What Water Filter System Should I Use?

My companion and I are beginning to homestead on forty acres in rural western North Carolina. We have decided to use water from natural springs on our property for our household needs, including drinking water. My question concerns the plastic holding tank that the water would be stored in before it enters our home. I’ve read that plastic leaches chemicals into the water and was wondering if you could advise us of a good filtering system that would protect us (as much as anyone can be totally protected from chemicals in this day and age!).

—DEBORAH SONG, VIA E-MAIL

Pliny Fisk and Gail Vittori reply:

Spring water can be an excellent water source, and the system you install will help ensure that you have safe, healthy water for all your household uses. First, verify the water’s quality, as contamination of water that appears to be “clean” can go undetected without thorough testing. A local health department or a do-it-yourself kit can provide this information. And, because spring water can be affected by remote sources that are in the springs’ recharge area but may be out of your sight, periodic testing is advised.

Your system’s design of piping, storage, and filtration should reflect your water quality concerns, as each of these components are potential points of contamination. For piping, we recommend polyethylene, a stable polymer that is unlikely to leach chemicals as can occur with polyvinyl chloride. For the storage tank, the water must be kept cool and free from direct sunlight, or the growth of algae and certain bacteria can become problematic. Polyethylene tanks (black) and galvanized metal tanks with an FDA-approved liner are preferred. For filtration, we advise a 0.5 micron filter to remove particulates and, for potable water, ultraviolet (UV) light sterilization.