Water contamination is a very dangerous and unpredictable issue that can create hazardous conditions in homes. Contaminated water can lead to anything from minor sicknesses such as headaches, nausea, and vomiting to more serious health problems.
Therefore, it is essential to understand what causes water contamination and how it can be resolved to ensure that you and your family stay safe when presented with this issue.
This article will give you some basic information about this matter, explain some common causes of the issue, and provide you with some useful tips on how to resolve contaminated water in your home.
What Contaminants Are Likely To Be Present
Several different contaminants could potentially be present in your home’s water supply.
These can come from various sources and depend on which part of the world you live in, but some of the most common contaminants include heavy metals such as lead and mercury, bacteria and parasites such as Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium, pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic chemical compounds.
Water in your home can even contain traces of natural materials such as arsenic and radon or man-made materials such as gasoline or other petroleum products.
Although it is not likely that your water supply will contain all of these contaminants, all of these factors make it extremely important to take the time to test your home’s water so that you can identify exactly what is present.
How To Know When Water Is Contaminated
Your home’s water supply will not always be visibly polluted. However, there are some ways to check if your tap water is safe from harmful contaminants, and if not, how to detect them.
You can first run your water to check how it smells, tastes, and looks. If the water has a noticeable color or odor that seems unusual, you should test the water right away.
You can use a water test kit to determine whether or not the contaminants found in your home’s water supply are present at a high enough level to be dangerous.
In most cases, you should only need a basic test kit that can detect the presence of coliform bacteria, lead, nitrates, and other common contaminants.
A test kit typically consists of either a paper strip or liquid chemical solution along with detailed instructions for use and interpretation.
If you find high levels of contamination in your water with this method, you should contact local authorities immediately so that they can resolve the issue.
How To Resolve Water Contamination
If testing your home’s water supply indicates that there are high levels of contamination in the water, you should take immediate action to resolve this problem.
The most effective way to do this is with a safe and effective treatment system. There are many different types of systems available on the market, and each one is designed to treat a different type of contaminant.
Some systems are designed to filter out contaminants using multiple stages, while others use chemicals to treat the water. Some of the most effective solutions include:
Point-of Use System
These filters are designed to filter out contaminants as the water is being used. They typically attach directly to the tap and use carbon cartridges to remove water contaminants such as chlorine while retaining minerals and other beneficial properties of water.
Point-of-use systems provide immediate results and are cost-effective, but they may require frequent replacement and maintenance.
Ultraviolet Treatment System
These systems use ultraviolet light to kill microorganisms in the water by destroying their DNA with its high-frequency waves.
The major advantage of this type of system is that it kills harmful microorganisms without leaving potentially harmful byproducts such as chlorine.
It also does not alter the taste or smell of water and can treat an unlimited amount of water. The main disadvantage is that it may take some time for the system to render bacteria harmless, so you will need to let the water run for a certain period before using it.
Reverse Osmosis System
These systems use selective membranes to remove contaminants from water. The membranes work by first blocking larger particles and then allowing only the smaller particles, such as minerals and salts, to pass through.
Reverse osmosis systems can remove up to 99% of contaminants from your water supply, but they usually waste a large amount of water in the process which makes them relatively expensive.
This method is also not effective against chemicals or other harmful organic compounds.
Contaminated water poses severe health risks, ranging from minor ailments like headaches to more serious issues. In recent years, cases like the Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit have highlighted the importance of addressing water quality concerns promptly.
Identifying contaminants is crucial, considering potential sources such as heavy metals, bacteria, parasites, pesticides, and synthetic compounds. Regularly testing your water is essential, and if contamination is detected, swift action is imperative.
Various treatment systems, including point-of-use filters, ultraviolet treatment, and reverse osmosis, can effectively resolve contamination issues. Prevention is essential, and avoiding harmful substances near water pipelines is a proactive measure. Stay vigilant, as safeguarding your water supply is vital for your family’s well-being.
How To Prevent Water Contamination
The best way to get clean drinking water is to simply prevent contamination in the first place. The easiest way to do this is to avoid using any sort of harmful substances in your home near your water pipeline.
This includes things like fertilizers, pesticides, gasoline, and other chemicals that can seep into groundwater supplies which eventually end up in household taps.
If you must use these types of chemicals, you should always do so outdoors and away from your water supply.
Although there are many different types of water contamination, all but the most severe cases can be detected with a simple water test.
If you come across high levels of contamination in your home’s water supply, it is important to take action right away and use some of the abovementioned systems to resolve the issue for good.