Water is essential for a host of uses in your Murietta, CA, home. If your drinking, cooking and bathing water isn’t as fresh and clean as possible, you risk contracting health complications such as waterborne diseases and skin issues. Here are some ways your home’s water can get contaminated and what to do about it.
Microorganisms
Your tap water may be 100% safe to drink according to national standards and water company guidelines. But being transported via pipes leaves it susceptible to contamination.
Water runoffs containing harmful microorganisms might contaminate your water in case of leakage during transportation. Microorganisms include bacteria, viruses, protozoa and pathogens that can cause serious infections. When you drink this water or use it for cooking, you risk catching gastrointestinal illnesses.
You can expect your water suppliers to reach out whenever there’s contaminated water. However, it’s a good idea to check the water on your own using these guidelines:
- Smell the water for any odors. Some common ones are chlorine, an egg smell and a damp smell. Chlorine is often harmless, and setting your water to rest will make it OK for drinking. However, egg or damp odors signify bacterial growth and waste in your water.
- Check for cloudiness, visible particles or tiny strings in the water. Tap water may contain differently colored particles due to pipe rust or an excess of a mineral such as calcium.
- The presence of various minerals will affect the taste of your tap water. Tasting it can give you an idea of whether it’s OK to drink, but if you want to make sure, test it with a DIY home kit.
Nitrates and Nitrites
Nitrate is a naturally occurring component that you find mainly in sources of groundwater. The use of fertilizers containing chemicals or sewage can also seep nitrates underground to add to the contamination.
Nitrates, which the body converts to nitrites, influence the blood’s ability to circulate oxygen, leading to blue baby syndrome or methemoglobinemia. The disease leads to low blood pressure, a quicker heart rate and vomiting, and it can prove fatal for infants and young children.
Hard Minerals and Heavy Metals
The main source of our water is underground or on the rainy highlands. As water moves through the land, it accumulates naturally occurring minerals. Two of the most common mineral substances that contaminate drinking water are calcium and magnesium.
Your pipe system may also contain materials made of heavy metals that may infect the water. Metal types such as lead, arsenic, copper, aluminum, fluoride and chromium are all harmful to your health. Too much consumption of minerals and metals can poison your liver or kidneys and even cause cancer.
Why You Need a Water Filtration System
In light of all these possible water contamination scenarios, you need a way to keep your water clean and pure. One effective method for home use is water filtration, which gets rid of contaminants present in your drinking water. There are many varieties of water filtration systems. They include:
- Activated carbon filters that ensure your water is free from odors or tastes from contaminants.
- Ion exchange units that play an essential role in eliminating hard minerals.
- Reverse osmosis units that are effective in filtering out nitrate and phosphorous components of fertilizers and pesticides.
- Distillation units that purify water through boiling and condensation to create distilled water.
Benefits of Installing a Water Filtration System
When you filter your water, you effectively eliminate foreign particles, microorganisms and hard minerals. Consequently, you decrease your chances of becoming ill with cancer or waterborne diseases. When you use activated carbon filters, your water tastes natural and is free of unpleasant odors.
We recommend a water filtration system to ensure that your tap water is safe to drink. Contact our team at Magnolia Heating and Cooling for all your water filtration and tankless water heater service needs.
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