Serving Filtered Tap Water?
By turning to your restaurant tap, you’ll help consumers avoid the arsenic, microbes, toxic chemicals, and other pollutants that tests have found in various brands of bottled water. What’s more, chemicals, such as phthalates, could leach from the plastic bottled into the water.
Even though tap water is safe to drink, many restaurants prefer to filter the tap water to improve its taste or to allay the fears of customers who may worry about tap water safety.
Restaurant owners can educate themselves and their customers about their local water sources and quality by obtaining the Annual Water Quality Report from their local utility. This report details local tap water sources and testing results.
Depending
on the specific concerns regarding the tap water, commercial-grade
water filters are available that use many different technologies
including calcite/carbon blends, Granular Activated Carbon (GAC)
hexametaphosphate crystals, KDF media, UV light, softening resins and
reverse osmosis. These technologies use different techniques to remove
particles or kill germs, and some are more effective for certain
filtering needs than others. Whatever technology the filter uses, the
most important information for you to know is whether the particular
product you are using is appropriate to filter the substances you want
to remove.
When looking for quality filters, it is important to make sure that the product has been tested by an independent certifying agency. National Sanitation Foundation International (NSF), Water Quality Association, and Underwriters Laboratories Inc. are three well-regarded organizations that test and verify water treatment and filtration product claims.
Other factors to consider when purchasing a filter include the capacity of the filter, water efficiency (reverse osmosis filters are less water efficient than carbon filters), and hidden costs, such as installation, maintenance and replacement filter fees. In addition, many filters are sold specifically for use with restaurant equipment such as icemakers, coffee makers and soda machines.
Some research may be necessary to determine what water filter best
suits your restaurant’s needs. You can always contact a local water
filtration and purification installation company for advice and price
estimates. Just make sure to verify licensing and certifications of
water distribution operators, and be aware that the equipment may
require extra maintenance and installation costs.
