Brita water filter

Question

Many people nowadays use a Brita water filter at home to make the water lime-free. However, is such a Brita a good idea for people with cystic fibrosis? Because we’re talking about 'stagnant' water ...

Thank you for your advice!

Answer

Dear questioner,

The purpose of the Brita water filter is to reduce the hardness of the tap water. Lime-free does of course not mean “germ” free.
Two types of Brita water filters are available. The filter can be installed attached to the tap and the water is made free of lime whilst flowing from the tap through the filter. On the other hand, the filter is also available in Brita Water Filter jugs with a volume of 1 to 1.5 liter. Here the water is being filtered when it is collected in the jug.
The Belgian tap water is of good quality and therefore - in general- it is OK if people with cystic fibrosis drink tap water.

From the way you pose the question, we can deduct that you are already aware of the Pseudomonas infection risk in 'stagnant' water, such as a small pond, a badly maintained pool, shower, etc.
The built-in Brita filter tap has no increased risk compared to normal tap water. The Brita water pitcher with collected water is also not considered as “stagnant” water as long as you don’t keep the water in the jug for longer than about half a day.

However, you should know that a number of germs in the tap water do not come from the water itself, but from the tap. Correct maintenance of the faucet is thus very important.
To summarize: compared to the use of tap water, the Brita filter adds no risk of infection.
I hope that this question has been sufficiently answered. We suggest that you discuss this also with your physician.

best regards
Dr. Elke De Wachter

25.03.2015

25.03.2015

The topic about the water filters has been raised several times on the ECORN-Site and it is difficult to find a clear answer as there is no data on it. As the risk of bacterial contamination is not zero, it remains an individual decision if one would take this risk or not. Here comes another opinion (former question) on the topic pointing out the possible risks:

Decanter with filter (27.05.2014)

Question
Can we use a filtering decanter for the drinking water? If yes, are there particular precautions?
Answer
Hello
To my knowledge, there are no studies on CF and filters.
We must already know your reasons for using a decanter with filter:
Mitigate the bad taste of tap water? Prevent furring up of the coffee machine? Delete any unwanted substances?
However there are universal precautions :
It is imperative to change the cartridge every month for decanters. Otherwise, it ends up in no longer performing its function and there is the risk of missing particles from its components. Further, the filtered water is to be stored in the decanter placed in a refrigerator and consumed within 24 to 48 hours. Do not forget to rinse the decanter regularly. Always keep the cartridge immersed. On the one hand, it will avoid drying. Moreover, the bacterial growth which otherwise would be promoted by the contact of the air with water and the disappearance of the chlorine thus is limited.
Consumer associations have published articles on this subject, I suggest you to read them before making your decision.
Best regards.
Yann Kerneur

There has been an former question on this topic:
ecorn-cf.eu/index.php?id=65&L=8&tx_expertadvice_pi1[showitem]=1449&tx_expertadvice_pi1[search]=water%20filter


In the answer, usage of such water filters is rather discouraged, as there is always a potential risk of contamination and growth with germs on those filters.
Some companies therefore add silver ions to their filters, however this cannot totally inhibit bacterial growth and some ions also suspend into the water (which is not harmful for health, but silver is a substance that should not have a place in the Body). Water coming from the tap is in most countries (like Germany, France) one of the best controlled foods and can be used without further filtering.
In case the water content of lime (calcium ions) is too high and e.g. tea of coffee does not taste well, those filters can reduce to some extent the calcium concentration, if the water is used for tea or coffee it is boiled anyway, so there is no bacterial risk. In order one wants to drink the filtered water directly (without boiling), one has to take the above mentioned precautions, in order to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination of the water.
D. d'Alquen