How Clean and Safe is Your Water?

Are Clean chemicals really safe? And among those considered toxic, just how toxic are they?

These might be rhetorical questions, but not when it comes to the quality of your home water supply. Bottled water manufacturers and others will have you convinced that your tap water is barely suitable for drinking. In fact, they spend millions on advertising to do just that. So how can you be certain that the water your family is drinking and cooking with is perfectly safe? And what should you do if you find out it’s not?

Here are a few suggestions.

Is my tap water safe? 

More than 90 percent of potable (drinkable) water in the United States is perfectly safe to drink straight from the tap. In fact, we have some of the safest drinking water in the world due to rigorous testing, quality control, and monitoring by the Environmental Protection Agency. However, every now and then, violations occur, and contaminants end up in water at higher than standard levels.

Should I have my water tested? 

If you live in an older home with lead pipes and are connected to a public water supply, it behooves you to have your water tested for contamination. Even if your home is equipped with copper pipes, they could have been soldered with brass or lead fittings, which can leach into your water supply over time. Households with young children, family members with compromised immune systems, and women “with child” should all have their water tested – along with others who don’t want to take unnecessary chances.

If you have well water, you should routinely test for the presence of radon, nitrates, bacteria, and other contaminants that could be present in higher-than-safe levels. While it’s common for some impurities from the soil and bedrock to find their way into your tap water, excess levels could pose health hazards to you and your family.

My water is contaminated, now what?

If you’ve had your water tested and it’s been rated substandard, there are a few ways to remedy the problem. If old pipes are to blame, one option is to replace them, though it is an expensive one. If bacteria are found in your well water, the well can be disinfected. Well or city water, you’ll never regret having a whole-house water filtration system installed, one that provides fresh, clean water everywhere in your home.

For more information or to schedule a home water test and new system proposal, contact Norhio Plumbing today.