At Oak Hill Gardens, we know that everyone with outdoor space has a garden hose, and if you’re like most people, you use it without much thought. It’s just a handy extension to your home that lets you water your garden, wash your car, and fill your pet's outside water bowl.
But you may not realize that, unlike your indoor plumbing, your outdoor spigot carries unfiltered water containing chemicals and compounds that can be detrimental to your pets, your garden, and even your car’s paint job.
This is especially meaningful if you want to begin or maintain an organic garden and reap its many benefits, from the confidence of knowing that only natural fertilizers have been used to harvesting better-tasting, healthier food.
However, there’s a simple solution to this dilemma: good garden hose water filtration.
If you want a healthy, organic garden, a filtration system is a relatively inexpensive and easy fix to a potentially serious problem. And as a bonus, it ensures a safer environment for your family and pets, too.
To help you neutralize the harmful effects of an unfiltered outdoor water supply, we’ll explain how to filter your garden hose water and highlight the benefits. And please take note, filtering water is a good idea for all gardeners, not just those committed to organic crops.
Why should you filter hose water?
Plants are efficient, and they distribute water quickly through their roots and leaves to every stem, branch, leaf, flower, and fruit.
Their vascular system is so strong that you won’t be aware that your strawberries or peas are contaminated, so you may not realize why they don’t taste as promising as they look. It can be discouraging to nurse your garden carefully only to be disappointed at its harvest, especially after a whole season of effort.
If you’ve never worked with filtered water before, you’ll be surprised at what a difference it makes in exchange for little effort.
Also, chemicals may come into your water supply from places other than your property.
For example, your city may add Chlorine (Cl) or Fluoride (F) to the local water. Factories and farms may use chemicals that seep into streams, rivers, or groundwater that form part of your local water supply or water may be transported into your neighborhood through aging and contaminated pipes.
Research Local Water Specs
So, it’s always a good idea to do some research on community water treatment and infrastructure to learn what chemical concerns are prominent in your gardening region.
Or, as a shortcut, you might join a garden group where local experts routinely dispense this information.
However, all it takes to counter these threats is filtering your garden hose water. The right filtering system can lower or remove impurities that have a detrimental effect on your garden and its environment. These could include Fluoride (F), which results in impaired photosynthesis, or lead, which causes stunted growth, inhibits transpiration, and leads to discoloration and ultimately the death of the plant.
The most common contaminant is Chlorine (Cl) — more commonly known as bleach — which kills soil bacteria and friendly microorganisms that break down soil matter. By causing damage to the soil ecosystem, these toxic elements guarantee that your garden will struggle.
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably ready to learn how to filter your garden hose water to avoid all these dangers, so let’s get into those details now. You’ll be pleased to know how easy you can do it.
How do you connect water filtration to your garden hose??
There are two primary ways to connect outdoor garden water filtration:
Connect a unit directly to the outdoor spigot, or
Attach it to the end of your hose.
The good news is, both methods are quick and easy!
The best way to decide which filtration to use is to take into account the other attachments you typically use with your garden hose. A connection directly to the tap will free the far end of your hose for all types of watering attachments (sprinklers, sprayers, dribblers, power washers, etc.)
What type of filter should you choose?
There are three types of popular water filters for mainstream use:
Screen filters;
Activated carbon filters;
Carbon block filters.
Screen Filters
Screen filters are made of mesh, which can be plastic, metal (usually stainless steel), or a synthetic pleated polyester.
They remove larger sediment particles such as sand and grit from the water supply, but they don't eliminate chemical contaminants, and they need cleaning or replacing at regular intervals to ensure top performance.
You’ll find that screen filters are inexpensive and easy to install.
They’re usually attached to a washer that’s sized to match your garden hose, and you simply insert one between your hose and the tap. Because they need routine replacements, most people buy them in multiple packs, so that a spare is always on hand.
Because a screen filter removes sediment and other scratchy sorts of particles from the water, it’s a good choice for washing cars or house siding, feeding water to a garden mister or decorative fountain, and using in a connection between your outdoor plumbing and an expensive water filtration system such as you might find in a luxury home, small business, or hotel.
It’s also a “must” for filling outdoor pools, as rough sedimentary particles can be the enemy of vinyl or plastic surfaces.
Activated Carbon Filters
Activated carbon filters come in a cartridge shape filled with activated charcoal particles and beads.
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Design-concept-for-the-activated-carbon-water-filter_fig1_234060484
You might be wondering, what is the difference between charcoal and activated charcoal?
Charcoal (like you might use for your barbecue) is formed from the residue of carbon, such as you’ll see at the edges of burned wood, where it has smoldered and blackened rather than burning completely away.
Activated charcoal is formed from carbon that has been prepared at a higher temperature to become much smaller and more porous, turning it into a natural filter with the capacity to handle large quantities of water despite its relatively small total size.
The importance of activated carbon is that it can remove toxins such as heavy metals, including Lead (Pb), Mercury(Hg) and reduce Chlorine (Cl) in your water. This means outdoor water not only tastes better, it is safe for your pets to drink and beneficial for your plants.
Most cities add Chlorine (Cl) to the public water supply to kill bacteria, but doing so removes the bacteria that help your plants grow and thrive.
That bacteria and the absence of Chlorine (Cl) are essential for organic and hydroponic gardening — and beneficial even for non-organic plantings, such as your hedges, lawn, or cutting garden.
Not only are helpful bacteria preserved, but activated charcoal filtering does not remove essential minerals that are typically present as dissolved elements in the water supply and are beneficial for your garden, such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.
You can buy activated charcoal in ready-made tubes that can be attached to your garden hose, or in bulk, so that you can use it in a DIY filtration setup.
Whatever choice you make, remember that activated charcoal needs to be replaced after every 20,000 gallons or so (see the specifics on the package that you buy) because as part of its filtration activity, the carbon absorbs toxins, so it can “fill up” and lose its potency as a filter over time.
Also note, because activated carbon is so useful as a filter (and also widely used in medical treatments involving toxins), there are unproven claims of even further magical properties,
Experts at Rider Drains fight hard water and scale, and experts say that treating your water for those properties is a significant concern. You should consider a complete water softening system, not just a simple activated carbon filter.
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Simplified-scheme-of-the-rum-filter-and-sample-location-from-different-granular-activated_fig1_313781841
Carbon block filters
At the top end of garden hose filtration is a carbon block filter because it removes everything an activated carbon filter can and also reduces pesticides and herbicides in the water.
Many carbon block filters include an ion exchange process called “KDF” (kinetic degradation fluxion), where ions exchange properties with contaminants, turning them into harmless elements.
Some of these, like Iron (Fe) and Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S), are turned into non-toxic particles that are then removed by built-in screen filters.
Some, like Mercury (Hg) and Lead (Pb), are bonded to the surface of the filter particles so they can’t pass through to your garden. And others change form and pass through as a harmless liquid.
While KDFs are effective, they are also controversial because they include anti-bacterial properties and Copper (Cu) which is know for its additional benefits to filtration.
As an alternative, carbon block filters made without KDFs rely on catalytic carbon (made from the husks of coconut shells), a finely graded, renewable source that filters well but without ionic properties.
When looking for carbon block filters, with or without KDFs, you’ll notice their components are commonly offered at different levels of strength, expressed in microns. The smaller the micron listed for the carbon block filter, the better it is at handling fine contaminants.
So, for more purified water levels, you’ll want the smallest micron size you can find. Typically, carbon block filters will range from .5 microns (extremely fine) to 5 microns (“fine”) and 10 microns (“medium”).
For reference, a single human hair is about 70 microns thick. The finer the micron size of the filter, the better it is at eliminating harmful bacteria and discouraging the growth of other garden headaches such as algae, mold spores, and limescale.
The best option for a full spectrum of filtration is to choose a carbon block filter and an activated carbon filter. You can do this by attaching them sequentially to your outdoor spigot and hose.
Or, you can look for filters that contain both carbon block granules and the activated carbon material within the same filter housing.
These filters are affordable and effective, so you’ll also see variations of the activated carbon and carbon block filter combinations used for motor homes, boats, and camping gear, in addition to garden use.
However, for garden use, even the best options among these hose-attached filters leave three contaminants in the water supply that gardeners frequently want to eliminate. They are Fluoride (F), Nitrates (NO3), and Sodium (Na).
According to experts at Complete Home Filtration, a whole-home (indoor and outdoor) filtration plan is the best way to remove these contaminants and gain the peace of mind you seek.
What type of hose is best?
There’s no point in talking about garden hose water filtration if we don’t also address contaminants found in garden hoses themselves. Water passing through hoses encounters two primary types of contamination:
Stagnant water that promotes bacteria, dangerous mold, parasites.
Toxic material in the hose itself, which can range from lead to BPAs (Bisphenol A, used in plastics and banned by the FDA in food containers like baby bottles and sippy cups), and Phthalates (industrial chemicals used to soften PVC plastics)
According to experts in starting professional gardening, a typical garden hose left in the sun will increase activity by brewing trouble in stagnant water (where the warm, moist environment promotes the growth of bacteria and mold) and cause the hose to leach its chemicals into the water.
Of course, you can run fresh water through the hose for a few minutes to reduce the amount of these toxins from the hose, but that wastes water without removing them all.
A better alternative is to look for hoses graded as "drinking water safe," "BPA-free," or "Phthalate-free."
Although these hoses are somewhat more expensive than bargain hoses, investing a bit more in a water-safe product is a necessary step, as you don’t want to install a garden water filtration system only to contaminate the water in your hose pipe.
Container vegetable gardeners will be glad to know that safe hoses also come in lightweight models that coil up tidily at the end of watering, so you don’t have to give up convenience for improved water.
Your container garden environment has more than one benefit and can be further improved by using non-toxic garden bed material to line the interior of plastic pots to prevent chemicals from leaching into the soil or plant roots.
However, liners can slow down water drainage, so be sure to open drainage holes and monitor your plants to avoid soaking plant roots.
Can I use my hose as usual after installing filtration?
Usually, a filtration system will not interfere with your ability to use your garden hose just as you had before.
If you use a drip or misting irrigation system or a lawn sprinkler system, a mesh screen filter will remove particles and sediment that could block the fine spray jets in your irrigation system.
With a screen filter fitted directly to your tap, your hose’s far end is free for other spray attachments, too, such as a patio mister, pressure washer, or car washing wand.
An activated carbon filter or carbon block filter will also leave you with “attachment freedom” as long as you place the filter between the outdoor spigot and the hose. As with the mesh screen filter, you’ll have a free far end of the hose to accept all of your favorite garden hose attachments.
However, if you’ve opted for a more complex water filtration system, such as one intended to serve all the plumbing for your home (indoors and outdoors), check with your landscaper or installer to make sure you have outdoor hose hookups where you need them.
Children, pets & farm animals
Unfiltered contaminated water can be hazardous to farm animals and pets (not to mention children who steal an unsupervised drink from the end of your garden hose or who splash in an inflatable pool filled from your outdoor spigot).
The detriments are real – for example, Fluoride (F) in water has been shown to cause cancer in dogs. And if you are among the unfortunate many to have high levels of Arsenic (As) in your water, it can lead to abdominal pains, sluggishness, or even unconsciousness in your pets or livestock.
Parasites are also a significant danger to pets and farm animals. For example, Giardia is a parasite transmitted by fecal matter that finds its way into public water systems and causes diarrhea, vomiting, and even death in animals. In addition, lead poisoning in cattle can cause blindness, ataxia, and convulsions.
And children, with their smaller bodies, are more susceptible to the harmful effects of contaminants than hardier adults, so it’s important to limit exposure to chemicals and other known dangers such as Lead (Pb) and Mercury (Hg).
In addition, helping to grow vegetables or wash the dog in the yard are wonderful backdrops for teaching curious children about gardening, including responsibility, caring for living things, and safety. So, involve them in your plans to filter hose water and in the routine of changing the filter.
Garden hose filtering means that even if your pet outsmarts your efforts to dog-proof your garden and laps away at a leaky sprinkler head, or your children forget their lessons and take a drink from the end of your hose, you can rest assured that it won’t have serious or long-term negative effects.
Garden Hoses Filtering Water
You owe it to yourself to ensure your garden hose water is as healthy and contaminant-free as possible, and a hose water filter is a great way to protect your family, animals, and garden.
A strong carbon filter combined with a mesh screen will effectively remove sediments and harmful chemicals, minerals, heavy metals, and pathogens from hose water, and it’s easy to install.
Add a new, safe garden hose to your filtration system, and you’ll find it won’t cost a fortune or take much time for your garden to thrive.
Author: Dmitri Kara
Hi! I’m Dmitri!
Started as a jack of all trades back in early 2012, Dmitri Kara is a recognized expert in a wide range of domestic and commercial trades. Dmitri Kara has appeared on reputable outlets such as Today.com, Metro.News, Telegraph.co.uk, ReadersDigest.com, Quote.com, Reviews.com, Plus.net, IkeaHackers.net, and many more. You can get in touch at https://twitter.com/@dmitrikara.