NY Water: Is It Clean Enough?

People from New York are renowned for being on the front foot and enjoying convenience. But when it comes to something as basic and life-sustaining as drinking water, can New Yorkers confidently fetch and drink tap water, given the health implications? Although New York City’s municipal water treatment system is one of the largest in the country, is it impeccable, and is the water really clean enough? 

Water is supplied from the water treatment plant to NY homes through copper-connected lead pipes, some of which have not been changed or maintained in years. As water travels 125 miles from the treatment facility to homes, leaching occurs, delivering trace amounts of these metals into your tap water. Let’s take a closer look at how TanklessFilter may improve the drinking water quality in your NYC house.

How Clean is NYC Tap Water Really?

NYC tap water is heavily treated to remove harmful bacteria and parasites. Therefore, NY dwellers regard it as reliably safe by the Environmental Protection Agency standards. Nevertheless, the source of the water and the generally increasing age of the city infrastructure pose some concerns.

Most of New York City’s tap water comes from upstate in Catskill, Delaware, and Croton watersheds, approximately 125 miles away. These large watersheds cover more than 1,000 square miles, hold more than a dozen different reservoirs and lakes, and have a capacity exceeding 140 billion gallons in the Pepacton Reservoir and over 125 billion gallons in the Ashokan Reservoir. While tireless law enforcement work helps prevent illegal dumping and protects these water sources, the water that makes it to your faucet travels through a complicated infrastructure network.

NYC is one of the few major U.S. cities not to have mandatory water filtration at the treatment plant level. The city’s Department of Environmental Protection conducts over 600,000 annual tests, scrutinizing the water for over 250 separate variables and pollutants. Even with this extreme testing procedure, many people are not convinced of the long-term effects of specific treatment methods and have concerns about the possible impact of aging pipes.

How Filters Can Improve Tap Water

Water filters are the answer to improving the quality of NYC tap water. Since even trace amounts of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for kids younger than six, every NY homeowner and guardian should highly consider, potentially purchase, and install an RO water filter system. Below are the types of water filter systems and their respective capabilities and applications.

Types of Water Filter Systems and How They Work

  • Carbon filters: Carbon filters actively trap chlorine and its compounds in the water, thereby making it better tasting and odor-free.
  • RO systems: Further down the line are RO systems, which work through a semi-permeable membrane that can filter many more impurities than CTO, including dissolved minerals and heavy metals, as well as some bacteria. If you are concerned about impurities like lead, this may be the better system to use, as it will remove chlorine and its taste and many other contaminants.

What TanklessFilter Can Improve About the Water You Drink

At TanklessFilter, we offer a full line of high-quality, innovative tankless RO (reverse osmosis) water filtration systems, including our award-winning Tower M model. These systems are designed for homes where space is a concern and provide excellent filtration performance without a bulky storage tank.

Here’s how the TanklessFilter system can work wonders with your NYC tap water:

  • Taste and Odor: They eliminate chlorine, taste, and odor quite effectively, giving you clean, fresh, and palatable drinking water.
  • Fewer Contaminants: Depending on the brand selected, TanklessFilter models cut down on lead, heavy metals, and all other impurities in New York City tap water. Although the city’s water quality is tested, it still has a smoking problem from all the leaching from its older pipes.
  • Convenience and Efficiency: Tankless systems mean good water filtration wherever needed, and that is done without the necessity of a large holding tank, which means more space for you and no threats of stagnant water accumulation.
  • Multi-stage Purification: The multi-purification stage within the system is so advanced that there is no room for loopholes in delivering the maximum extent of removal of most of its contaminants along with premium water quality.

Water Purification Stages, TanklessFilter Installation, and Repair

Most of the Tankless filter systems utilize multiple stages of filtration. These stages might entail:

  • Pre-filter: takes out larger particles such as sand, dirt, and others that might harm the system.
  • Carbon pre-filter: Activated carbon helps to reduce chlorine odor and taste.
  • Reverse osmosis membrane: Removes dissolved solids and other contaminations.
  • Post-carbon filter: enhances taste and odors.

Installation services for any of our RO systems are available, thanks to our expert technicians at TanklessFilter. We also provide a complete maintenance program that includes filter changes and system checks for your system’s longevity.

Why Tankless Water Filter Is the Best Option for You?

The TanklessFilter RO system is a simple, easy system that provides instant access to pure, delicious water. Our systems address the various nuances of tap water in NYC, such as:

  • Byproduct Treatment: Although chlorine is an effective disinfecting compound, it has a reputation for the aesthetic undesirable characteristics it imparts to tap water, primarily taste and smell. Our TanklessFilter systems will eliminate chlorine and byproducts that might form from chlorine, like trihalomethane (THM), during treatment.
  • Peace of Mind from Lead Worries: Although mostly uncommon today, lead pipes may still be in use in old NYC buildings. Operating our tankless filter system considerably reduces your likelihood of fetching lead-contaminated water.
  • Reducing Microplastics: The level of microplastics in our water is scary, even on a global scale. While not every tankless filter solution out there is directly aimed at these tiny plastic particles in the water, our models are specially designed to capture microplastics.
  • Sustainability Option: Tankless water filters help you avoid having to always purchase single-use plastic water bottles, thereby reducing your environmental waste footprint.

Invest in your health and well-being. While NYC tap water meets all EPA safety standards, water quality may yet have some to be desired. Our tankless filter systems allow you to control your water quality.

Contact TanklessFilter today to schedule your free consultation! Our water treatment specialists will assess your needs and recommend the ideal tankless water filter system for your New York City home. Experience the difference that pure, healthy water can make daily. 

Frequently Asked Questions
Is tap water safe to drink in New York?

NYC tap water is safeguarded through rigorous testing to avoid potentially harmful bacteria and parasites. However, it can contain traces of chlorine, disinfection byproducts, and potential lead leaching from older pipes. We recommend using our water filter systems to remove possible contaminants and improve taste and odor.

What is the best filter to remove chlorine from tap water?

Activated carbon filters are claimed to be very effective in removing chlorine taste and odor from tap water. TanklessFilter provides various kinds of water filtration systems, some of which come with high-quality carbon filtration in the first stage.

What is the best filter to remove heavy metals from tap water?

Our advanced RO filters are tested and proven to be highly effective in removing heavy metals from water. Ensure to keep the filter serviced accordingly to maintain its integrity. Our recommended maintenance schedule is every 6 – 12 months.

How much does a tankless filter cost for installation?

The installation cost will depend on the model you choose and your plumbing configuration. We offer free consultations during which we discuss your needs and give you a transparent quote.

Are water filters also installed and serviced professionally? 

Tankless water filtration systems require a professional for proper installation to be functional without leaking. At TanklessFilter, our technicians have extensive firsthand installation experience, making the entire process a breeze. We also carry out maintenance on your RO systems, ideally scheduled every 6-12 months.