Even though the nation has devoted billions of dollars to address environmental concerns--including clean tap water--over the last three decades, a new federal data analysis from The New York Times finds that "more than 20 percent of the nation's water treatment systems have violated key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act over the last five years." That's not a comforting statistic.

The Safe Drinking Water Act, according to the Times, requires communities to make sure local residents receive safe tap water. However, the report goes on to say, "since 2004, the water provided to more than 49 million people has contained illegal concentrations of chemicals like arsenic or radioactive substances like uranium, as well as dangerous bacteria often found in sewage."

So it seems that regardless of laws requiring safe tap water, Americans can't rest easy that those laws in fact are actually being abided by.

The Times article says that "as many as 19 million Americans may become ill each year due to just the parasites, viruses and bacteria in drinking water." That's not to mention arsenic and uranium, two chemicals cited in the Times data analysis.

It's clear that with something as important as tap water, that Americans deserve better and safer options. Home water filters provide consumers with added protection from contaminants that can pass through normal water treatment systems and potentially cause illness.

In addition, water filters can screen for specific contaminants--those contaminants the consumer is most concerned with or those contaminants that are more prevalent in specific regions of the country.

So it's important for consumers to stay informed about their own drinking water and be willing to take steps to ensure its safety.