Worried about the quality of your home drinking water? Learn about some common water issues and how the proper water treatment solutions help improve your overall quality of life. Plus, for homes with well water or municipal water, SolvIt Water provides the best solution to meet your needs.
HARDNESS
Hard water forms from high amounts of dissolved minerals, specifically calcium and magnesium. Hard water is found in both well and city water. Additionally, hard water causes limescale that creates a white, chalky residue and soap scum. Plus, hard water makes cleaning more difficult, causes dry skin and hair, increases energy costs, shortens the life of appliances and reduces water pressure by clogging pipes.
IRON & MANGANESE
Iron accounts for 5% of the earth’s crust and all types of water may contain it. Plus, iron in water can stain sinks, laundry or possibly form deposits that clog shower heads, filters appliances and pipes over time. Manganese also occurs naturally and frequently is found in water that contains iron. Alternatively, signs of manganese include smelly water or water that tastes metallic. Also, if you notice brown and/or black stains in your sink or on your laundry, you may have manganese.
LOW PH
Water with low pH is considered acidic and can cause bluish-green stains inside your toilet tank or on your fixtures. Acidity in water possibly creates damaging effects by slowly eroding away your plumbing pipes, water heater tank and eventually creating pin holes or leaks.
HYDROGEN SULFIDE
Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless gas that can exist naturally in groundwater. Additionally, hydrogen sulfide gives water a “musty” or “rotten egg” odor. Not only is the odor offensive, but hydrogen sulfide makes the water very corrosive to plumbing pipe and fixtures.
TURBIDITY/COLOR
Color is organic material that dissolved into solution. Color imparts bad taste, odor and causes staining of anything touched by the water. Conversely, turbidity consists of tiny particles suspended in the water. Turbidity makes water cloudy and affects the appearance of food and beverages. Additionally, similar to iron, turbidity causes stains on fixtures and discolor laundered fabrics.
SEDIMENT
Typically, sediment is found in both well or city water and yields an abrasive effect on your plumbing system. Sediment causes physical wear or erosion on pipes, fittings and fixtures. Plus, sediment in your water significantly shortens the life of your appliances by destroying valve seats, washers and other internal components.
CHLORINE AND/OR LEAD
Municipalities often use chlorine as a disinfectant in public water supplies to manage bacteria and kill other potentially harmful contaminants. Chlorine affects the taste of food and beverages and contribute to dry eyes or skin irritation.
Lead is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless metal that can go undetected in water. The EPA set the maximum contaminant level goal for lead in drinking water at zero because lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health (even at low exposure levels). Lead is persistent, which means it can accumulate in the body over time. Additionally, lead can enter drinking water when service pipes containing lead corrode, which occurs due to a number of different factors. Generally, homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes, fixtures and solder. Finally, lead contamination in well water can occur as a result of chemicals, pesticides or industrial activity that contaminate the soil and ultimately the groundwater.
ARSENIC
Arsenic occurs naturally in soil and bedrock and frequently found in private wells across the State of Connecticut. Additionally, arsenic provides no smell, taste, or color when dissolved in water, even in high concentrations. Ingesting arsenic causes short and long-term health issues. For example, long-term exposure to drinking water containing arsenic at levels higher than 10 ppb increases the chances of getting cancer. As a result, in 2001, the EPA reduced the regulatory maximum contaminant level (MCL) from 50 ppb to 10 ppb based on bladder and lung cancer risks.