water quality analysis: Since 2004, 315 pollutants have been found in the tap water Americans drink.

More than half of the chemicals detected are not subject to health or safety regulations and can legally be present in any amount.  The federal government has health guidelines for some, but 49 of these contaminants have been found at levels above those guidelines, polluting the tap water for 53.6 million Americans. Recent studies have found that even some of the chemicals regulated by the 2000 law pose risks at much smaller concentrations than previously known.

Only 91 contaminants are regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act, yet more than 60,000 chemicals are used within the United States, according to Environmental Protection Agency estimates. Government and independent scientists have identified hundreds of chemicals associated with a risk of cancer and other diseases at small concentrations in drinking water.

     The Most Effective Water Filter Pitchers

In comparing the test results shared by manufacturers - available on the manufacturers' internet sties - it seems clear that the most effective water filter pitchers are those made by Seychelle, and sold by friendsofwater.com.

There is another newer contender that particularly stresses 100% removal of Total Dissolved Solids. But to quote an accurate statement from Wikipedia "..... TDS is not generally considered a primary pollutant (e.g. it is not deemed to be associated with health effects) it is used as an indication of aesthetic characteristics of drinking water and as an aggregate indicator of the presence of a broad array of chemical contaminants." In other words, Total Dissolved Solids is a sort-of composite suggestion of taste and odor and/or contaminants, and does not actually measure health risks. It seems better to us that you know that your water filter pitcher actually removes the contaminants that you have reason to be concerned about. Also, their replacement filters cost about $17.50 each but only last for 25 gallons each - compared to the replacement filters from friendsofwater.com at about $40 that last for 150 gallons.

These filters cost a bit more up front than traditional water filter pitchers (although there are many styles of the popular brands, so we can't exactly compare. Larger pitchers from the traditional manufacturers also cost more.) The pitchers we recommend have an actual capacity of about 3 quarts, which is quite large.

These filters in the pitchers last nearly 4 times as long as pitcher filters have in the past. Over the longer term, the cost is generally about the same per gallon filtered for far superior filtration.

Since the comments above were written, the prices on these new water filter pitchers have dropped dramatically, so now the value is even greater than before.

It is our view that having a water filter that doesn't do what you need - when great filtration is available and affordable - is a mistake.  It lulls you into feeling you are covered - when you aren't.

      go to another page on this site to see a water filter comparison chart.

              click here for an information page at friendsofwater.com on water filter pitchers.

   from that page you will see additional buttons and links to a wide range of water quality and water filter issues.

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friendsofwater.com is a family-owned independent business with a website filled with information about water issues, and an online store. We only agree to sell the products to save, filter and celebrate water that we feel do a great job, are value-priced, are well-made, and are backed by the manufacturer.

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Water Filter Pitchers