Its Not Just Water Under the Bridge

Americans want better drinking water -- and are doing something about it

ARA - Did you know nearly 90 percent of Americans have a serious drinking problem The problem Significant concern about the quality and taste of their drinking water.

Thats according to the results of a new 2001 National Consumer Water Quality Survey which analyzed respondents perceptions about their household water supply and other home water quality issues.

This study, conducted and released in May 2001 by the Water Quality Association, found that nearly nine out of 10 American consumers have serious, overall concerns about their drinking water. In particular this included:

• Two-thirds have aesthetic problems with their water: its smell or taste, hardness or appearance

• More than half are concerned about possible health contaminants

• Almost half are worried about sediments in their water

In addition, nearly half of all respondents 49 percent believe federal drinking water laws should be stricter, and one in every three Americans 32 percent believes household drinking water isnt as safe as it should be.

The study also noted a significant increase in both the uses of bottled water and home water treatment devices the latter now up to 41 percent compared to 38 percent in 1999, and up from 32 percent in 1997. Respondents said they purchased and used filtration devices because they not only wanted to improve the taste of their tap water, but also because they believed it was safer.

"Water, Water Everywhere, Nor Any Drop to Drink"

The above cry was from a thirsty sailor at sea made famous in S.T. Coleridges "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," and that cry now echoes the feelings in close to half of Americas homes, as evidenced by their purchase of some type of water filtering device. That number doesnt even include all the consumers who purchase bottled water, which is now close to being a $5.2 billion-a-year industry, according to the New York-based consulting group, Beverage Marketing Corp. However, home water treatment systems are gaining in popularity because of not only the high cost of bottled water, but also the ongoing maintenance of purchasing and transporting large bottles or heavy cases of the wet stuff.

This is why todays consumer has so many options to get better tasting and healthier water, thanks to a vast number of home water filtration devices now available. These come in varying degrees of style, convenience, filtration features, prices, and have different features and levels of necessary maintenance.

All are good for improving water taste and decreasing odors, with some also designed to filter out lead, chemicals and potential health risks like bacteria. Before purchasing a unit, check with your communitys local water utility or have your water quality checked. Then you can look into a water treatment system that will meet your filtration, budget and lifestyle needs.

Some of the more popular options, and their pros and cons include:

• Water pitchers or carafes: These allow you to directly pour water into them, then wait while the water runs through a filter.

  Pros: This is the largest portion of water filtering category, because pitchers are cost effective they start at under $20, and require little maintenance and no installation. Brita, Culligan and Teledyne are some of the more popular models and all provide varying shapes and sizes of pitchers as well as different levels of filtration.

  Cons: Pitchers can take up considerable room on the countertop and in the refrigerator. Plus, theres often a lot of neglect refilling them like the, "Hey, who didnt fill the water pitcher" factor. It can take more than 7-10 minutes to filter just one or two gallons.

• At-The-Tap systems: These models are faucet attachments that convert tap water directly into filtered water.

  Pros: Also cost-efficient, tap attachments are usually available from $30 -- $100, and now, too, offer different levels of filtering. They provide filtered water with just a knob turn, and are fairly easy to install. PUR, GE and Culligan are among market leaders.

  Cons: Perceived as big and clunky, faucet attachments tend to stick out, and usually do not mesh with most kitchen decor. They also provide a very slow flow rate, often under a half-gallon per minute.

• Filtering faucet systems: One of the most recent introductions, these are single-unit faucets with filters directly built in the faucet.

  Pros: These systems provide significant convenience -- Moens PureTouch system, for example, filters cold water directly through a separate port and provides filtered water at the touch of a button. It also has a visual indicator to let you know when its filter needs to be replaced. These and other filtering faucets provide great tasting water with style and functionality, including some models with pullout and multi-function spray patterns. The filters tend to be easy to change, as they are often located right in the spout.

  Cons: Initial cost on these units starts at $175, depending on choice of style, function and finish. But over the long run, they can actually save money compared to purchasing bottled water. In fact, t