Safe drinking water is not a major concern for most Americans, but should it be? The truth is that many municipal and rural water supplies contain chemicals, minerals, and metals that are hazardous to your health. Fortunately, if you're concerned about safe drinking water there are a number of water purification options out there for you to choose from that can significantly reduce the level of chemicals, metals, minerals, and other particulates in your drinking water.

Do You Have Safe Drinking Water? Test It to Be Sure
Many homeowners have questions about the safety and content of the water that comes out of their kitchen faucet, and for good reason. Mine tailings, agricultural runoff, livestock waste, sewage, and industrial wastes are just a few of the possible sources that can quickly pollute an entire water supply.

If you live in an urban or suburban area, the EPA requires that every municipal water district print out an annual CCR (Consumer Confidence Report) that provides you with information regarding the levels of chemicals, bacterial contaminants, heavy metals, and other pollutants that exist in your municipal water supply.

If you live in a rural area, or want to double check your CCR, you can have your water tested by private testing labs, county and state health laboratories, and departments of health. In fact, many independent organizations suggest that you test your water annually just to be safe, even if it's tested safe in the past.

Safe Drinking Water Solutions
If your tests come back showing that you don't have safe drinking water, there are ways to treat your water to make it safe. The appropriate solution depends on the nature of your contaminants, since there are a variety of water purification systems, each of which addresses different water quality problems. Here's a short list of the most common purification systems, and what they're used for.