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Water Quality Facts
While the law mandates that public water systems test and treat the water they
provide on a regular basis, this testing only covers the water before it leaves
the treatment plant. This water must then pass through miles of piping, some of
which is in disrepair or contains lead, before it enters
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your home plumbing. If your water comes from your own well, the only time your
water gets tested is when you have it done, or when your property is sold.
One of the most commonly tested indicators of water quality is coliform
bacteria. Coliform bacteria is a large group of bacteria found in the digestive
tracts of warm blooded animals. Some coliform bacteria are harmless, and
others, such as some strains of E. coli, cause disease. Public water suppliers
use chlorine as a disinfectant to kill the bacteria before the water leaves the
treatment plant. The presence of E. coli in well water indicates that sewage
may be infiltrating your water supply. Having coliform or E. coli in your water
may indicate that other serious disease-causing bacteria could be present also.
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Health effects of water contaminated by bacteria:
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| Gastrointestinal disorders |
| Skin infections |
| Infections of cuts and scratches |
| Sickness or death in elderly, children and those with suppressed
immune system |
Nitrates and Nitrites in
water
Nitrates and nitrites are commonly used in agricultural fertilizers. Since they
are highly water soluble and do not evaporate, they have a great potential to
enter and pollute the water supply.
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Health effects of water contaminated by agricultural
pollutants:
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| Decrease blood's ability to carry oxygen
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| Brain damage
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| Blue baby syndrome
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| Death |
For those who keep aquariums, the presence of nitrates and nitrites can affect
the overall health of the aquarium, and cause the overgrowth of unsightly
algae.
Lead contaminates drinking water primarily through corrosion of plumbing
materials. As surprising as it sounds, this problem is more pervasive in newer
homes than in older homes. As time passes, mineral deposits form a coating on
the inside of the plumbing system. This coating acts to prevent the water from
coming in contact with the leaded components, such as solder and brass
fittings.
In new homes, this coating has not built up yet, therefore the water comes in
contact with the interior of the piping, and any lead that is present. Other
conditions increase the amount of lead that can leach. Factors such as pH
(acidic water leaches more lead than neutral water), and temperature (hot water
leaches more lead than cold) also can affect the lead level of your water.
According to recent reports, over 12 major US cities detected elevated levels
of lead in the public water supply.
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Low levels of lead exposure can affect your child by causing:
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High levels of lead exposure can affect your child by causing:
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| Birth defects
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Brain damage
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| Hyperactivity |
Kidney failure
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| Attention Deficit Disorder
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Coma |
| Lower IQ
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Death |
| Behavioral problems
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| Learning disabilities
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Radon is a naturally-occurring gas that is the result of radioactive decay of
uranium deposits in the soil. It can seep through soil and enter the water as
it moves through the ground. Radon is not usually a problem in public systems
because of the action of aeration during water treatment. But, if you own your
own well, radon could certainly be a problem.
When you shower, wash clothes, or even run the faucet, the radon in your water
becomes airborne, becoming radon gas that you breathe. Exposure to radon gas
has been shown to increase the incidence of cancer, and has been linked to
about 13,000 deaths a year in the US alone. There is some evidence that radon
in water could contribute to stomach cancers.
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