Identifying Poor Water Quality
Water is the thing that gives us life. We need clean drinking water to live, and around the world, access to potable water remains an important issue. Yet even in an extremely wealthy country like America, getting good quality drinking water is not a given.
We’ve all gone to the tap before to end up getting water that tastes, smells, or looks funny. So what do we do if we live in a house where the water frequently comes out of the tap this way, or in an area where drinking the local water may actually be unsafe—and how do we know if that store-bought filter just won’t be enough to give us the clean, great-tasting water we need?
Keep reading to learn how to tell if you have poor water quality, and make sure to contact our water and plumbing experts at All City Plumbing, Air & Electrical for more helpful tips and tricks.
What Can Contaminate Your Water Supply?
Although the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has released strict guidelines as to what qualifies as acceptable drinking water and what does not, the sad reality is there are many ways in which these regulations are often neglected or disobeyed entirely.
Your water can be contaminated by:
- Fertilizer is used in areas it shouldn’t be
- Cities fail to dispose of waste properly
- Landfills threaten the safety and sanitation of communities
- And corporations engage in illegal dumping of toxic chemicals
There’s also the condition of your pipes to consider. If you live in an old home and have not had a professional repiping service done, there’s a chance your plumbing system may be corroding, and even contaminating your water with lead (remember, it was city officials’ failure to protect the community from lead pipes that helped create the Flint water crisis.)
What Are the Top Signs You Have Poor Water Quality?
Oftentimes, your municipal water supply will also provide you with water that tastes minerally. Water that is rich in minerals, or “hard water,” is not usually dangerous for human consumption, though it does not taste as good as soft water, and can irritate the skin and hair.
The key is learning how to tell the difference between water that is merely hard and water that is such poor quality, and that it may be dangerous.
The Top Signs of Poor Water Quality Include:
Discolored Water
Although a cloudy or discolored look is sometimes just a sign that your water is rich in minerals, it can also be an indicator that your water supply has become contaminated. If you notice this in your home, you should contact a plumber to look at your pipes ASAP.
Strange-Smelling Water
Water that smells like minerals is fine.
However, there may be a source of contamination you have to deal with if your water smells like:
- Chlorine
- Rotten eggs
- Or fish
Funny-Tasting Water
A metallic water taste is not harmful when it is connected to:
- Manganese
- Zinc
- Iron
- Or even copper
When it is connected to lead, however, you can end up in an extremely dangerous situation.
Itchy Skin
Some skin irritation can be connected to hard water, which may also make your dishes cloudy or your laundry coarse. However, a burning sensation or rash is not normal, and a top sign that there are harmful chemicals in your water.
Nausea & Digestive Problems
If you find that you frequently suffer from nausea, indigestion, or diarrhea, it is possible that containments in your water are making you sick.
Let All City Plumbing, Air & Electrical Protect Your Water
In some cases, you may notice one or even two of the signs above, and find out that your water is still safe. However, the more of these conditions you notice, the more likely it is that there is a problem with your water supply.
Make sure to contact your city officials for information about your municipal water system if you are concerned. You can also call our expert water plumbers for water softening service.
While a water softener may not protect you from serious containments, it will at least get rid of hard water, and help your drinking water to taste, smell, and feel better.
For more information about water softeners, call (909) 552-7550, or send us a message online.