Water is essential to human life, without it the average person would die within 3 days. Unfortunately, not all water is created equal, despite the fact that approximately 71% of the planet is covered in water, only 1% of that is available and usable by humans.
That illustrates why it is such a precious resource and how, just the presence of water is not enough to confirm it’s safe to drink.
But what about the water out of your faucet? It’s been through the water treatment plant and should be clean enough to drink. However, even this is not always the case.
Signs Of Contaminated Water
There are several signs you should be aware of:
- Cloudy Water
The easiest thing to spot is cloudy water. This doesn’t mean it’s not safe but it’s a good indication to be careful, cloudy water can mean the presence of pathogens in the water, which is going to make you ill.
If the water is yellow, orange, or brown you should assume it’s contaminated. Yellow water suggests the presence of chromium-6 which has been connected to cancer.
Orange or brown suggest the presence of rust, which encourages bacteria growth.
It’s also worth noting that water with a tinge of blue or green probably contains high levels of copper, this can cause liver and kidney issues.
- Slimy Hands
If you wash your hands in the water with soap and they feel slimy afterward then there’s a good chance there is something wrong with the water.
- Hard Water
Some areas imply have harder water than others. However, if your water suddenly becomes harder then it may be contaminated. Hard water is caused by minerals, some of which, like calcium and magnesium, can actually benefit your health. But, it can also be a result of aluminum, manganese, or even lead in the water. None of which are a good thing.
- Aroma
Water that smells of bleach probably has a high volume of chlorine present. Chlorine is added to kill bacteria in water but in high enough doses it can cause respiratory issues in humans. In fact, chorine is one of the key elements in nerve gas, showing how dangerous it is.
Equally, if your water smells like rotten eggs you may have hydrogen sulfide in it. This is a colorless gas that occurs naturally but, when it’s converted to sulfate by specific bacteria it can cause diarrhea and dehydration.
The Solution
In most cases your water at home s probably safe to drink. However, to be certain and remove the above compounds it’s a good idea to invest in reverse osmosis water filters. These are easy to fit into your plumbing system, a professional can complete the job n a few hours.
The water passes through the filter under pressure to ensure that only pure water particles can make it through the semi-permeable membrane. The result is clean and safe drinking water without the contaminants or the aroma.
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