Water filters

Our top picks can replace bottled water

Our biggest water-filter test found that you could pay $30 or less and get cleaner, better-tasting water. That's good news, considering there are some disturbing revelations on the water front.

Eight percent of public-water systems received health violations in 2008 that affected more than 23 million people. A violation doesn't necessarily mean immediate risk of exposure, since regulations are often based on long-term health effects. However, the Environmental Protection Agency concluded last October that "many of the nation's waters are not meeting water quality standards, and the threat to drinking water sources is growing." (See What's in your water?)