Your Guide to Purified Water

Clean drinking water is often assumed to be a given, yet the definition of “clean” can vary depending on how water is treated. For many households, particularly in growing regions like North Texas where infrastructure and water sources can differ, understanding purification methods is becoming increasingly relevant.

This guide explains what purified water is, what contaminants may be present in drinking water, and how modern filtration methods address them.

What is purified water?

Purified water is water that has been treated to filter a wide range of contaminants, including chemical substances, physical particles, and biological organisms.

These contaminants may include:

• Heavy Metals such as Lead or Arsenic

• Chemical Compounds such as PFAS and Pesticides

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

• Bacteria, Viruses, and Parasites

• Dissolved Solids and Microscopic Particles

Purification typically involves advanced filtration processes such as reverse osmosis, carbon filtration, or multi-stage systems designed to improve both safety and consistency.

Does boiling water purify it?

Boiling water can eliminate certain biological contaminants by exposing them to high temperatures. However, boiling water does not remove many common modern contaminants, including:

• Heavy Metals

• PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances)

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

• Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)

In some cases, boiling may increase the concentration of certain substances as water evaporates and leaves contaminants behind.

As a result, boiling is best understood as a temporary measure, rather than a comprehensive purification method.

What types of water contaminants are there?

Water contaminants generally fall into three primary categories:

• Chemical contaminants - Chemical contaminants include pesticides, industrial chemicals, heavy metals, and pharmaceutical residues. These substances can enter water through agricultural runoff, manufacturing processes, or aging infrastructure.

• Physical contaminants - Physical contaminants refer to visible or microscopic particles such as sediment or organic material. These are commonly introduced through soil erosion and natural water movement in rivers, lakes, and streams.

• Biological contaminants - Biological contaminants include bacteria, viruses, and parasites. While municipal systems are designed to manage these risks, they may still be present under certain conditions.

Is Tap Water Safe?

Oftentimes, many of these contaminants are left in tap water. While municipal cities monitor for these contaminants, there is still a level of pollutants left behind. Constantly being exposed to these contaminants creates harmful effects on health, despite the city's treatment of the water.

Water filtered with fridge filters or pitcher filters also leave behind many contaminants that are not effectively filtered, or ignored completely. Usually these filters are only carbon filters that do help, but leave more than ideal amounts of contaminants in the water. In addition, fridge filters are often inconvenient to replace and often forgotten about. 

Why are these contaminants harmful?

The potential impact of water contaminants depends on the type and level of exposure, but several categories are commonly discussed in water quality research.

Heavy metals

Heavy metals such as lead and arsenic may contribute to:

• Fatigue and Weakness

• Nausea or Vomiting

• Anemia

• Kidney-Related Complications

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

VOCs are chemicals found in products such as paints, cleaning supplies, adhesives, and building materials. Exposure to VOCs in water has been associated with:

• Eye, Nose, and Throat Irritation

• Headaches and Dizziness

• Effects on the Liver, Kidneys, and Central Nervous System

PFAS

PFAS are synthetic chemicals often referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment and the human body. Certain PFAS compounds have been classified as carcinogenic and have been studied as potential risk factors for:

• Increased Blood Pressure

• Pregnancy-Related Complications

• Long-Term Health Effects

What are Total Dissolved Solids?

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) are the measure of organic and inorganic particles, such as salts and metals, that are dissolved in water. These can affect taste, smell, and even safety of your water. 

While small amounts of calcium and magnesium may be safe, excessive levels of these substances, or high concentrations of nitrates or sodium, can cause side effects to humans:

• Kidney Stones

• Hypertension

• Gastrointestinal Discomfort

It is important to test your water quality to reveal possible contaminants in your water, identify why your water could taste or smell weird, and to ensure there are not high levels of TDS being ingested. The lower the level of TDS in your water, the more clear and pure it is.

If you are uncertain about your water quality, NECOA offers Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) tests available at our showroom to assess your water.

What is the difference between carbon filters and reverse osmosis?

Two of the most common water filtration methods are carbon filtration and reverse osmosis. Each plays a different role in improving water quality.

What is a carbon filter?

A carbon filter is a filtration method that uses activated carbon to absorb impurities from water. Mostly found in pitcher filters and fridge filters.

Carbon filters are effective at reducing:

• Chlorine

• Sediment

• Some Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

They are often used to improve the taste and odor of drinking water.

What is a reverse osmosis filter?

Reverse osmosis (RO) is a filtration process that uses a semi-permeable membrane to filter dissolved substances from water.

NECOAs RO systems are designed to reduce:

• Heavy Metals

• Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)

• Chlorine

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

• PFAS and Pesticides

• Bacteria, Viruses, and Parasites

• Microplastics

This makes reverse osmosis one of the more comprehensive methods of water purification available for residential use.

Which type of water filtration is best?

Rather than relying on a single method, NECOA combines multiple filtration technologies like 5-stage Reverse Osmosis Filtration.

This approach allows for:

• Improved Taste and Clarity Through Carbon Filtration

• Deeper Contaminant Filtration Through Reverse Osmosis

• More Consistent Overall Water Quality

For many households, this combination provides a more balanced and reliable solution.

Quick Recap

• Purified water is treated to filter chemical, physical, and biological contaminants

• Boiling water only eliminates some bacteria and viruses

• Contaminants such as TDS, PFAS, VOCs, and heavy metals require advanced filtration

• Carbon filters improve taste and reduce certain chemicals

• Reverse osmosis filters dissolved solids and a broader range of contaminants

• Multi-stage systems provide more comprehensive water purification

A More Considered Approach to Water Quality

As awareness of water quality continues to evolve, many homeowners are looking beyond temporary or surface-level solutions. Access to clean water is not only about availability, but also about consistency and confidence in how that water is treated.

NECOA Smart Water Purifiers are designed to filter over 80 contaminants, including chlorine, VOCs, and fine dust, ensuring consistently pure and safe drinking water. Designed to support a more comprehensive approach to filtration, helping provide greater clarity around what is, and is not, present in everyday drinking water. Make the smart and safe choice with NECOA.