We do not mean to be alarmists, but by that same token, we believe you have a right to know about possible health hazards, especially if you are pregnant. Numerous studies have been conducted on the purity of tap water and many of these studies have concluded that pregnant women may be at risk because of contaminants often found in public water systems.

Of particular interest to pregnant women are the studies which show that chemical by-products from chlorine may be much higher than what was earlier thought to be present.

A little background—most public water treatment plants use chlorine as a disinfectant for their treated water. The level of chlorine that is injected into the raw water depends on how "dirty" the water is at the time. Dirty, in this case, refers to micro-organisms. As the chlorine kills the organisms, it releases certain by-products into the water. It is these by-products that can cause illnesses, especially in pregnant women.

Some of the reported health problems associated with chlorine by-products include: miscarriage, neural tube defects and reduced fetal growth.

In fairness it should be noted that not every expert agrees with these findings. Some experts believe the findings are more suggestive than they are conclusive.

The good news (if there is good news in all of this) is that these studies have made other agencies take a harder look at how chlorine by-products affect both health persons as well as pregnant women.

In order to avoid possible health problems from these substances, pregnant women should consider adding drinking water filters to their faucets (for their drinking and cooking water) and adding shower filters rated to remove chlorine to their shower heads. It is becoming common knowledge that chlorine by-products enter the body during showers just as they do via drinking, and at about the same levels. Shower filters can remove these contaminants easily and they are very affordable and easy to install.

The health benefits received by removing chlorine by-products will beyond the pregnant woman in the house. Every member of the family will benefit from cleaner, safer water that has been filtered. As a side benefit, water filters will also remove other contaminants while removing the chlorine by-products.

Contaminants such as lead, copper, and arsenic are also present in many water systems, and none of these are beneficial to the human body.

When shopping for a reliable water filter make sure it is rated to remove chlorine by-products. This will be part of the product information.