How to Make Your Drinking Water Safe

We should all be drinking lots of water every day, meaning it's crucial that it is as clean and pure as possible. Here's information about how to make your tap water safe plus my choice for water filtration.

In yesterday's post, I gave you a lot of information showing that the drinking water coming out of your tap may not be as safe as you thought.

Today I am going to talk about water filtration choices and will share my Current Recommendation for purifying your drinking water and doing so on a budget.

Our history with water filtration is a long one.  It started years ago when my husband and I first married.

Note: Read to the end of this post. I have tried a lot of methods, and I'm so happy with where I am now. There are pros and cons to all of these systems–what you choose is up to you.

I phoned the manufacturers of various pitcher-type and faucet-mount water filtration systems to determine what to buy.  Since we were renting at the time, the cost of installing a unit didn't make sense at the time. We later ventured out to other installed options, which I'll cover here too.

Water Filters We Tried

Faucet Mount Water Filter

When we were living in IL, soon after marrying, my research eventually led me to purchase PUR brand's faucet mount filter.  It brought with it a nice set of credentials as it apparently had been endorsed and was used at the time by the U.S. Navy if memory serves me correctly.

My husband was a part time youth minister at the time and one of the youth volunteers was married to a man who was a chemical engineer.  When I shared with him the conclusion that I had come to about purchasing our PUR filter, he echoed with enthusiasm what a great filter it was, stating that he had seen the research and thought it was the best filter on the market.

PUR Counter Top

When my husband and I lived with his parents for a two-year period just before our oldest son was born, we recommended that they buy PUR's counter-top model instead of the faucet mount.  The faucet-mount filter unit had proven itself to be heavy for some faucets, causing problems with leakage and other issues, and additionally the counter-top model was less expensive to use.

We bought the PUR Counter Top Model and loved it. Looks like they don't make it any longer….

Multi-Pure Carbon Filter

However, after moving to Oklahoma for my husband's first tenure-track job as a professor, I became aware of Multi-Pure carbon filters.  They were more expensive initially, but the cost per gallon analysis showed that the Multi-Pure was a clear winner.

After again doing extensive research into the amount of and types of contaminants that various filters on the market, we made a change.

Multi-Pure had a great deal at the time wherein we pre-purchased 10 filters (10 years' worth) and the filter housing was then provided for free, resulting in significant savings.  So we were locked in for 10 years, but I felt confident in our choice.

Three years later, our oldest son was diagnosed with autism and I was having some troubling health issues. I'd been reading on and off about reverse osmosis, distillation and alkaline water, but was really confused about what the best type of water was.

So I spoke with “experts” in field and perused the internet and researched more.

I already felt that I was a bit excessive in taking my “super-duper carbon-filtered water” with me everywhere in a stainless steel bottle, but I really wanted to the best filter I could find.

There are many articles and resources that I could point you to, but here's the “distilled version” (pun intended).

Reverse Osmosis

Reverse osmosis filters were the fourth step in our water filtration journey. However, there are a lot to choose from.

We looked at the pros and cons of the system that Pure Water Products sold versus some others, but we went with the Pure Water one due to feeling we could really trust them.  In fact, I was considering a salt-free water softener as well, but Gene at Pure Water talked me out of it!

We purchased a reverse osmosis system that uses our multi-pure carbon filter as one of its filters (we had already pre-paid for these and Gene said that they were a great filter and we should save money and keep them) and then we put a remineralizing cartridge on the filter as well. 

We additionally purchased a whole house filter to remove chlorine and sediment as the negative health effects of chlorine in water are something that I wanted to avoid.

Costco also carries some reverse osmosis units that Mr. Franks said were worth considering, but some of those have expensive replacement cartridges.

Anyhow, you would have thought that at this point we had reached the final conclusion in our “Search for the Best Water Filter”, however the journey wasn't over yet.

Concerns About Removing Minerals from Water

One of the factors to consider when choosing a water filter is, do you want to remove minerals or not?

It's a very complicated topic. I prefer to leave the minerals intact, but here are some opposing viewpoints on this issue.

1.  One is here that mentions the dangers of drinking distilled water.  In a nutshell, the article mentions that distillation removes all minerals from the water, and removing these minerals can lead to health concerns and imbalances.

2.  The second article is written by Gene Franks, the owner of Pure Water Products.  He discusses reverse osmosis technology and compares it with distilled water in a no-nonsense manner. His thinking is that removing minerals isn't such a big problem.

Berkey Filters

Berkey Filters are the top choice for a lot of frugal natural-minded people and for good reason. Their filters are inexpensive and retain minerals in the water. However, I have some concerns about these filters.

We moved to the Berkey after reading about reverse osmosis systems removing beneficial minerals from the water. We had a remineralizing cartridge on our RO system, which puts some minerals back into the water, but felt I wanted to go more in the natural direction and just not remove the minerals at all.

Berkey Concerns: Fluoride, Bacterial Contamination, and More

Do Berkey Filters Remove Fluoride?

Berkey became my choice for a portable water filtration system and can be great in-home if you have monitored the pH of your water.  Unfortunately, Berkey's fluoride filtration system isn't dependable unless your pH is in the optimal range.  The problem is that I have read varying reports about what that optimal range is, so I encourage you to do your own research.

Bacterial Growth in Berkey Filters?

Furthermore, you really need to clean the reservoir out regularly. This is the case with any filtration system that holds the filtered water.

Standing water grows bacteria and when it stands in your filter, that is no exception.

We did end up going with Berkey for awhile, and it's a great portable option for water filtration that apparently can even filter really dirty water (think emergency situations).  I love that you can take this with you easily on a trip or camping and you can easily bring it with you if you move. This smaller unit is a great size for camping. And for a REALLY portable option, these Sport Berkeys filter right as you drink!

Heavy Metals in Berkey Filters?

In 2021, there was a report made by a consumer about heavy metals being detected in Berkey filtered water. The report seems to be legitimate, but of course anyone can report anything. It's important to keep an open mind and find out the real data as much as possible.

If you feel still would like a Berkey after reading this (and a lot of people do trust them), here's where you can likely get a great deal on Berkey filters.

You can also find Berkey here but for the better warranty, buying direct from this Berkey site is best.

Berkey Buying Tips

1. If you still wish to use the Berkey, I highly recommend that you purchase at least 1 size larger than you think you need. The most common complaint I hear from people is that they wish they'd bought a larger unit.
2. I also recommend the sight spigot and the Berkey primer. The sight spigot allows you to see the water level in the filter without removing the top. The primer allows you to prime the filters without using a water faucet. The priming can be pretty messy so the primer is definitely worth it.

My Favorite Water Filter

I LOVE PureEffect filters. We've been using them for quite a few years and the water tastes amazing and the owner is extremely detail oriented. He set out to make the best water filter possible, and he might have done just that.

What These Filters Remove

• Radiation
• Fluoride
• Pharmaceuticals (Drug Residues)
• Microorganisms (Bacteria, Viruses, etc.)
• Heavy Metals
• VOC's (petrochemical byproducts)
• Chloramine/Chlorine
• Disinfection Byproducts (THM's, HAA's, NDMA)
• PFAS (PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, etc.)
• Pesticides/Herbicides
• Sediment/Particulate
• Nano and Micro Particles/Plastics
• Nitrates and Nitrites
• Bad Tastes/Odors & More!

For complete results you can see PureEffect Water Filter test results on their site.

You can get extra UV protection as well.  

The owner can walk you through installation if needed, doesn't try to “upsell” you, and the filters are very reasonable.

We chose an under the counter model, but you can go with the countertop as well.

My husband isn't that handy (sorry, honey–well, he'd tell you that himself), but he and my son installed the PureEffect Filter by themselves.

No Minerals Removed

No minerals are removed using the PureEffect filters. You can read more about the potential health problems from removing minerals from your drinking water here.

Radiation Removal

You can even get a radiation filter with this unit–amazing and very helpful especially for people on the West Coast of the US (in the wake of Fukushima).

With PureEffect, you can get either an over or under the counter filter that removes just about everything, but it leaves the natural minerals intact.

Can You Filter Softened Water with PureEffect Filters?

The answer is yes. Sodium is naturally occurring so it bypasses the filter.

Do PureEffect Filters Remove Glyphosate?

According to the EPA, glyphosate is removed effectively using activated carbon. Since the PureEffect filters have a lot of this in their filters, one should expect that glyphosate is removed using their filters.

What PureEffect Filter Should You Buy?

We bought the Under the Counter Ultra UC Disinfect.  We actually haven't used the UV light yet but wanted it in case we needed it. If you need to save money, I would go without that.

I really love this filter system and if we didn't have a whole house chlorine filter already, I would be purchasing one of those as well.

Do You Need a Shower Filter?

The answer is a resounding YES!

Who wants things like chlorine running all over your body?

I mean, you can use a Swim Spray after showering, but that doesn't take care of the problem of chlorine that you inhale while showering.

Thankfully, PureEffect has a great shower filter too.

It removes Chlorine, Chlorination Byproducts, VOCs, Hydrogen Sulfide, Radon and more, and it does all of this at a great price.

Where to Buy a Tub Filter

This Bath Ball Water Filter is great quality and pretty affordable per gallon. It filters out:

• chlorine / chloramine
• chlorine and chloramine byproducts
• odors
• perfluoroalkyl polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
• iron oxides / rust
• sediment and more

and filters up to 2500 gallons before needing to be replaced.

So while there are a lot of toxins that you really don't want in your water, there are a lot of great ways to remove the junk and enjoy truly clean water for your whole family!

How have you chosen to make your tap water safe?
If you haven't already, what do you think you will do?