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Do Water Filters Make Chicago Drinking Water Safer?

By Samantha Abernethy in News on Aug 25, 2011 9:30PM

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Photo by Flickr user carusophoto.
Water is clear, but you can't exactly see what's in it. There are odors and fluoride and chlorine and lead. Chicago's drinking water has been determined to be mostly safe, even though levels of the toxic metal chromium-6, or hexavalent chromium, have been found to be 11 times higher than a public health standard established recently in California. Your typical water filter doesn't do much to change that, unless you invest in a heavy-duty system. So what are filters good for? The Tribune writes:

Filters can't solve all potential concerns; there's no way to be sure any system will remove all the unregulated contaminants that are turning up in water, such as pharmaceuticals and herbicides. Some systems are expensive or have other drawbacks.

Experts also noted that filters can become problems if they are not maintained properly. Filters that are not changed on time can accumulate bacteria that wind up in the water. And when your filter's pores are filled and no longer able to attract contaminants, "then it's no longer filtering your water," said Nneka Leiba, a research analyst with the Environmental Working Group.

The Tribune has a breakdown of which home filtration systems have which benefits. The only clear benefit of keeping a water filter in the house is to improve the taste and smell of tap water. Around late summer, in particular, algae blooms can cause the water to give off a certain odor.