Tap between a basic fridge filter, a Brita pitcher, and the iSpring RCC7AK reverse osmosis system below and see what each one is certified to remove.
Every checkmark below reflects what each filter type is certified to do. Sources are below.
Based on NSF/ANSI 42, 53 & 58 standards, EPA PFAS guidance, CDC home water treatment guidance, and iSpring RCC7AK product specs. "Fridge filter" and "Brita pitcher" reflect standard carbon models. Some premium versions are certified for more.
A carbon pitcher or fridge filter is certified for chlorine taste and odor (NSF/ANSI 42). It does that job well, which is exactly why you may notice "filtered" water tastes better. But "filtered" really means taste. It doesn't mean the water is stripped of what can actually harm you.
That gap matters more in Iowa than almost anywhere. Our drinking water is pulled from the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers, which flow through some of the most fertilized farmland on earth. The EPA's legal limit for nitrate is 10 mg/L. In June 2025 levels ran so high that 600,000 metro residents were asked to stop watering their lawns. Activated carbon reduces none of it: not nitrate, not PFAS "forever chemicals."
Removing those takes a different system. The iSpring RCC7AK is a 6-stage reverse osmosis system that forces your water through an RO membrane fine enough to pull out nitrate, PFAS, lead and 90%+ of dissolved solids, then the cool part, it adds calcium & magnesium back in the final stage for taste and balanced pH.
So there's no reason to toss the pitcher. Just don't confuse "tastes clean" as "is clean." The only way to know which system your house actually needs is to test your tap, it's a free, 20-minute, no-pressure visit.
These are the public data sheets and government guidance behind every checkmark above. Read them yourself.
Tate comes to your home, tests your tap on the spot, and shows you the real numbers, your filter vs. the iSpring RCC7AK. Takes 20 minutes. Zero pressure.