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What is lead and how do I know if I have it in my water?

Lead is a colourless, tasteless, odourless harmful metal that is typically found in water supplies that either pass through lead water service pipes or home water pipes that have been soldered using lead -solder. The National Plumbing Code allowed lead as an acceptable material for pipes until 1975 and in solder until 1986. Therefore homes constructed before 1990 are more likely to have lead problems.

Consumption of drinking water that has lead can lead to severe brain and blood damage, especially in young children, infants and pregnant women. Even low level exposure may harm the intellectual development, behaviour, size and hearing of infants. If your home was built prior to 1990 or you suspect that lead -based solder was used in your plumbing, you should contact your local water authority and get a water test done. Most municipalities in Canada will do a free lead test.

You can install Rainfresh Drinking Water system 3, Reverse Osmosis System (RO450) or TWIST system to have lead -free drinking water. All these systems are tested and certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for lead reduction.

 

Many municipalities across North America treat water by a process called “Chloramination”. It involves disinfecting water by chloramines , which are formed when ammonia is used in addition to chlorine . Chloramines reduce the formation of potentially cancer-causing Trihalomethanes (THMs ), but Health Canada states that there is potential for formation of other potentially dangerous by-products such as haloketones, chloropicrin, haloacetic acids etc, whose health effects are still under study.

Among the known effects of chloramines are bad tastes and odours in drinking water & beverages made from such water. In addition, chloramines can cause skin irritation, are corrosive by nature, and are toxic to fish.
It is estimated that 1/3rd of all Canadians now drink water that has been treated by Chloramines . Major urban populations in Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Greater Victoria, Dauphin, St John’s, Toronto & surrounding areas, Saskatoon and many more are now on chloraminated water.
Boiling water or allowing water to sit at room temperature does not remove chloramines from drinking water. Most undersink activated carbon based filters or reverse osmosis systems are also ineffective in removing chloramines .

Rainfresh QCA and CA1 filter cartridges are specially formulated and are tested and certified for chloramine reduction. Rainfresh Whole House Chloramines reduction system reduces chloramines from all the water in the home.

What is Chlorine ?

Chlorine is the most common chemical used by municipalities around the world to make water safe to drink. Almost all municipal treatment plants in North America use chlorine for primary or secondary disinfection. Chlorine can form cancerous by-products with certain organic compounds present in water. In addition chlorine renders an offensive taste and odour to water and to beverages made from such water. Coffee and tea tastes much better when chlorine is removed from water. Many people have reported to be allergic to chlorine in the water.

Chlorine from drinking water can be effectively reduced by activated carbon filter cartridges. All Rainfresh Drinking Water Systems reduce chlorine effectively. For whole house reduction of chlorine , Rainfresh CCF systems are recommended.