18 Dec Do I Need a Home Water Filtration System?
Best Home Water Filtration | Always Affordable Plumbing Sacramento
Is Sacramento County Water Safe to Drink?
More and more people are starting to question just how safe their tap water is. There are reports popping up all around the country about city water having contaminants. For example, we are learning that things like PFAS are causing problems. Additionally, wildfires can also contaminate city water. Contaminated water can make people sick. It can even cause cancer. With all these problems, does it make sense to own a home water filtration system? You might be surprised to learn that Sacramento County water contains the same contaminant that resulted in the largest class action law suit award for the in U.S. history, when Erin Brockovich successfully won $333 million for the town of Hinkley. Is your water safe to drink? Maybe not as safe as you think.
City Water Quality Standards
Whether you are in Sacramento County or somewhere else in the country, if you are on city water then your water must meet quality standards. These standards are set by the EPA. They are based on health and safety regulations and standards. If you are on well water, then your water is not under the same standards. Every water agency in the country is required to file an annual Consumer Confidence Report. This CCR provides details about your municipality water quality, as well as if they violated any quality standards.
Sacramento County Water Quality Report
Sacramento County has many different water agencies. One of the largest is the Sacramento County Water Authority. The SCWA serves over 200,000 people. You can find their CCR right HERE. Another excellent resource for water quality is the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The EWG provides detailed reports on water quality, as well as creating a new set of standards they think should be adopted. Their standards are based on the latest medical research on how contaminants effect our health. The EWG points out that the EPA should update their standards. It has been over 20 years since the EPA updated their standards! Overall, while the EPA water quality standards are some of the best in the entire world. However, that does not mean that they could not be better. The EWG report on SCWA shows that there were 17 contaminants found in the water. It is important to note that NONE of these contaminants exceeded the EPA standards. However, 6 of them exceed EWG standards. 
Remember Erin Brockovich?
Even if you don’t agree with the tighter water quality standards of the EWG, you may still want to have cleaner water in your home. For example, one contaminant found in SCWA water is chromium. Chromium is a carcinogen that can cause cancer. Remember the movie “Erin Brockovich”? It was the true story about chromium poisoning in the town of Hinkley, California. It resulted in a $333 million class action lawsuit against PG&E for contaminating the water supply. The average amount of chromium in Hinley’s water supply was 1.19 ppb. SCWA water has a chromium level of 2.75 ppb. The National average for chromium in drinking water is 0.492 ppb. There is no EPA legal limit for chromium. Essentially, if this information is making you uncomfortable, then there is something you can do about it! Get a home water filter! Regardless of how “safe” your city water is, it can always be a little safer with extra filtration.
Not All Filters Are the Same
There are many options for you if you want to filter your tap water. Some of them are very inexpensive and convenient. However, not all filters are the same. For example, activated carbon filters are very common. These are seen in Brita pitchers as well as in your fridge water dispenser. They do a great job of removing things like chlorine and TTHM’s. However, they do not filter out common contaminants like chromium, or nitrate. For those, and many more, you need at least a Reverse Osmosis filter. Interested in learning more about your tap water? CALL AAP TODAY and one of our trained water technicians will perform an in-home water test for you. Then they will go over the results, explain any findings, and go over options if you want to know how to make your water safer. All this for FREE, with NO OBLIGATION!
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Find out more about Always Affordable Plumbing (Lic. #1003782) by calling (916) 970-0188.
Best Home Water Filtration | Always Affordable Plumbing Sacramento