Many of us assume that the drinking water that comes from our taps comes from reliable drinking water systems and that it is safe to drink. While it may be true that the water that leaves the public water system meets certain criteria set forward by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the water that reaches your home typically has a completely different composition.
Water travels through miles of pipe that bring it from the municipality to your home and over time these pipes can become rusty, corroded, or broken. When this happens, contaminants can seep into the water supply.
This is exactly what happened in 2014 during the Flint Water Crisis when lead and other contaminants made their way into the municipal drinking water supply.
While the EPA regulates and monitors the water that leaves the treatment facility the standards for monitoring the pipes that water travels through aren’t as stringent.
Legal doesn’t always mean safe either. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a tap water database that allows you to see known contaminants in your zip code. How many contaminants have been found in your area?
With so much at stake, Elder’s Pure Water believes educating local Dallas, Fort Worth, and Westoplex area residents is critical. Knowing about the drinking water quality in your home is vital to the safety of your family and the health of your home.
The local health department can provide advice about common contaminants in your area, but the only way to know what is in your drinking water is to have it tested by a professional. Here are some tell-tale signs that the water in your home may need to be addressed.
Discoloration or Cloudiness in the Water
Safe drinking water should be clear. It also shouldn’t have a strange taste or odor. If your tap water looks or smells funky it’s a red flag. Contaminants like Hydrogen Sulfide or sulfates can cause water to smell like rotten eggs.
If your tap water has a yellow, brown, or orange tint to it, it could signify a major issue.
Yellow water could indicate the presence of chromium-6 (this is known to be a cancer-causing chemical), manganese, lead, copper, or iron in your tap water.
A yellow tint could also be a signifier of other contaminants which is why a professional water test is crucial to determining your water’s unique characteristics. We offer a free basic water test to help you understand your water better.
If you have orange or brown colored water it could be a sign that you have excessive amounts of iron, manganese, lead, or rust in your water. Rust in your drinking water is a potential breeding ground for bacteria.
A blue or green tint in your water could signify elevated copper levels. Copper leaches into your water when pipes are corroded. If you drink tap water high in copper it can be damaging to your health.
Dry Skin or Hair After Bathing or Washing
Are your hands dry after you wash them? Are you using more laundry detergent than the bottle recommends to get your laundry clean? Is your hair brittle and dry? Do you have spots on your clean dishes? These things can be caused by hard water.
Hard water is the excessive presence of minerals like magnesium and calcium in your water supply. These minerals can wreak havoc on your hair and skin and even your appliances, pipes, and fixtures.
A Smell of Chlorine or Bleach
Local municipalities use chlorine to kill germs and bacteria in the local water supply. While it is necessary for them to use chlorine, if too much gets added to drinking water it could have potential health impacts. These effects can range from diarrhea and stomach cramps to an increased risk of cancer among other risks.
A Rotten Egg or Sewage Smell
Contaminants like Hydrogen Sulfide and sulfates can cause water to smell like rotten eggs. No one likes drinking water that tastes or smells, but if you do consume tap water that has a rotten egg smell be on the lookout for symptoms of dehydration and possible diarrhea.
This particular smell can also be a sign of sewage contamination or bacteria in your water heater.
Your Water Has a Fishy Smell
Tap water that smells fishy can be a symptom of barium or cadmium in your water. These chemicals can cause serious damage to your body, especially your liver and kidneys when present in your drinking water.
Your Water Tastes Like Metal
If your tap water tastes like you have a penny in your mouth, there’s a chance there could be rust in your drinking water. Rust often presents itself as a metallic taste in your water.
It could also be iron, copper, lead, manganese, or excess zinc. Sometimes this can present as a salty taste, but either way, it’s a sign that your water needs to be tested.
What to Do if Your Drinking Water Has One of These Symptoms
If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms from your drinking water, or you’re already using bottled water for all your drinking water needs, you may want to consider a whole home filtration system or water filter.
At Elder's Pure Water we’ve been treating water in the Dallas, Fort Worth, and Westoplex areas for over 8 years.
We know the local water intimately, and our main goal is to educate you about your water so that you can make the most informed decision for your family.
Give us a call at 817-631-4967 or fill out the contact form to get in touch with us. We’re looking forward to helping you understand your water better.
