You're getting water from your local state or county and it comes to you ready to drink and use, right? So why spend money to filter it more? Or you're hooked up to your own spring house or well and have a simple sediment filter. You know you're water is clean so why spend more money to filter it even more?
According to an article published in USA Today in August 2017, the EPA investigated and found over 680,000 water quality and monitoring violations. As many as 63 million people, nearly 1/5 of the US, were exposed to potentially unsafe water more than once during the past decade.
Many local water treatment plants, especially those in small, aging, poor and minority communities, can’t afford the equipment necessary to filter out contaminants at the very least and certainly does not have the means to upgrade, replace, or even monitor their current systems. Some contaminants can include arsenic found naturally in rock, chemicals from factories, nitrates and fecal matter from farming, and in some communities, there's even concern of raw sewage entering their water system.
Experts warn that contamination in the drinking water can lead to cancer, gastrointestinal diseases, and developmental delays in children. The EPA estimates local water systems will need to invest a minimum of $384 billion in the coming decades to keep water safe and clean. The cost per person is more than twice as high in small communities as it is in large towns and cities. The EPA and the U.S. water treatment industry consider the coming years a crucial period for the American drinking water safety as pipes and treatment plants built in the mid-20th century reach the end of their structural ability. For more please read this article here: https://www.cnbc.com/2016/03/24/americas-water-crisis-goes-beyond-flint-michigan.html
Spring houses and well water, luckily, don't have quite as drastic and alarming infrastructure issues as City or County water there is still life-threatening safety issues. According to the EPA, sources of drinking water from spring houses or wells can still become contaminated through naturally occurring chemicals and minerals (for example, arsenic, radon), local land use practices (for example, pesticides, chemicals, animal feeding operations), malfunctioning wastewater treatment systems (for example, sewer or septic overflows), and other sources. Contamination of a private well can impact not only the household served by the well but also nearby households using the same aquifer.
In addition, for those with spring houses or well water, you not only face issues with the health concerns covered above, well water has common annoyances as well. Sulfur, which is a common component in well water in Tennessee, can cause water to have an awful rotten-egg smell. In areas with high iron content, it can cause rust on appliances and even stain clothing. Hard water that’s full of sediment leaves spots on dishes and shower walls.
So, if we are on city or county water, what do we do to stay protected? If you are fortunate enough to have a spring house or well for your water needs, how do you stay protected? Fortunately, there is an easy solution for you to protect yourself and your family. While the EPA, USA, and your local government try to figure out how to solve the problem and fix it you can keep your family safe by simply installing a home water filtration unit.
These most popular, cost-effective, and efficient ways to treat your water, regardless how it comes to your kitchen faucet, according to the EPA and Aquasana:
Filtration Systems: There are filtration systems designed specifically for wells. These systems run the water through a series of steps that catch sediment; soften the water; reduce iron; remove sulfur smell; and reduce the levels of chlorine, bacteria growth, herbicides, and pesticides. After moving through the contaminant-specific filters, a UV filter does one final pass over to protect against bacteria and viruses.
Water softeners: Treating your water with sodium or potassium will replace the calcium and magnesium. This is helpful for pipes and for removing those spots on dishes and shower walls. People who have heart or circulatory health concerns should consult a physician about drinking water with excess sodium or consider a salt-free descaler instead of a water softener.
Distillation systems: Water is boiled and the steam is trapped in a separate container. This process separates the water from solid contaminants.
Disinfection: Certain chemicals, including chloramine and chlorine, are used to rid the water of bacteria. In the process, though, people will likely consume chlorine and chloramine. These chemicals, over a long period of time, could cause health concerns of their own.
If you're interested in a whole water filtration unit with or without a UV filtration upgrade please contact us for a free estimate within a 40-mile radius of Westmoreland, Tennessee.
*We only use the best and Aquasana is the best for whole home filtration units which last for up to one million gallons of filtration which is about ten years for a four family house-hold.
www.MattenaPlumbing.com
email: MattenaPlumbing@gmail.com
phone: (615)644-7445