PSA: The Truth About Water Filters

We sat down with Primo’s Director of Water Quality and Compliance to talk about filters. That’s right, those things you put in your pitchers, over your faucets or inside your refrigerators. Come to find out, you’ve probably been filtering your water wrong all along! But not to worry, because there’s a solution.

Are standard activated carbon filters doing their job correctly?

These filters can be effective when they’re newly installed. However, they have a finite capacity to dechlorinate and remove contaminants such as lead, arsenic, and other harmful toxins.

How reliable are these filters?

It depends. For example, if a homeowner uses an unusually high volume of drinking water over the span of a day or two (like having family stay over for Thanksgiving) or the level of contaminant increases (which happens naturally), then the filter can reach its point of “exhaustion” quicker than it claims. So, while it might seem like a great purchase at first, many factors can reduce its reliability.

Will I know when my filter is ready to be replaced?

Not really. It is possible for you to continue to use the filter without realizing that it is past the point of replacement! In addition, when the filter reaches that point, it could be loaded with toxic contaminants which could classify it as hazardous waste. That means it must be disposed of as such. But how would you know if you don’t first know that your filter is ready for replacement?

Likely, you’re tossing it in the garbage and sending it to its fate, a landfill, where the contaminants could be released into the groundwater, furthering the cycle of contamination. Yikes.

What should I use to filter my water, then?

Reverse Osmosis (RO) is a safer, more reliable option when purifying your water. RO rejects these toxic contaminants and directs them to a sanitary sewer which ultimately lands them in a wastewater treatment plant. Case and point: those toxins are gone before they’re ever discharged into a stream, lake or ocean.

I can’t install a RO purification system in my home. What do I do?

That’s an easy one. Rely on Primo® Water to get you the better, safer water you deserve! Our water undergoes a 5-step RO purification process to get rid of harmful contaminates like bacteria, heavy metals, trace pharmaceuticals and more. That ensures water as it should be—plain and simple—before it ever touches a bottle, much less your lips.

Primo® Water is accessible, too. We offer a wide range of full-size and portable water dispensers to make enjoying your better water a breeze! Find out where you can get Primo near you.