Water Quality: A New Priority

The quality of the water that we have in our homes is dependant on many factors. Some of the chemicals that we find in the water in our homes are there to help us—for example chlorine is designed to kill bacteria and settle contaminants. After this comes the increasing list of pollutants that are contaminating the sources of our main water supplies whether from groundwater, rivers, lakes or reservoirs. There is a growing list that the homeowner should be acquainted with.

Nitrates, like fertilizer, tops this list. This is one of the more problematic concerns, as only half of the nitrate fertilizer that is used is taken up by crops, the rest is washed into rivers and streams where it can be taken up by groundwater. The effect on health can be indirect but people with low blood pressure are susceptible. Pesticides have widespread use and pose a negative effect as well. These chemicals are designed to be toxic in minute quantities and work by attacking the nervous system.

There are also are growing number of solvents that have found their way into the water supply as well as a certain amount of microbial contamination and chemicals that are added during the treatment of water. As more and more of these chemicals are discovered in the drinking water we use, it’s important to know what steps can be taken to ensure the water we drink is as free as possible from these contaminants.

There are few other alternatives that work as well as simply filtering our drinking water supply. Of course, it is possible to use bottled water, but the transportation costs that are added to the cost and the disadvantage of having to keep the supply on hand make filtered water a much more acceptable solution.  Be aware as well, that swallowing pollutants is not the only danger when it comes to the quality of water in our home supply. Some research has actually found less chemical absorption through drinking water than by washing or taking a shower with it. There are two major ways that we can absorb these chemicals and through the skin is the more obvious of the two.

The other way is one that people don’t always think of. Researchers, experimenting with showers and common water pollutants, found that certain toxic chemicals evaporated into the air and that these chemicals gradually built up and spread through the home. Apart from reducing our wastewater contamination (that is the amount of dirty water that we put back into the world) we can also be more ecofriendly by reducing the amount of water that we use in general.  Have the water tested in your home today by a qualified and experienced water testing professional.         

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