Filtering Made Simple From Carafes to Faucet-Mounts

Want to know what's in your water? One way to find out is to check your Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires all water systems to provide to their customers every year. It is usually mailed to you, printed in newspapers or posted on local government Web sites. CR's recent analysis of CCRs from the 25 largest U.S. cities revealed that some samples from 22 systems contained significant quantities of contaminants -- things like lead, chlorine and E. coli bacteria.

But CCRs don't cover water from private wells, and municipal flow can pick up contaminants en route to or passing through your home's plumbing. To learn what's actually coming out of your tap, one option would be to hire a state-certified testing lab; a cheaper alternative would be to do it yourself with a low- or no-cost kit from your local health authority. (For the names of labs and health agencies, call the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline, (800) 426- 4791 or check out www.epa.gov/safewater/labs.)

CR tested several models of water filters -- ranging from refillable carafes to reverse-osmosis systems -- and found several that proved effective at ridding your water of impurities and bad taste. Note that they're designed to work with cold water only.

Among the highest-scoring water filters in CR's tests were countertop models that attach to a faucet by replacing the fixture's aerator. Countertop units are best for filtering large quantities of water without plumbing modification. Tops in this category: the Kenmore 34551, which earned high marks for removing lead and chloroform (an indicator of how well the filter will capture organic compounds), rate of flow and eliminating bad taste. At $50 (from Sears, not including an estimated $20 per year for filter replacement), it's a CR Best Buy.

Although they didn't perform as well overall as countertop models, carafes and faucet-mounted filters also require no plumbing modification. Carafes are best for filtering small amounts of drinking water and can be stored in the refrigerator. Tops at removing chloroform and lead among carafes: the Pur Ultimate CR-900 ($25). However, its filters clogged frequently, and you can expect to spend $90 a year to replace them.

The Brita AquaLux ($25; $48 annual filter cost) was more economical, a very good model overall but one that only scored fair at removing lead.

The faucet-mounted Pur Horizontal FM9400 ($40) proved very good at removing lead, and excelled at capturing chloroform and eliminating bad taste. But the filter is prone to clogging, and the annual filter cost is $80 a year for replacements. Like all faucet mounts, it allows easy switching between filtered and unfiltered water.

Water filters that require plumbing modification and/or professional installation are undersink models, reverse-osmosis systems and whole-house units. Although it only scored "good" at removing lead, the undersink Kenmore 38454, scored excellent overall, with comparatively low ($34 per year) filter-replacement costs. At $55 (from Sears), it's a CR Best Buy.

Reverse-osmosis filters are excellent at removing common contaminants and are the only system certified to capture arsenic. Still, they are extremely slow and create three to five gallons of wastewater for each gallon of filtered water. At $160 (from Lowe's), the Whirlpool Gold WHER25 is a CR Best Buy. Expect to pay $62 per year in filter-replacement costs.

A good bet for inexpensively removing sediment, rust and some chlorine, whole-house filters typically won't capture most other contaminants and do a poor job of eliminating bad taste. Models range in price from $35 to $80, excluding installation and infrequent cartridge replacement. Best of an unimpressive lot that CR tested was the Whirlpool WHCF-DWHV ($35, from Lowe's).

From Consumer Reports at www.consumerreports.org.

(c) 2007 Buffalo News. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.