Are personal home filters effective?
Although City water is clean and safe to drink, we understand that many customers choose to use In-home filters. If you do so, please consider these tips to ensure your water remains safe:
All filters require maintenance. Typically it’s as simple as removing and replacing the filter cartridge. Brita filters that sit in your refrigerator remove the residual chlorine that is in the water.
Be aware that when the chlorine has been removed, just like food in your refrigerator, bacteria and other organisms can grow in the water. Be sure to thoroughly clean your filter and container consistently.
Some home water treatment units are also available to reduce total THMs, or volatile organic compounds, from drinking water. To learn more about available home water treatment units, you may call the California Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, at 916-323-0372 or visit this website.
Should I drink bottled water instead?
Bottled water is not regulated to the same level that tap water in California is regulated, but producers spend high dollars on advertising. The cost of bottled water ($1 per 12 oz) is more than 250 times higher than the water that is delivered to your tap at less than a penny per gallon (0.764 cents/gallon) or $0.0007 per 12oz). Bottled water is reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. If bottled water is bottled in a different state, it may not meet the standards set by the State of California that are more stringent than USEPA requirements for some constituents. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the USEPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.
Why do we need to add chlorine to the water?
Chlorine in drinking water has prevented the spread of waterborne diseases and pathogens such as cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, and hepatitis A. At the turn of the 20th century, typhoid fever alone killed 1 person per 3,500. Drinking water chlorination and filtration have helped to virtually eliminate these diseases in the U.S. and other developed countries.