The Best Water Filter for Las Vegas

 Which Water Filter for Las Vegas?

I’ve been blogging about bottled water, and how expensive it is and bad for the environment.  Tap water is normally safe to drink in developed countries, but in some areas the tap water doesn’t taste good.  So I’ve been writing about water filters, and today I’m going to answer some questions asked by some of my readers – for example, which is the best water filter for Las Vegas?

And at the end of the article is a very useful tip which could save you a LOT of money!

Tap Water in Barcelona

First up is a comment by Eva, who lives in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona is the most expensive city in Spain for water, although Spanish tariffs in general are amongst the lowest in Europe.   Recently there has been extreme drought.    There used to be massive pollution in Barcelona’s rivers – this has improved but the water is generally regarded as being bad tasting.   I would say that Eva would probably find trihalomethane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in her water.  Barcelona water is also known for being hard.  So, using the site I mentioned in an earlier blog, Eva has a choice of several filters including under-sink, reverse osmosis and countertop units, as well as tap-mounted.  In this particular case, I would suggest tap-mounted as they are cheaper and easy to install yourself, as Eva does not spend all her time in Barcelona.   Personally I like Brita – it has a good reputation in the marketplace and you can re-cycle your filters (more on that later).  The models she can choose from are Brita FF-100 or SAFF-100 or OPFF-100.

Tap Water in Las Vegas

Everyone seems to hate the tap water in Las Vegas and surrounding areas!  Most of it comes from the Colorado River –  Lake Mead at the Hoover Dam to be exact.  It meets or exceeds all current safety standards, but I’m told it tastes and smells horrible.  The main culprit is chlorine – see my bonus tip below.  The water is also quite hard.  Carbon filters in general do not remove hardness, nor sodium nor fluoride.  There is also quite a high mineral content in Las Vegas tap water, which some people feel gives it a ‘dusty’ or ‘musty’ taste  – yet some bottled water manufacturers extol the virtues of their mineral-rich water.  You either like the mineral taste or don’t, it’s your choice if you want to filter it out or not.   Some also complain of a salty taste.  And others say the water tastes bitter – a bitter taste comes from the chlorine.

So, what’s the best water filter for Las Vegas? Well, a carbon filter will improve the water’s taste, certainly, but you will still be left with hard water, and perhaps a salty taste in some areas, plus your filters are likely to clog quickly in this area, reducing their effectiveness.   But if you are renting, for example, or do not wish to plumb in a system, then go with Brita carbon filters – faucet mounted FF-100 or OPFF-100.

For more effective removal, you’ll probably want a reverse osmosis (RO) system. For a zero-waste reverse osmosis system, try http://www.pure-earth.com/ro.html it re-routes the waste water into the hot (not cold) water system of your home.  Watts (a Canadian company with a good reputation) do a 5-stage RO system RO5M-50.

Additional suggestions for RO systems:

1. Another reader commented that having bought a RO system previously, he is considering going zero-waste.  No problem!  You can simply buy an add-on that makes your existing system zero-waste.  Watts have one for sale at Amazon – see it here
2. If you have a storage tank in your home, a good plumber can divert from the waste from your RO system into it. Then you could use that tank for watering the garden, or filling your swimming pool or other non-drinking uses.

Bonus Tip

Get Rid of Chlorine – Free!

If you don’t like the smell or taste of chlorine in your water (and not many of us do), simply place water in a jug or pitcher in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.  The chlorine dissipates, along with the smell and taste.   You don’t have to invest in a water filter so it saves you money, it reduces your demand for new things, and you’re not creating waste with filters – it’s very eco-friendly!

Other interesting articles on water filters:

Choose the best water filter for YOU!           Which type of water filter is best?

Is your drinking water safe and tasty?            Is chlorine in water good or bad?

Bottled versus tap water – the taste test (video)

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