Whether you've seen white particles around your faucet or shower head, found yellow stains on your clothes after washing, or are getting a chlorine smell from your water, the source of the problem is generally the same: you are drinking, bathing in, or cleaning with potentially harmful chemicals, often due to unfiltered or improperly filtered water.

But what is water filtration and how do water filters work? We’re about to explain it all for you right now.

What is Water Filtration?

Water filtration is a process that removes unwanted—even dangerous—chemicals and contagions from water by putting that water through a fine filter. Water filtration helps improve the taste, smell, and quality of your water by decreasing the number of contaminants in it, making it safer for drinking, bathing, and cleaning.

Water filtration protects you and your family against harmful bacterias and heavy metals, guaranteeing that you can have safe drinking water in your home. It’s one of the most efficient ways to ensure your water is safe without wasting electricity, water, or plastic from disposable water bottles.

How Does Water Filtration Work?

So, how do water filters work?

It’s a fairly straightforward process where contaminated, unfiltered water is forced through a very fine filter (physical filtration). This filter is fine enough that water is able to seep through, but unwanted particles and other dangerous contaminants are not. Chlorine is commonly used to disinfect the water and purify it of any bacteria or pathogens that may have made their way through the filter (chemical filtration).

Municipal water filtration systems are a little more complicated than a simple filter—they usually involve several basins, pipes, filters, a disinfection segment, and a storage and pumping section—the overall process relies on pushing unfiltered water through dense filters to remove impurities.

Here are some important water filtration facts to keep in mind:

• Municipal water filtration doesn't addresss water hardness (average water hardness in D.C. metro area is 7-13 grains per gallon). In-home water softeners are key to tackling water hardness.
• Chlorine is often used to disinfect water, but it is not filtered out. This makes in-home water filtration a crucial step to improve the taste and smell of your water.

Benefits of Home Water Filtration Systems

Eliminates Dangerous Elements

Filtered water helps eliminate dangerous, unhealthy heavy metals in your water, as well as pesticides, mercury, lead, and arsenic.

Efficient and Waste-Free

A water filtration system helps give you clean water in an efficient way. You won’t need to continually stock up on plastic water bottles to have clean drinking water, since your tap water will be safe.

Improves Taste and Smell

Filtering your water hugely improves the taste and smell of your water, since it helps remove bacteria, diseases, and other impurities.

Is Your Water Supply Safe?

If you’re not sure when your home water filtration system was last updated, contact CroppMetcalfe. We test your water to check pH, hardness, iron, and help reduce certain unwanted chemicals. If an issue is found, our 5-Star Technicians can install under-sink or whole-house water filters, as well as whole-house water softeners. Call or contact us online today to schedule an appointment!