Silver, biologically, is neither essential nor beneficial to humans. When ingested, it is held indefinitely within tissue, especially in the eyes, skin and mucous membranes.

The EPA has established a recommended Secondary MCL for silver of 0.1 mg/L. The effects of silver are aesthetic rather than health related.

Some confusion exists in water treatment in regard to silver because silver has strong bacteriostatic properties and is sometimes used by filter makers to prevent the growth of bacteria in filter media. The EPA "certification" required for such devices is not a performance guarantee (as some vendors imply) but a guarantee that the silver content is within safe limits for human consumption.

Silver is not common in water supplies but when it is there it usually appears as Silver Fluoride or Silver Nitrate.

Reverse osmosis removes 90% plus of silver, and distillation about 98%. Strong Acid Cation Exchange is also effective at reducing silver.