Faucet-mounted point-of-use drinking water filters to improve water quality in households served by private wells

Abstract

Approximately 13 % of Americans rely on private wells for household potable water. As private wells are not regulated beyond initial construction and often employ limited or no treatment, source water from wells can be vulnerable to contamination. While several studies have assessed applications of point-of-use (POU) filters in improving municipal tap water quality, few have investigated their use with private well water. This effort aims to build on previous examinations of POU treatment as a strategy to reduce adverse household drinking water exposures by: 1) assessing the effectiveness of commercially available faucet-mounted POU filters for improving microbial and chemical water quality in homes with private wells; and 2) documenting household ease of use and satisfaction with the filters. Faucet-mounted POU filters were distributed to 21 homes reliant on private wells in southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia. Study participants were asked to collect water samples from two taps in their homes pre-filter installation, and again two-weeks and four-weeks post-installation. Participants filled out surveys about perceptions of their drinking water and the filter. Concentrations of Total Coliform, Ba, Cd, Cr, U, Cu, Pb, Al, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Sr were significantly lower (p < 0.05, Wilcoxon Rank Sum) in filtered water samples compared to paired unfiltered samples (n = 42) for the study period. However, concentrations of certain contaminants in filtered samples from homes with high levels of source water contamination still exceeded drinking water standards. Less than half of study participants reported that they intended to keep using the filters, citing issues of flowrate. Our findings suggest that faucet-mounted POU filters, while effective in reducing contaminants, might not be an appropriate intervention to improve water quality for all homes on private well water. Future investigation is required to improve filter user satisfaction and better assess appropriate source water chemistries for implementation.