In the year and a half since The Complete Organic Pregnancy came out we've both watched with satisfaction as a lot of the information we uncovered in the book has moved from fringe interest only to mainstream headline news. The result is that friends whose eyes used to glaze over when we talked about hidden toxins in the environment now corner us at parties and follow up with e-mails searching for answers to their questions.
We'll kick off this new monthly Q&A column with the water discussion, and we hope you'll have many more questions for us to answer next month (send e-mails to completeorganicpregnancy@yahoo.com with the word "Cookie" in the subject line).
Q: How do I know if my water is safe, and what should I do if it isn't?
In general, drinking water straight from the tap is considered kosher in this country, but there are enough pollutants that could be lingering in your water and pipes—especially if you have a well—that we think it is a very good idea to have it tested to see if it should be filtered.
There are a few ways to find out exactly what's in your water. You can either ask your water utility company for a copy of their annual water-quality report (for help deciphering it: Safe Drinking Water), call your local department of health services, or find out where water can be tested by checking out these web sites: Environmental Protection Agency and Lead Testing. Depending on what the results say is in your water, you'll probably use one of three basic methods to solve your problem: activated carbon (in granular or block form), reverse osmosis, or distillation.
There are two types of water filters: point-of-entry and point-of-use. Point-of-entry filters treat the water before it is distributed throughout the house (and will purify the water at every tap). Point-of-use filters treat water after it enters the house through faucet filters, pitchers, and units under the sink.
Without a lot of research, it's hard to figure out which water-purification device works the best, but as a rule of thumb, the Natural Resources Defense Council suggests purchasing a filter that meets National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard 53, which covers drinking-water treatment units. This isn't a 100 percent guarantee of safety, but at least NSF-certified filters have been independently tested to show that they can, in fact, reduce levels of certain pollutants under specified conditions.
An activated carbon filter that has NSF/ANSI Standard 53 certification will probably take care of most of the concerning pollutants in your water, but if there's something more toxic in there you'll need to take more drastic measures. Compare the results of your water report with the types of filters below (from the NRDC's Consumer Guide to Water Filters) to see what exactly you'll require. We also suggest that anyone who uses a carbon filter with a pitcher contact the company and request that they make the pitcher in glass form. (We haven't been able to find them in glass and would prefer that our water isn't sitting in plastic all day, no matter how safe).
When deciding what to buy, check out this great list of filters from The Green Guide. It will give you brand names, prices, methods of filtration, contaminants removed, buying info, and a Consumer Reports rating.
Next Page: The Filter Guide
