Howdy All,

I have one of those water filters that screws on to the faucet in the kitchen. (Britta I think) Every so often the news reports that due to a broken water main / construction / etc. that everyone in area XYZ should boil their water until further notice. Would one of those household filters take care of any nasties in the water or should you still continue to boil it?

Thanks,
LW

If it's bacteria, Boil. I am pretty sure those filters don't remove bacteria.

If it is just discoloration, the filter should handle it. Altho the filter won't last as long as normal and any sediment in the lines may clog it.

Those are only carbon filters they won't protect you against contaminated water that needs to be boiled.

You can get larger filters at home depot that are like camping / hiking filters and install them on one sink, or your whole house. Make sure you buy the correct filter to remove the things that you need removed. The ones that make the water "safe(r)" to drink and don't just make it clearer / taste better cost about 3x as much.

From Brita's FAQ:



More info in the FAQ at
http://www.brita.net/uk/faqs_contaminations.html

Read the (micron) rating of the filter. The smaller the number the smaller the holes, and hence the less stuff can go throu.

To remove bacteria it should be at (0.2 micron), but most likely what you have is 5 micron or so. That is good enough for dirt particles, rust ..etc.

However, if it is a carbon filter, then it is not made to remove stuff, rather it is to remove taste and odor.

As said above, best thing for bacteria is to boil the water. You can bleach water , but boiling may also remove other stuff (like volatile organics).

If you're going to rely on a filter for that, you should look at these:
http://www.doultonfilters.com/gravity.html

This is the type of thing you want:

http://www.generalecology.com/category_products.php?category_name_url=in-home

In home, EPA certified purifier. No, I am not associated with them.