Houston, TX Water Report Quality Analysis
The water quality report for Houston, TX is online at:
documents.publicworks.houstontx.gov/documents/divisions/utilities/
water_quality_report_2009.pdf
Main System Analysis (purple)
Generally, the water looks okay because the contaminants are below the maximum contaminant levels (MCL). However, arsenic has been as high as 8.2 ppb with the maximum contaminant level at 10. Lead is listed as 3.4 ppb, and the MCL is 15. Our KDF/GAC cartridge will reduce both lead and arsenic. KDF will also remove small amounts of other metals like iron, nickel, copper, chromium 6 and barium. It also remove pesticides. You do have HAA5s and TTHMs, present in all municipal systems using chlorine or chloramines as a disinfectant, but our KDF/GAC cartridge reduces them. See our NSF-53 at:
http://www.thewaterexchange.net/nsf-53_test.html
Chlorine is used as a disinfectant, and it's fairly high averaging 2.2 ppm and as high as 4.8 ppm (MCL is 4). Our KDF/GAC cartridge will remove it, but may not last 3 years. The 3 year warranty is based on 1 ppm chlorine--the average across the US. Fluoride is low at 0.5 to 0.7 ppm--the average is 1 ppm, and can be removed with our fluoride cartridge.
Radioactivity is present in the form of Alpha Particles at 6 uCi/l (MCL 15), Beta Particles at 4 pCi/l (MCL 50) and radium at 1 pCi/l (MCL is 5). If you have a water softener, it will remove Beta Particles and Radium, but will not remove Alpha. We don't sell whole house water softeners, but we do have a sodium/softener cartridge you can add to your filter system. Alpha particles can be removed with reverse osmosis.
With the above information, I would recommend a double under-counter filter system (Model NAK-UC) with our KDF/GAC cartridge and a sodium/softener cartridge at $189.95. If you'd like to remove fluoride, I would recommend our triple under-counter system, Model UCT-F-S, with our KDF/GAC, sodium softener and fluoride cartridges.
See http://www.thewaterexchange.net/under_counter_filters.html.
We also have countertop versions of our filters.
