Two glasses, one with clean water, the other with dirty water, in front of various water filter media

Choosing the Best Whole House Water Filter for City Water

Patti Sanchez

City water is treated and tested, but that doesn’t always mean it’s clean enough for your family to drink and use. Laws and regulations are in place to make sure municipal water is not riddled with contaminants. But legal doesn’t always mean healthy.

With old pipes, leftover chemicals, and many substances still allowed in “safe” water, it makes sense that more homeowners want extra protection.

And, as water quality risks grow, having the best whole house water filter to guard everything coming from your tap is becoming essential.

Let’s get into why your tap might be more trouble than you think and how a whole house water filter can help.

Federal Water Standards Don’t Tell the Whole Story

Water streaming from a city park water fountain

Your local water supplier follows regulations under the Safe Drinking Water Act. This means your water must meet certain limits for contaminants to be considered safe. But regulations do not cover every possible contaminant or address long-term exposure risks. Many chemicals remain in the water, sometimes in small amounts, but those amounts can add up over time.

What the EWG Says About City Water Safety

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) argues that legal limits for contaminants don’t always align with what’s truly safe. Their research shows that many municipal water systems contain chemicals at levels that may still pose health risks. While federal standards are based on feasibility and cost, the EWG sets much stricter guidelines for contaminants like chlorine byproducts, PFAS, and nitrates due to concerns about cancer, hormonal disruption, and developmental issues.

Why Filter Tap Water?

A close up of a woman filling a blue tea kettle from the kitchen sink tap

Your city water can contain several unwanted substances. The chart below lists common contaminants and disinfectant products in tap water.

Contaminants Found in Tap Water

Contaminant	Contaminant Source & Details	Potential Impact
Chlorine and Chloramine Residues	Added during treatment to kill bacteria. Can affect taste, smell, and irritate skin.	Unpleasant taste, skin dryness, respiratory irritation
Sediment and Rust	Particles like sand, silt, clay, and rust enter through aging pipes and infrastructure.	Discolored water, pipe damage, appliance wear
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)	Chemicals from industrial runoff, pesticides, and wildfire smoke that may contaminate water.	Long-term health risks including cancer
Heavy Metals	Lead, mercury, arsenic, and other metals from pipes and environmental pollution.	Neurological damage, kidney problems, toxicity
Pesticides and Herbicides	Runoff from agriculture and landscaping entering water supplies.	Hormone disruption, cancer risk
Disinfection Byproducts	Compounds formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter, such as trihalomethanes (THMs).	Increased cancer risk, liver and kidney damage
Microbial Contaminants	Bacteria, viruses, and parasites sometimes present despite treatment.	Gastrointestinal illness, infections
Pharmaceutical Residues	Trace amounts of medications flushed into the sewage system.	Unknown long-term effects
Fluoride	Added for dental health, but controversial in some communities.	Debated health effects
Radon and Other Gases	Naturally occurring radioactive gases can dissolve in groundwater.	Lung cancer risk when inhaled

Learn more about other contaminants found in tap water by reading the blog post: 20 Contaminants In Your Tap Water That Will Likely Scare You.

What Chemicals Are Used in Municipal Water Treatment?

An above view of a water treatment plant

Municipal water treatment adds chemicals to protect public health and water systems.

What Municipalities Put in Water

Chlorine and Chloramine: Disinfectants that kill harmful microorganisms. While these disinfectants help kill bacteria, excess chlorine in drinking water can leave behind taste, odor, and cause dry or irritated skin. Chloramine can also react with lead and copper pipes, potentially increasing lead leaching in older plumbing systems. (Natural Resources Defense Council)
Fluoride: Added to prevent tooth decay, though some debate its safety. Some studies suggest long-term overexposure may be a concern for developing children. (EWG)
Coagulants and Corrosion Inhibitors: Chemicals that help remove particles and protect pipes from corrosion. Some of these inhibitors, like zinc orthophosphate, can promote the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in drinking water systems. (NIH)

While these treatments make water safer at the source, they can leave residues or create byproducts that a whole house filter can address.

Is it Safe to Drink City Water?

Water sourced from your city or county that meets legal standards is generally considered safe to drink and should not cause immediate harm. However, daily exposure through drinking, cooking, showering, and cleaning to low levels of chlorine, VOCs, heavy metals, and sediments can lead to buildup over time. While an occasional glass is unlikely to cause problems, the long-term health effects of continual exposure remain uncertain.

How California Wildfires Highlight the Need for Whole House Water Filtration

Burnt debris after the 2025 fires in Palisades, CA

Wildfires in California have shown how environmental disasters can affect city water quality. This year, places like Palisades and Alta Dena, California were ravaged by fires, but to add insult to injury, those in Los Angeles had to also worry about their water quality even if their homes were not directly affected by the fires.

Wildfires release ash, chemicals, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can contaminate water supplies even after municipal treatment. These pollutants pose risks to health and home systems, highlighting why whole house filtration is essential for comprehensive water protection.

Other natural disasters and manmade accidents, such as earthquakes, floods, chemical spills, or aging infrastructure, can also disrupt water systems and introduce new contaminants. A whole house filter helps safeguard your home’s water supply, no matter what’s happening outside.

Investing in a Whole House Water Filter

A whole house water filter treats all the water entering your home, giving you healthier water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and cleaning. It helps protect your plumbing and appliances and improves your family’s overall health and comfort.

What Different Filter Media Remove

Filter Media	What It Targets
Activated Carbon	Chlorine, chloramine, VOCs, pesticides, herbicides, bad taste and odor
Catalytic Carbon	Chloramine, hydrogen sulfide, some heavy metals, and more complex chemical compounds
KDF (Kinetic Degradation Fluxion)	Heavy metals like lead and mercury, chlorine, and microbial growth inhibition
Sediment Filters	Sand, silt, rust, dirt, and other visible particles (sediment, turbidity)
Ceramic Media	Bacteria, cysts, and fine particulate matter
Ion Exchange Resin	Hard water minerals (calcium, magnesium), some heavy metals
Granular Activated Carbon (GAC)	Organic chemicals, chlorine, taste, and odor
Zeolite	Ammonia, heavy metals, and some radioactive particles
Anthracite	Sediment and suspended solids in high-flow systems

Aquasure Solution: Fortitude Pro Whole House Water Filter System

the Aquasure Fortitude Pro attached to copper piping and a grey/white wall

The Fortitude Pro Series whole house water filter system is designed to tackle a broad range of contaminants commonly found in city water supplies.

The Fortitude Pro comes equipped with GAC (granular activated carbon) and KDF media to reduce chlorine, taste, odor, and heavy metals like lead. For homes with higher levels of iron or hydrogen sulfide, you can upgrade to KDF85 for even greater protection. Either way, you get cleaner, healthier water from every tap.

Contaminants Removed by Fortitude Pro Systems

Contaminants Removed	Benefits of Filtering It Out
Chlorine and chloramine	Reduces chlorine levels in city water to improve taste, odor, and reduce irritation
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)	Filters VOCs in water that may cause long-term health risks
Heavy metals like lead and mercury	Removes harmful heavy metals to protect your family’s health
Pesticides and herbicides	Filters out agricultural chemicals to reduce health risks
Sediment, rust, and other particulates	Captures sediment and rust to protect plumbing and appliances
Disinfection byproducts	Removes byproducts formed from chlorine to lower potential health hazards
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)	Helps reduce “forever chemicals” linked to serious health concerns

The Fortitude Pro is low-maintenance and built for high-flow households, making it ideal for families who don’t want to sacrifice performance for convenience. Its durable design ensures long-term protection even as water conditions fluctuate.

Skip the Doubt. Filter it Out.

A healthy woman with a glass of water looks happily outside her window

City water is regulated and treated but still can carry contaminants that affect your health and home. Choosing a whole house water filter like the Fortitude Pro is a simple, effective way to get cleaner water throughout your house. You do not need to settle for what the law allows when you can provide better water for your family every day.

Explore Aquasure’s collection of Fortitude water treatment systems.

FAQs

Is municipal water city water?

Yes. City water and municipal water mean the same thing. Both refer to water treated and delivered by your local government utility. This water must meet EPA standards, but those standards still allow trace levels of certain contaminants that some families prefer to filter out.

Does city water have chlorine in it?

Most city water systems use chlorine or chloramine to disinfect water and prevent disease. While this keeps the water microbiologically safe, it can also leave an unpleasant taste or smell and may create chemical byproducts that raise health concerns with long-term exposure.

How much chlorine is in city water?

City water typically contains between 0.2 and 4.0 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of chlorine. This range is set by the EPA to disinfect water effectively while ensuring safety. Chlorine helps keep water free from harmful bacteria but can sometimes affect taste and cause mild irritation.

Can whole house filters remove wildfire-related contaminants?

Yes. Wildfires can introduce ash, chemicals, and VOCs into the water supply. A whole house system like the Fortitude Pro uses catalytic carbon and KDF media to reduce many of these contaminants, helping ensure cleaner, safer water throughout your home during and after wildfire season.

Is city water safe to drink?

City water meets legal safety standards and is generally safe to drink. However, trace contaminants like chlorine, heavy metals, and VOCs may remain. Long-term exposure to these can raise health concerns, so many homeowners choose to filter their water for added protection.

How often do I need to maintain the Fortitude Pro system?

Thanks to its backwashing feature, the Fortitude Pro requires very little maintenance. In most homes, the filtration media needs replacement every 3 to 5 years while the sediment pre-filter should be replaced every 12 months. Periodic system checks are recommended to ensure consistent pressure and optimal filtration performance.

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