Waste Not, Want Not: How Water Purification Could Help Save the Planet

Water filtration is an easy and relatively cost-effective option to help more Canadians gain and maintain access to fresher and cleaner water. At the same time, though it sometimes requires energy to run, water filtration could help to save the planet!

Read on to learn how water purification and filtration is the right thing to do for your household, the environment and possibly your wallet.

3 Significant Benefits of Water Filtration

Benefit #1 – Better Tasting Water

If you live in an area that processes its water supply, you’re already experiencing some of the benefits of filtration—including the removal of potentially life-threatening viruses, bacteria and other microscopic pathogens that can be found in raw, surface and/or other water sources.

Yet, even once it’s passed through the municipal system—or if you’re getting it from a well, aquifer, or other natural source—your water may not be as clean as it could be. On the one hand, you’re likely to find chemicals dissolved in your water, whether naturally occurring or from municipal treatment. On the other hand, your water also may contain dissolved minerals, such as magnesium and calcium ions (which can cause hard water), iron or manganese (which can cause a metallic taste and can also stain plumbing fixtures, appliances and laundry).

For the best tasting and most potable water, use a filter! From bad-smelling water to stains on faucets and appliances, there’s a solution on the market to handle most issues you’re likely to face with your home water supply.

MAKE EVERY DROP COUNT!

Be sure to completely turn off faucets and taps after every use.

And, for extra conservation, stop the shower flow while you soap up or shampoo your hair and turn off the kitchen tap while you scrub your dishes.

Benefit #2 – Cut Back on Single-Use Plastics

An estimated 22 million kilograms of plastic leaks into the world’s oceans every day—roughly equivalent to dumping a garbage truck’s worth of plastic into our oceans each minute.¹ (Yes, you read that right: each minute!)

With at least 2.4 billion litres of bottled water sold in Canada every year, and less than half being recycled², Canada’s plastic pollution situation rivals some of the worst offenders worldwide.

When you use a filtration system to get cleaner and better tasting water, you eliminate the need for bottled water. This saves plastic that gets disposed of each year—much of which doesn’t get recycled due to lack of processing capabilities in various locales or negligent behaviour on the part of the bottled-water drinker.

Time to swap out the plastic bottle!

• • At nearly one-fifth of the world’s available fresh water, the Great Lakes are the single largest body of freshwater on the planet.
  • 80% of the litter in Canada’s Great Lakes consists of plastic and there are more than 6 million bits of plastic per km² in our Great Lakes.
  • Bottled water takes 2,000x more energy to produce than tap water.
  • Meanwhile, at least 2.4 billion litres of bottled water are sold in Canada every year.

(source: Environmental Defence, “Turning the Plastic Tide” Report)

Benefit #3 – Lighten the Load on Your Wallet

How much money do you think Canadians spend on bottled water each year? Retail sales for bottled water are forecasted to reach around $6.14 billion in 2022—an increase of about 16% from 2018³.

Now, consider how much you could save if your household switched from bottled water to sourcing from a filtration system. You’ll get years’ worth of clean, fresh and great-tasting water. And, even with the need to replace the cartridges in your RO system and the activated carbon particles in your Whole Home Chlorine filter, you could still be saving money over the long run.

Plus: Consider your investment options—Reliance™ offers affordable rental packages that cover repairs, maintenance and upfront equipment costs, all for one low monthly fee.

Want to gain the benefits of water purification but unsure which filter is right for your needs? Check out our Ultimate Water Purification Guide—featuring everything you need to know to make an educated decision on the many options available today.

¹Oceana Canada
²Environmental Defence
³Statista data, Nov.20, 2020, converted to CAD from USD.