Most people are aware of the fact that water goes through a purification channel before entering their town. Before water enters your office, your home, or any other facility; a water purification and distribution system purifies the water. But, have you ever thought about how clean your tap water is?

Tap water is usually filtered through different water purification systems before it reaches the end-user (that is you), but that doesn't mean it's free from impurities. The above process is valid for every city, no matter how small or large. When the relevant authorities test the water quality, they test it precisely after the water is filtered, and before it enters the municipal feed pipes. Most of the time, the results they obtain are satisfying and above the standard that is demanded. However, you must remember that the authorities are not taking the feed lines (its length and age) into account.

As explained, most water treatment channels are usually placed at the edge of a town or city. The water must travel a long way through the municipal pipes before reaching our homes. Here, it's not uncommon for the pipes to be decades old. When the water travels for a long time, it becomes contaminated with everything it encounters in the pipes from debris to rust. These old pipes are a great way of flooding the water with bacteria, germs, and viruses. Sometimes, the water running through your tap might contain a lousy aftertaste or poor color, and it might even have a high degree of biological contamination. Therefore, it’s essential that you and the municipal corporation use a high-quality water purification and filtration system.

Another reason you should use a water filter is related to the methods your municipal authorities employ to handling the water. Among the most frequent is by using chlorine. Although this can kill some germs within the water, it also affects the taste. That's not all, recent studies have proven that occasionally chlorine may interact in the water forming carcinogenic chemicals due to certain elements present in the water.

Do you think that's all? Regrettably, it's not. Filtering water is vital if you want to keep parasites, bacteria, and other microorganisms at bay. One of the worst parasites you may encounter is Cryptosporidium (when considering polluted water). The parasite is repellent to chlorine, and it can be filtered out only by mechanical means. You can feel severe nausea, dehydration, and weight reduction if the parasite enters your drinking water, and you consume it. Infected people can present symptoms for as long as six weeks. Last but not least, your water supply could be polluted with pesticides, chemicals, and heavy metals.

Before the 1940s and 1950s, the pesticides employed usually comprised of heavy metals that have a halving time. This halving period that is extended means that they may be present in the soil around the water pipes, enabling them to flow in the water. The lead was also used for plumbing, thus connecting them might contain a few old pipes or the solder used. Other chemicals may even be harmful, and a water filter will eliminate them.

The municipal corporations and large/small industries are already taking prevalent steps to purify the water before releasing the sea/river water to your houses. Nevertheless, to avoid all the above discussed chronic consequences, you must consider adopting in-house water purification systems as well.