Water treatment can be confusing. With the ever-growing list of potential contaminants making their way into drinking water, it's hard to know which is the best system for you. In this Tips for Taps piece, we take a deep dive into a popular at-home treatment option: Ion Exchange–as we ask: what is an ion exchange (IE) system, how does it work, and is it right for you?

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PFAS, or per- or poly-fluoroalkyl substances, are man-made chemicals found in all sorts of products, like nonstick cookware, firefighting foam, and stain-resistant fabrics. We didn't know they had negative health effects, until now. What’s worse, these compounds are extremely stable, meaning that they don’t break down in the environment at all. This makes them very hard to get rid of, and they’ve started building up in out bodies. Learn more about what we know about the health effects of PFAS.

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Lead is one of the scariest things to find in your child's school. Whether you're a parent or administrator – you probably want to know what's next. There are short- and long-term responses to finding lead in your school. We cover what you need to know in this "what's next" guide about lead in schools.

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One question runs through the minds of new parents every day: Is this safe for my baby? With all household items under new scrutiny, tap water is no exception. Drinking water is generally safe, so tap water is usually safe for babies–whether you’re mixing infant formula or they’re drinking from a sippy-cup. When there are contaminants, however, even trace amounts pose a higher health risk to babies than adults as babies are more sensitive than adults. Read on to find out what you can do to keep your baby safe.

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While Arsenic is regulated in water systems, the EPA maximum contaminant level is actually higher than concentrations suspected to be harmful to health. If you want to remove arsenic from your tap water, there are a few important things you need to know. We’ve broken it down into a simple FAQ sheet.

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There are many methods available for reducing heavy metals at their source–before they enter our food and bodies. Chemically engineered methods such as reverse osmosis, ion exchange, and chemical precipitation have been in use for a while, but there are also some emerging technologies that utilize the natural power of plants to absorb heavy metals directly from the environment. We cover treatment options at home and beyond in this follow-up guide to heavy metals and bioaccumulation.

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Distilled water is a type of purified water that has been boiled until it evaporates–leaving it devoid of impurities. However, “impurities” don’t just include unwanted things. The non-discriminatory removal process also eliminates essential nutrients. As a result, this leaves some arguing that distilled water leaves somethings to be desired. Find out why we recommend you steer clear of drinking distilled water.

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Finally! A detailed explanation for the type of water filtration you’ve probably heard most about, and for a good reason–reverse osmosis (RO) treats more contaminants than almost any other filter. Tap Score created this guide to explain how reverse osmosis works, which contaminants it does and does not remove, and what some of the pros and cons of an RO system are.

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