Many people who live in an apartment as renters struggle to access safe drinking water. Because the water treatment systems on the market have complicated installation processes where drilling is often required.
“My landlord would not like that.” I bet this has crossed many people’s mind.
Though there may be restrictions, living in a rented place does not necessarily mean giving up the quality of your drinking water. In this buying guide, we will list out things you need to aware of when choosing a water filtration for your apartment, and also give recommendations on popular water filteration options for apartments in the U.S.
Removing Harmful Substances
The No.1 thing you should look at when choosing a water filter is the capability of removing harmful substances. In recent years, infrastructures around the United States have aged. Those systems remain in place, and rather than replacing them, they are often repaired and not necessarily to a satisfactory level.
As a result, people are drinking water that is filled with chemicals and other substances that present real risks of harm when humans are exposed to them for a long period of time.
Let’s take just two examples of two cities in the United States: Los Angeles, California and Wichita, Kansas. The Environmental Working Group, or EWG, has a free resource available that allows users to enter their zip codes and find out what’s in their local public water supply. We’re going to start with downtown Los Angeles, zip code 90012.
Substances Exceeding EWG’s Guidelines and By How Much:
Arsenic – 520x
Bromate – 13x
Chromium – 43x
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) – 105x
Nitrate – 13x
Nitrate and Nitrite – 8.8x
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) – 189x
Uranium – 7x
For those thinking that this may be at least partially because Los Angeles is an enormous city, we’re going to post the results of the same analysis for Wichita, Kansas below, along with by how much those substances exceed EWG’s guidelines:
Wichita – Zip Code 67204:
Arsenic – 292x
Atrazine – 2.7x
Bromate – 22x
Bromodichloromethane – 147x
Bromoform – 4.8x
Chloroform – 20x
Chromium (hexavalent) – 2.3x
Dibromoacetic acid – 72x
Dibromochloromethane – 91x
Dichloroacetic acid – 26x
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) – 105x
Nitrate – 4.5x
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) – 189x
Trichloroacetic acid – 18x
As you can see, while some of the substances are different, the results almost represent a distinction without a difference. Therefore, it is very important to check your local water and figure out the substances you’d like to remove, as water filters have different filtration performances.
The Taste and Smell
More and more these days, tap water is earning a reputation for its less-than-fantastic smell and taste, and yes, it’s likely because of substances that are in the water that change these qualities in that public water. For more information on what those substances could be, please see above.
If you’ve checked the water quality and simply want to improve the water taste and smell, then look for filters that use activated carbon as the filtration media, which has been tested as a very effective material to remove bad taste and odor.
The Convenience
This is an essential point for our topic today: simplicity and easiness. We are looking for water filters that require no holes being drilled or permanent installation components. We also think about the time when you decide to move on from your existing space. We want filters that can easily be uninstalled and taken with you to your next home.
The Cost
Yes, a water filtration system sometimes is going to cost more than a case of bottled water or a month of water delivery service. However, the ongoing costs of a water filtration system are much smaller than years of the other alternatives.
“I don’t want to spend that money only to leave it behind when I move.”
Therefore, we must take both the price and maintenance cost into consideration.