While the water coming out of your taps may appear and taste normal, there may be contaminants lurking. Most tap water will contain some, even if they are in trace amounts. A water quality test can provide valuable information that guides what kind of filtration methods you use.

Physical Contaminants in Drinking Water

There are several types of physical contaminants that can negatively impact drinking water. Things like soil bits, sediment, and organic debris can come from runoff, erosion, and pipe corrosion. While these contaminants aren’t necessarily as risky to your health as others, they can impact clarity and taste. Point-of-use filters and whole-home models can remove large physical contaminants.

Chemical Contaminants in Drinking Water

There are natural chemicals that come from the earth that you may have in your drinking water. A partial list includes nitrogen, minerals like calcium and magnesium, and arsenic. Man-made chemicals include pesticides, fertilizers, industrial runoff, and bleach. Ingesting these chemicals over time can lead to health problems such as nervous system disruption and cardiovascular disease.

Biological Contaminants in Drinking Water

Living organisms may be present in your clean water supply, such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, and protozoa. Consuming them can lead to diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Other serious health risks include typhoid, dysentery, and cholera. Standard filtration units and reverse osmosis systems remove biological contaminants.

Radiological Contaminants in Drinking Water

Living near an area where industrial work is taking place can cause issues with drinking water quality. Natural deposits and industrial leaching can lead to high levels of cesium, uranium, and plutonium in the water. Long-term exposure raises your risk of cancer and other health problems. Most whole-home filtration systems can effectively remove radiological contaminants.

The Presence of Lead

If you live in an older home, you may have lead leaching into your drinking water from corroding pipes. Lead exposure can disrupt normal brain development in children. It can also increase a woman’s risk of experiencing a miscarriage.

Symptoms of exposure can start out mild and increase over time. Abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite, and memory loss are common. Some people experience headaches, weakness, dehydration, and a metallic taste in their mouth.

Removing lead from the water involves reverse osmosis, distillation, or lead-removing filters. It’s important to have a professional remove lines of pipe that contain lead.

Arsenic in Drinking Water

Arsenic can end up in drinking water as natural deposits or industrial pollution. It can impact the body at a systemic level, causing nerve symptoms, issues with heart rhythm, and gastrointestinal upset. You can remove arsenic using reverse osmosis technology or distillation.

Drinking water contaminants can be dangerous to your health and well-being. However, there are steps you can take to minimize exposure. This can include the installation of filtration equipment and upgrading your plumbing system. When you need water treatment services in Tualatin, OR, contact Sky Heating, AC, Plumbing & Electrical.