If I drink tap water, should I use a filter?

f you live in a home with older pipes, have odor or taste issues with your tap water, or just want an extra level of protection, a filter may be a good idea. But you have to get the right one for your specific problem, Janssen says.

"It is important to know what you are trying to filter out before you spend the money," she says. "A reverse osmosis filter will get rid of most contaminants, but charcoal may be enough for odor and taste problems."

The Natural Resources Defense Council web site is a good source for information on filters.

The consumer watchdog group Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, also weighed in on commercial filters in a report published early last year.

To find out which filter is best for you, the report recommended consulting the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), published online each July by the EPA.

The report provides detailed information about where your tap water comes from along with detected levels of dozens of regulated contaminants and the corresponding state and federal limits for these contaminants.

To determine the quality of the water actually coming from your faucet, you will have to have it tested. The EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791) can provide the names of state-certified testing labs in your area. Or you can do it yourself for under $20 with a commercially available kit sold at most hardware stores.