7 Signs Your Drinking Water May Be Contaminated
Posted: May 18, 2017 to Drinking Water
Contaminated drinking water can cause a lot of problems, including health issues. The good news is that there are signs to look for that can determine if your water is contaminated. Below are seven signs that your water may be contaminated.
1. Cloudy Water
When there’s water contamination, something that you are going to notice is the appearance of your water. If you start seeing cloudy water, you probably should consider that it may be contaminated. It’s going to be time to test it.
2. Chlorine Smell
There shouldn’t’ be much smell to your drinking water. If it starts smelling like you’re at the pool, there’s probably something wrong. Even though there is chlorine added by the water treatment plants so that bacteria is killed, it shouldn’t be enough to smell it. Test the water and see what the chlorine levels are. If you are drinking a lot of chlorinated water, that would be dangerous.
3. Colored Tint
Water should be clear, and if you are noticing a color in the water, you should stop drinking it immediately. The discoloration that people notice the most is orange or brown. This often means that there’s a lot of manganese or iron inside the water. There can be a lot of reasons for this, but a lot of times, it’s because there is excavation or mining close to the water supply. Another reason for this is, that you have old pipes and they are rusting. No matter what the cause is, it’s important to test the water immediately for contamination.
4. Sulfur Smell
When your water has a smell of rotten eggs, it means that you are smelling sulfur. This occurs naturally inside the ground. Even though very small amounts will be normal inside your drinking water, you shouldn’t be able to smell it. When there is enough that you smell it and you drink it, it can cause dehydration and intestinal problems. So make sure that you have it checked.
5. Pipe Deterioration
If you’ve been under your home recently and you’ve noticed your pipes deteriorating, it can mean that your water is also contaminated. When you have pipes that are deteriorating and rusting, some elements and chemicals from your pipes often will seep into your water, affecting its safety and quality.
6. Neighborhood Issues
Even when you haven’t noticed any personal issues inside your home, it’s cause for alarm if you have neighbors that are having issues. Especially if their homes were built at the same time as yours. If they have deteriorating pipes that are causing problems in their water, chances are that you also have those problems.
7. Physical Symptoms
Have you been having new physical symptoms? Even though physical symptoms will often mean that you’re being exposed to water that’s contaminated for a long time, you should deal with it. When you have physical symptoms along with one or more of the other signs that are listed here, you should go to the doctor. Chances are that he’ll test your blood for associated chemicals.
These are some signs that you might have contaminated drinking water. If you notice any of them, have them checked right away. Otherwise, you could be risking your health and the health of your family by putting it off. The sooner you take care of the problem, the better. Don’t take a chance with your water, or your health.
About Aqua Care
We service more than 800 water systems throughout Lee and Collier County on a regular basis.
The various types of systems we install and service range from the standard aerator water system to the more modern twin tank water systems designed to remove offensive odors and soften the water.
We also maintain point of entry, or the whole house, reverse osmosis systems. Contact us today: (239) 939-3656