Understanding the Varied Quality of Tap Water Across the United States
Water is fundamental to our existence and our well-being. However, not all water is created equally. Tap water quality varies significantly across the United States. Regional factors such as natural geology, industrial practices, and municipal infrastructure all impact water quality. Recognizing these differences is crucial for safeguarding health and ensuring a reliable water supply. Knowing common water quality issues, especially those that affect your area will arm you with the knowledge needed to address concerns you have through iSpring’s water filtration systems.
Hard Water Regions
Hard water contains high concentrations of calcium and magnesium ions and is frequently found in Texas, Florida, and California. Hard water can leave scale deposits on plumbing, appliances, and even skin and hair. Though not necessarily dangerous, hard water can take a toll on the lifespan of your appliances and decrease efficiency due to mineral buildup. The minerals found in hard water also react with soaps and cause them to be less effective. Therefore, many notice dingy clothes, limp hair, and dry skin when using hard water.
To address hard water, we recommend two iSpring systems: our RCC7AK and WCS45KG.
Our RCC7AK is a reverse osmosis (RO) system that works to effectively remove minerals, ensuring pure and balanced water. This filter is comprised of a PP sediment filter, granular activated carbon filter, carbon block filter, RO membrane, post carbon filter, and an alkaline filter that restores the natural alkalinity and mineral balance of your water to improve taste.
Our WCS45KG is a whole-house, ion exchange softener specifically designed to soften water by replacing calcium and magnesium ions with sodium or potassium ions. This system removes calcium and magnesium from your water at the point of entry, providing you with quality soft water for cooking, bathing, and laundry. It also protects your water heater, pipes, and household appliances by preventing scale buildup. Installing a reverse osmosis system after the water softener is recommended to remove salt from the water, ensuring safe drinking water.
Regions with High Iron or Manganese Levels
Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin oftentimes have elevated iron or manganese levels. The presence of these heavy metals can cause water discoloration, a metallic taste, and clogging in plumbing systems, and can also be dangerous to your health. One of our ion exchange filters that work to remove these impurities and provide clean water throughout your home is our WGB32BM three-stage, whole-house filter. This filter protects your family and household appliances from iron, manganese, and more while extending the life of your standard filters while also protecting your plumbing system from sediment, rust, dirt, sand, and large particles.
One of our systems that specializes in removing high iron content is our WCFM500K. This system reduces iron (up to 12 ppm), manganese & hydrogen sulfide (up to 20 ppm), solids, and turbidity with 3-micron sediment filtration. Also, unlike similar competitors’ systems that use oxidizers or chemicals, our system only uses air for media regeneration.
Areas with Significant Microbial Contamination
States with hot, arid climates such as Arizona, Nevada, and Utah have ideal conditions for microbial contamination, especially in desert regions in the hot summer months. Ingesting water containing microorganisms can pose a serious health risk because it can cause infectious diseases. To address this, we recommend our RO500AK-BN UVF8, a next-generation, tankless RO water filtration system that combines reverse osmosis with UV technology to damage harmful bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens, making them safe for consumption.
General Municipal Supply Areas
States like California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Florida widely use chlorine and chloramine in their municipal water supplies for disinfection purposes. These chemicals are effective in controlling microbial contamination but can leave residual tastes and odors in the water. To address this, we recommend our WGB32B whole-house water filtration system, which protects your plumbing system and removes up to 99% of chlorine and up to 95% of sediment, rust, pesticides, herbicides, industrial solvents, and other contaminants that can harm your skin, hair, and nails.
Another issue that many do not consider if their water comes from a municipal supply is the impact that aging infrastructure can have on water quality. Many times, elevated levels of lead or sediment are found in the water as a result of the corroding pipes it passes through after treatment. Pennsylvania, New York, and Illinois are examples of states that face this issue. This can not only be dangerous to your health but can also cause water to be cloudy and cause an unpleasant taste.
One way to tackle this issue is with our US21B-CPB activated carbon filter. This filter effectively reduces PFAS, PFOA/PFOS, chlorine, mercury, cloudiness, colors, bad taste, and many other heavy metals as well as reduces up to 99% of lead from water.
One of our three-stage, whole-house water filtration system - WGB32B-PB is specifically designed to tackle the issue of lead contamination in municipal water supplies, ensuring your family's safety. This system not only addresses lead but also removes sediment, chlorine, tastes, and odors, offering comprehensive water purification while retaining essential minerals to give you peace of mind with every drop.
Special Industrial Pollution Areas
For those who live in industrial states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania, water contamination often occurs as a result of industrial discharges, posing risks from heavy metals and other harmful chemicals.
Our high-performance city water solution is our WSP50ARJ WF150K RO500AK. This is a multi-stage filtration system to address sediment, heavy metals, and chemical contaminants. The first and second-stage filters work to protect your whole home and filter out particulate, impurities, sediment, rust, and floating objects as well as remove chlorine, chloramine, lead, mercury, H2S (rotten egg smell), heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, and various other contaminants. Its final stage is a RO system that removes up to 99% of impurities so that you can enjoy pure, clean drinking water.
Protecting Your Home and Your Health
The quality of tap water in the United States is as diverse as its geography. Investing in a high-quality water filtration system that can address the water concerns specific to your region is essential in ensuring your household has access to clean, safe, and refreshing water. By understanding your state's water issues and investing in the right filtration solutions, you can protect both your health and the longevity of your plumbing system and household appliances. Here at iSpring, we offer personalized consultations to help you find the system to fit your needs best and to help you take control of your water quality.
