If you are one who is drinking water from your home’s tap without knowing what’s lurking in it, then you should be “Afraid of”. This is so because most of the tap water all around the world is polluted with toxic contaminants. From bacteria and lead to pesticides and pharmaceuticals, these contaminants can pose serious health threats to human life.
In this blog post, we are going to take a closer look into what’s lurking in your tap water. So that you can take the necessary steps to make your home’s tap water completely safe to drink.
Read our guide about Why Do I Feel Sick After Drinking Tap Water
Common Contaminants That May Be Lurking in Your Tap Water
Below are some of the most common contaminants that are most likely to be lurking in your tap water.
1. Bacteria and viruses:
Bacteria and viruses are some of the most common contaminants found in tap water all over the world. Drinking or using tap water that is polluted with these can result in gastrointestinal issues and health problems.
Want to know how bacteria and viruses get their way into water? let us explain. The most common through which they get into water are as follows:
· Sewage overflows
· Animal wastage
· Agricultural runoff
2. Heavy metals:
Lead is a toxic heavy metal that may be lurking in your water. It can enter into the water through old supply pipes and plumbing fixtures that contain lead. This contaminant can cause development issues in kids and serious health problems in adults.
Apart from lead, there are several other heavy metals like copper, arsenic, mercury, and many more may be present in the tap water. Heavy metals can pose serious health risks and get their way into the water through the following sources:
· Industrial discharges
· Mining operations
3. Pesticides and herbicides:
Most of you may not be aware that pesticides and herbicides. Basically, these are special chemicals commonly used in agriculture to control pests and weeds. However, they can get their into the water coming into your home either through the runoff or by leaching into the soil.
Exposure to both toxic chemicals can cause serious diseases like:
· Cancer
· Reproductive issues
· Neurological disorders
4. Pharmaceuticals and care products:
These are the last common contaminants that may be lurking in your tap water. Both these toxic substances can leach into your home’s water through multiple sources:
· Human wastage
· Improper disposal of products
However, according to surveys conducted in different regions of the world, the overall level of both these substances is very low. However, medical experts still showed a concern that long-term exposure to both these contaminants can result in damaged health.
These are some common contaminants that may be lurking in your tap water without your getting noticed.
Now, a question will appear in your mind: how can you know what kind of contaminants your tap water contains? Don’t worry; we have explained the answer to this question in the head below:
How to Know What Contaminants Lurking into Your Tap Water
In order to determine what kind of contaminants are lurking in your water, you have to test its quality. This can be done through multiple methods that discussed below in detail:
1. By using testing kits:
This method is less expensive and requires almost effort or technical knowledge. You can easily find water quality testing from the nearby market and test your home’s tap water with them.
These kits usually contain test strips that you need to fill up with water and then compare the color of the strip with the chart to determine the level of contaminants.
Although this is a relatively inexpensive and easy method to test water quality, it’s not 100% accurate. This is so because these water kits can only determine a limited number of contaminants.
2. Through laboratory analysis:
If you want completely accurate results about your home’s water quality, then you test it through a certified laboratory. All you have to do is take the water sample and submit it to the nearest laboratory for analysis.
They will provide you with a detailed report about its quality, including detailed information about the presence of different contaminants and their overall levels.
However, this method is relatively more expensive as compared to the above, but it is highly accurate. So, the choice is yours.
Once you have decided what kind of contaminants are lurking in your tap water, you have to take the necessary steps to deal with those impurities.
What To Do if You Have What’s Lurking in The Tap Water
1. Boiling:
This is obvious. Boiling the water is one of the easiest ways to kill bacteria and pathogens that are present in your tap water. All you have to do is to pore the water into a container and then boil it for several minutes.
Once done, leave it until it loses all of its heath so that you can drink or use it easily.
However, it is important to note that boiling the water will not remove chemicals, viruses, and heavy metals from the water. So, if you water these contaminants, then this method is not for you.
2. Installing a Water filtration system:
A water filtration system can effectively remove a wide range of contaminants like bacteria, viruses, chemicals, sediment, and heavy metals from tap water. There is a huge variety of water filtration systems, from reverse osmosis and undersink filters to whole house and pitcher filters.
You should go with the one that is according to your needs and budget.
3. Addressing plumbing issues:
Tap water mostly becomes contaminated due to old pipes or other plumbing fixtures in your case. So, it is essential for you to address those fixtures so that you can stop the water contamination.
By taking these steps, you can make sure that the water you are using for drinking, cooking, or bathing purposes is completely safe and clean.
Wrapping Up:
There can be many toxic contaminants or impurities lurking in your tap water without providing any signs. And exposure to these can pose serious health threats to human health. In this article, we have taken a closer look at common impurities that may be present in your water, along with different steps to deal with them.