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Environmental Health Division <br />625 North Robert Street <br />P.O. Box 64975 <br />St. Paul, MN 55164-0975 <br />651-201-4600 or 800-383-9808 <br />health.wells@state.mn.us <br />m� <br />DEPARTMENT <br />OF HEALTH <br />Home Water Treatment <br />Most Minnesotans do not need to install water treatment at home to protect their health. If you know your <br />drinking water is contaminated or you are concerned about the color, taste, or odor of your water, first try to <br />remove the source(s) of contamination or replace the contaminated water supply with a safer supply. If this is not <br />possible, then home water treatment may be appropriate. Use this resource to help decide if home water <br />treatment makes sense for you and what treatment options may be best for you. <br />Step 1: Know where your drinking water comes from <br />If you get your drinking water from a public water system, your water system and the Minnesota Department <br />of Health (MDH) regularly test the water for over 100 different contaminants and make sure it meets all Safe <br />Drinking Water Act standards. You can learn more about your water quality by reading your water system's <br />annual report (called a Consumer Confidence Report [CCR]). You can request the report from your water <br />system or Search for your CCR (https://mnccr.web.health.state.mn.us/index.faces). <br />If you get your drinking water from a private well, you are responsible for regularly testing your well water to <br />make sure it is safe for drinking and cooking. Learn more about testing recommendations and how to test your <br />water at Water Quality/Well Testing (health.mn.gov/wellwater). <br />Step 2: Think about why you want water treatment <br />Knowing what you want from water treatment will help you choose the best treatment option. Some common <br />reasons people think about water treatment for their home: <br />They do not like the way their water tastes, smells, looks, or feels. <br />They are concerned about a specific contaminant (such as lead, arsenic, or nitrate) in their water. Beware of <br />Water Treatment Scams (health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/factsheet/beware.html). <br />Step 3: Select a water treatment option <br />There are many water treatment options. Deciding what option is best for you depends on what you want from <br />your water treatment. This information sheet gives an overview of water treatment considerations and options. <br />You may need to do additional research or contact a water treatment professional to find the <br />best option for you. Below are some key questions to consider. <br />What contaminant would you like to remove? <br />Select a treatment unit certified by NSF, Underwriter's Laboratory (UL), or Water Quality <br />Association (WQA) to remove the contaminant(s) you are concerned about, if a certification is <br />available. These organizations do not certify treatment units for all contaminants. In this case, you <br />may need to contact a water treatment professional. <br />Search for NSF Certified Drinking Water Treatment Units, Water Filters <br />(http://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/) <br />Residential Drinking Water Standards (www.nsf.org/services/by-industry/water- <br />wastewater/residential-water-treatment/residential-drinking-water-treatment-standards) <br />Find WQA-Certified Water Treatment Products (https://www.wqa.org/find-products#/) <br />Look for <br />these labels <br />No single treatment unit can remove all contaminants in water. Depending on your water quality, or if you want to <br />remove more than one contaminant, you may need to combine several treatment units into a treatment system. <br />