It is fresh, SAPID and clear: there is Hardly a food is monitored in Germany as well as tap water. The requirements of the drinking water regulation, ensure need to keep to the water works. This means that tap water may not contain substances and pathogens in health-endangering concentrations. It also must be “clean and fit for human consumption”. The Stiftung Warentest recently tested the quality of German tap water. “The result of calm”, – stated in the test report. “Water is not a health concern.”
However, rumors will not make it go round and round, the water from the tap is not as healthy as often claimed. It is loaded with bacteria, or lead, containing, possibly, drug residues, or even nitrate from manure. To don’t ruin it for all, an Abundance of lime in the drinking experience.
The manufacturers of water these supposed horrors will filter messages located: you will earn with the desire of their customers to clean drinking water and good money. Consumers can choose between different methods of water treatment. The most common carbon filter to filter out large organic particles are the most active. Visually, they are reminiscent of pots, in which the water through a cartridge drips. Also ion exchangers and membrane processes are used in private households. You can filter ions and other undesirable substances from the water. Membrane filters work with the help of electrical pumps and are only tiny molecules such as the water-permeable. Larger substances such as heavy metals, remain liable.
So useful this apparatus may at first glance appear to be: their Use is controversial. An additional treatment in the household is “usually superfluous”, it says on the side of the consumer. More still: In the event of incorrect use they could degrade the filters even the quality of the water.
How is that possible? We have compiled the most important facts, which speak against the use of the Filter.
1. Drinking water in containers, spoils quickly
Water is a highly sensitive food that spoils quickly. Filtered water remains for a longer period of time in the containers, and can multiply therein the germs. Particularly critical is when the filter cartridges are not replaced regularly. The user manual of the devices, it should be noted, therefore, necessarily, and the devices are rinsed and cleaned regularly. Who wants to go on the safe side, boil filtered water, advises the consumer. This is especially true for small children and people with weakened immune system.
2. Tap water must not be filtered
Time and again we read of a high nitrate pollution of the ground water. This is problematic, because nitrate is considered to be potentially carcinogenic and is especially for Pregnant women and young children is questionable. The good news is that nitrate can be filtered in water works effectively from the groundwater. Several methods are available.
According to drinking water regulations drinking water must not exceed the maximum value of 50 milligrams of nitrate per Liter. Limit, can overruns are today, but a rare exception. The same applies to contamination with bacteria or drugs: Their concentration in drinking water must be located so low that for the consumer there is no danger – even life-long enjoyment.
3. The lead-Bluff – exchange better than filters
Up to the water meter the water to guarantee the works for the safety of the tap water. After that, the house owner is responsible. It may happen that, in homes that were built before 1973, lead pipes are. The lead content increases, when the water stood over night or for a longer period of time in the line.
In the case of suspected consumer can leave the water at an approved investigation laboratory for examination. In fact, the lead should be transferred in the tap water, should be informed of the landlords or house owners. It is then better to grab the Evil at the root and to have the pipes replaced.
The owner of the house is in the remaining also for the sanitary maintenance of the pipes is responsible and must ensure that the pipes are free of bacteria such as Legionella. For this, he needs to leave in regular intervals to examinations by a specialist company to carry out.
4. Also, the nutrients end up in the water filter
Membrane systems, including reverse osmosis systems, have the advantage that they filter out unwanted substances effectively from the water, including nitrate, phosphate and heavy metals. Unfortunately, mineral substances remain in the membrane are liable. Consumer advocates warn before permanent eating of this water. With time, the lack of Minerals could lead to an under-supply.
5. And then the thing with the lime was still there
Many people resort to Filters, because they want to remove the lime from the tap water. This tea and coffee will taste better or less lime in the coffee to settle. For the white crusts the minerals Magnesium and calcium provide. Lime may seem at first glance, unappetizing – and unhealthy he is.
Stiftung Warentest has examined some time ago, as well common Filter lime from the drinking water, remove with ernüchterndem result. Some models made it only briefly to make hard water soft. No cartridge is retained in this Filter property until the end of the specified capacity. Three models are prone to contamination. Another Filter, the most expensive in the Test, even larger quantities of a pollutant. From the jug the opposite of what hope to consumers: the raft exactly polluted water, instead of a healthy drinking enjoyment.
