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Should I Filter My Tap Water?
Do you know what’s in the water you and your family drink every single day? If you’re like most homeowners here in Albuquerque, the answer is probably no. Most people either use water from the tap and don’t think much about it, or go to great lengths to haul water from outside the home—such as bottled water—into their pantry.
There’s a better way. By filtering your water with a whole-home reverse-osmosis (RO) system, you can greatly improve the taste and quality of your tap water.
In this article, we’ll make the case as to why you should filter your tap water here in Albuquerque. We’ll also address how our hard water here locally can negatively impact your home and appliances.
Start with our free water test
Concerned about your home’s drinking water? We offer free water tests here in Albuquerque. This comprehensive and scientific test will tell you exactly what’s in your home’s drinking water—as well as how you can improve both its taste and quality.
Click the button below and fill out the form to get yours scheduled.
SCHEDULE FREE WATER TEST
Where does our water come from?
First, let’s talk about where our drinking water here in Albuquerque comes from. Like most major cities in the United States, we use a combination of surface water and groundwater sources. Most of our water is sourced from the Colorado River basin, via the Rio Grande that flows through town. The remainder (about 30%) comes from utility wells that reach into underground aquifers underneath the metro area.
Is Albuquerque water safe to drink?
Let’s address something important: our tap water in Albuquerque is safe to drink, as defined by both state and federal guidelines. However, those guidelines are not all-inclusive, with many environmental groups and clean water advocates arguing that they don’t go far enough. And being technically “safe” does not mean that the water is necessarily clean-tasting. That’s a whole other subjective measurement.
Lead contamination
One critical factor in water safety is lead contamination. This is where many water quality experts actually disagree with federal and state guidelines, which set a minimum standard for lead contamination. However, according to experts, there’s no true safe limit for lead in drinking water.
Keep in mind that lead contamination is often highly localized. As water moves through aging lead pipes, there’s an opportunity for some of that lead to release into the water. These pipes might be unique to your neighborhood, your street, or even to your home. This is just another reason why we recommend our free water test. It provides you with an individualized snapshot of your home’s water quality.
Other contaminants
Outside of lead, other contaminants that may be present in trace amounts include pesticides and herbicides from up-river agriculture, chlorine (which is used in water sanitation), and runoff from prescription drug waste. Even if the small amounts of these contaminants fall within state and federal limits, you may not necessarily want them in your home’s drinking water.
How can I improve my water quality?
The single-best thing you can do is have us install a reverse-osmosis system. These advanced systems effectively remove contaminants such as arsenic, nitrates, lead, chlorine, and more. They’re an effective shield against potential water quality problems at the municipal level.
To learn more about our RO systems and how they work, click the button below.
Is water hard in Albuquerque?
Yes, it is. Like many Western cities, Albuquerque relies on groundwater for part of our drinking water. This means our total water supply is considered to be “hard,” while homes getting pumped groundwater have “very hard” water.
Should I be concerned about hard water?
Let’s address something right-off-the-bat: hard water isn’t a health concern like the contaminants we discussed earlier. Hard water, in many cases, is perfectly natural. It’s just water with extra minerals in it as a result of moving through rock (rivers) or being pumped up through rock (wells).
What impact does hard water have on my home?
However, hard water isn’t all that great for your home. Hard, or very hard, water can put stress on your home’s appliances, pipes, faucets, and showerheads. As water moves through your pipes, those minerals leech out of it, with some of them adhering to the interior walls of your pipes. With enough time, this causes a problem called scaling, as mineralization builds up to such a point that the pipes become partially, and then totally, blocked.
Hard water scaling isn’t just a threat to your water pipes. It’s also a major problem for your water heater. The buildup of scale—also called “calcium carbonate”—at the bottom of the water heater can block the heating element from the rest of the tank, making your water heater work less effectively. With enough time, hard water can also clog the water heater’s pressure-relief valve and drainage valve, preventing you from maintaining your water heater.
Finally, while far less dramatic of an outcome, hard water can also cause mineralization on your faucets, fixtures, and shower heads, and it makes soap work less effectively. That doesn’t just mean hand soap, either: it means your dishwashing fluid and laundry detergent won’t work as well as they otherwise should.
Here are 3 reasons to get water filtration
Looking for even more reasons to have our team install an RO system in your home? Check out this article to learn three reasons why you should get a water filter.
What can I do about hard water?
Have Wagner install a water softener in your home! Our whole-home water softeners remove hard water from your home’s tap water, greatly reducing the threat of pipe and appliance scaling.
What about the taste of the water?
As we mentioned earlier, “safe” and “great-tasting” do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. Your home’s tap water might not have significant contaminants, but it also might not taste great. Ultimately, that makes you and your family less likely to drink it or cook with it. If this describes you, you’ve probably been getting by on refrigerator filters or bottled water. An RO system is just such a more convenient solution to this problem.
With an RO system, your home’s tap water will taste better and cleaner than ever before. It’s a whole-home solution, which means the water used in your shower, laundry, and dishwasher also benefits. Most homeowners who make the switch are able to ditch either buying bottled water (which is incredibly expensive and bad for the environment) or refilling water jugs (which is tedious, costly, and time-consuming).
Find out what’s in your home’s water.
At Wagner, we want local homeowners to drink safe, clean water. It’s why we install both RO systems and hard water softeners.
Let’s start by finding out what’s in your home’s water. Click the button below and fill out the form to schedule a free water test with us. We’ll analyze your drinking water and let you know exactly what’s in it. Different homes and different neighborhoods can have very different water, depending on where your tap water is being drawn from. Get an individualized assessment by talking to our team.
SCHEDULE FREE WATER TEST
