Concerns about water quality have been around for many years as the environmental movement raised consumer awareness of polluted water supplies. Today, water safety is more important than ever as those contaminated water sources make their way into our drinking water.

The 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act and the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs) have helped raise public awareness of water safety. While municipalities follow strict guidelines to disinfect water and protect against contamination, the threat still exists. Water distribution pipes leading from most of the nation's treatment plants often allow rust, lead and other corrosive metals to contaminate previously treated water. Plus, despite increased vigilance from municipalities, certain harmful cysts, like Cryptosporidium, remain resistant to common disinfectants like chlorine and ammonia. And, in rural areas, where water is sourced from untreated wells, the safety of what's coming out of the tap is even more questionable.

So understanding what's in your water is the first step towards water safety. Check with your local municipality for a copy of your CCR. Or, have your water tested by a Water Treatment Specialist or laboratory. Once you know what's in your water, investigate and understand the treatment technologies available to treat the problems that are lurking in your water. Then, select the most cost-effective solution for your needs.

To help you sort through the different product offerings and technologies available, independent testing agencies set product standards for water filtration. NSF International's Drinking Water Treatment Unit Certification Program is the most widely accepted certification program. NSF Certification means the contaminant reduction claims listed on the label are true and accurate, the materials of construction do not add anything to the water, the system is structurally sound and that advertising claims are true and accurate.

NSF has developed a series of standards to reflect various levels of filtration. Standard 42 for Aesthetic Effects list several "classes" of performance for the basic functions of adsorption and mechanical filtration. These are measured by percentage reduction over the stated life of a unit.

Taste & Odor Reduction and Chlorine Reduction: Class I: At least 75% reduction (highly effective) Class II: 50 to 75% reduction (somewhat effective) Class III: 25 to 50% reduction (least effective)

Particulate Reduction: Class I: 0.5 to 1 micron (smoke, small clay particles) Class II: 1 to 5 microns

Class III: 5 to 15 microns (most protozoa, pollen, silt) Class IV: 15 to 30 microns (mold, spores, rust particles) Class V: 30 to 50 microns (barely visible root hairs, rotifers) Class VI: over 50 microns (sand, leaf fragments, insect parts)

NSF's second standard to which filtration systems are tested is Standard 53 for Health Effects. This is NSF's highest standard available for protection against health hazards such as lead and cysts. With Standard 53, there are no class distinctions, but merely a pass/fail test. Contaminant reduction levels are as follows:

Cyst Reduction: 99.95% reduction of particles in the 3-4 micron range. Turbidity Reduction: Over 90% reduction of 10-12 units of turbidity in water.

Lead Reduction: Minimum 90% reduction of 15 ppb lead to 15 ppb or less at both high and low pH levels.

Asbestos Reduction: 99% reduction of fibers exceeding 10 micrometers in length.