Nitrates from nitrogen-containing fertilizers used for agriculture and home lawn care can contaminate a water supply. Trichloroethylene and benzene, the most commonly found contaminants surrounding our hazardous waste sites, are both known to cause cancer. Contamination can also occur after water has been treated. Inside your home, lead and other heavy metals can be dissolving in your water supply from piping, solder joints and brass fixtures. In the past, people would collect and drink rain water, but generally today even this isn't safe.
Rainwater falls through polluted air containing bacteria, smoke, smog and chemicals.
Whether you're drinking private well water or city water, the benefit of water testing offers only temporary peace of mind since the quality of your water can change even over short periods of time. In an attempt to solve the problem, many people are either purchasing bottled water or in-home water treatment devices. In fact, it's estimated that one out of five U.S. households either buys bottled water or uses a water treatment device. Let's consider these alternatives. And, a filter can also become a breeding ground for bacteria as the organic material trapped in the filter begins to decay.