Water Purity in the Bathroom Vs. Kitchen

Bathroom and Kitchen Water Sources

• The water that flows through the faucets in your kitchen, bathroom and toilet comes from the same source. In most locations, the water will come from your local municipal water supplier. According to data from 2000, nearly 85 percent of all people in the United States receive their water from a county or city municipal water company. Municipalities use either a groundwater source such as a well or a surface-water source such as a river, lake or reservoir. People who live in rural areas often install their own well to set up their own water supply for kitchens and bathrooms.

Water Treatment and Purification

• Municipalities treat and purify the water before it arrives at the pipes that supply water into your kitchen and bathroom. Groundwater and surface water are filtered and treated with chemicals to rid them of dangerous bacteria and microorganisms. Municipalities that use surface-water sources --- rivers, lakes and streams --- filter the water with additional chemicals and a "flocculate" process that makes large particles and contaminants bunch together and filter away from the water. As stewards of public health and safety, municipalities perform strict testing, evaluation, filtration and purification of water before it is delivered to residents for household use and consumption.

Purification Similarities

• After the water is purified, it is delivered to your home through your pipe and plumbing system, and is essentially equal in terms of the level of purification when it arrives. The pipes and plumbing guide the water to your kitchen and bathroom and to your water heater. At this stage, the purification level of the water in your kitchen, your bathroom and every room where water runs is equal.

Purification Differences

• Even though the water in kitchens and bathrooms arrives equally purified, it doesn't remain that way because the water is used differently and comes in contact with things that decrease its purity. For example, no one would ever drink water from the toilet because the water is used for people to dispose of bodily waste. As a result, the toilet water is highly contaminated and unpurified, and the toilet is a sitting receptacle for bacteria and microorganisms. Showers and tubs become contaminated by body dirt, and the water inside a sink gets contaminated by particles, dirt and waste. Essentially, running water is more purified than standing water. Water inside a kitchen sink full of dishes or a bathroom sink that's clogged becomes contaminated once it is used for cleansing. If you are concerned about the level of purification of your drinking water, installing submicron filters and purifiers on your kitchen faucets is your best option to remove trace amounts of chlorine, other chemicals, minerals and potential contaminants.