subject: The Answer To Contaminated Tap Water [print this page] The Answer To Contaminated Tap Water The Answer To Contaminated Tap Water
Drinking contaminated tap water can be harmful to your health both in the short term and long term. Depending on the contaminants, you can get sick really quickly. Therefore, you'll need to take proactive steps to remedy to situation as quickly as possible.
If for example, your household water supply has excessive amounts of micro-organisms in it, drinking it could cause you to get stomach problems very quickly. If you have a compromised immune system, drinking such water can even be fatal. In 1993 in Milwaukee, an outbreak of cryptosporidium in the water supply caused almost 60 deaths and over 400,000 people getting sick. This may have been an exceptional case but it does demonstrate how harmful micro-organisms can be. But not all contamination is that lethal.
Everyday, millions of people drink tap water that has low levels of contaminants. No, they don't die right away but the contaminants can have an impact on long term health. Take chlorine for example, a substance used to disinfect water supplies all over the world. Chlorine is linked to asthma and other respiratory illnesses.
You are exposed to chlorine not only when you drink water but also when you have a hot shower. During a hot shower, the chlorine in the water is vaporized - you then inhale it. When chlorine comes into contact with organic material like hair and skin, it forms harmful by-products that are carcinogenic.
Lead is another substance that may be found in contaminated tap water. Lead can leach from your household plumbing and into your water. Lead has been linked to liver and kidney problems and is especially harmful to children. So, what is the solution to all this. First, get your water tested.
This will give you an idea what contaminants are in it. Then, get a home water filtration system that is capable of removing those contaminants. Before you buy a filtration system, you'll need to know how to spot a good filter and what filters can remove the various contaminants
