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Of all the resolutions you might consider to start 2022, getting a free water quality analysis for your home might not be one that immediately pops up into your thoughts. But given water is that one thing we can’t live without, we probably shouldn’t take it for granted. After all, it’s critical to our own…

When you’re looking for a new home in the Chicagoland area, the first question on your mind might not be “What’s the water there like?” as many simply assume that it’s such a common-enough commodity that it doesn’t make a really big difference. But different homes in the area may have wildly varying water quality…

We know many Chicagoans who love the fall and winter season. (OK, the winter maybe not as much.) Both seasons in Illinois can be quite beautiful with the tree-lined streets and fall foliage changing color in autumn and the glow of pure white snow starting to blanket the ground as we enter December onward. But…

If you’ve read the news recently, there have been a slew of reports about the high levels of lead found in the Chicago-area water supply. The cause for alarm has been so significant that lawmakers at the state and federal level have recognized the problem and begun the process for mandating the replacement of the…

A recent, 2021 report by the Environmental Working Group found significant concentrations of PFAS – a family of highly toxic, fluorinated chemicals – in more than 2,800 communities across the United States, including many parts of Illinois. PFAS, known as the “forever chemicals” because they build up in our bodies and never break down, have…

Hard water can shorten the lifespan of your appliances such as washers, hot water heaters, and dishwashers by up to a third. With its deposits of calcium and magnesium, it can also stain sinks and drains with limescale buildup, cause spotty dishes, and even damage your skin. Hard water is an especially big issue in the Chicagoland area, where the hardness has been…

Making up 71 percent of the earth’s surface and 60 percent of the human body, water (along with sunlight) is arguably the most essential element to life on the planet. Yet, because of its availability, we often take it for granted or use it in ways that aren’t sustainable – as in, not good for…

A water purification process, reverse osmosis (RO) uses a partially permeable membrane to separate contaminants, unwanted molecules and other particles from drinking water. It works in the following way: Pressure forces the unfiltered water (a.k.a. “feed water”) through this semipermeable membrane, filtering out the particles and creating clean drinking water. The fresh water produced is…

According to a recent Chicago Tribune analysis, more than 8 of every 10 people in the state of Illinois live in a community where brain-damaging lead was found in the tap water of at least one home during the past six years. Indeed, tap water in dozens of Illinois homes had hundreds and even thousands…