FAQs • West Richland, WA • CivicEngage

How do water filters work?: Home filtration systems generally use carbon, charcoal, or a blend of filter media to remove contaminants as water flows through the filter. Depending on the type of filter, contaminants either get trapped in the pores of the filter or adhere/absorb to the surface of the filter media. In reverse osmosis (RO) systems, the water is usually treated with a pre-filter, a carbon filter, an RO membrane, and a post-filter.

▼
Water Filtration Basics

1. Do I need to filter my drinking water?: We deliver water that meets or exceeds all state and federal drinking water standards. You don't need to filter the water unless you have a taste preference, health condition, or water quality issue specific to your home (such as lead leaching into the water from your home plumbing).

Lead leaching into the water from household plumbing: While lead is rarely found in our source waters and there are no known lead service lines in West Richland's distribution system, lead is in the plumbing of some homes and businesses. Lead in that plumbing can dissolve into drinking water when the water sits in the pipes for several hours. A lead-certified filter will remove lead.
Taste and odor preference: You might prefer the taste and smell of filtered water, or you may have old iron pipes in your home that affect the taste of your water, and you'd like to filter out that taste.
Chlorine sensitivity: If you have chlorine sensitivity, you might prefer to filter your drinking water or install a shower head that removes chlorine.

3. How do water filters work?: Home filtration systems generally use carbon, charcoal, or a blend of filter media to remove contaminants as water flows through the filter. Depending on the type of filter, contaminants either get trapped in the pores of the filter or adhere/absorb to the surface of the filter media. In reverse osmosis (RO) systems, the water is usually treated with a pre-filter, a carbon filter, an RO membrane, and a post-filter.