Water is essential to life and health. At home, you drink it, cook with it, clean with it, and bathe in it. Unfortunately, even water from municipal systems with reliable water treatment facilities can pick up contaminants as it travels along pipes into and through your home. These may include lead, bacteria, viruses, pesticides, weed killers and even microplastics. Well water is susceptible to contamination from construction, flooding and industrial pollutants that can enter groundwater.
Although many municipalities use chlorine to decontaminate water, consuming chlorine isn’t great for your health. Chlorine has been linked to bladder, breast, and colon cancers. Lead that leeches into water from old pipes or solder can impair children’s intellectual development. Hard water with excessive amounts of magnesium and calcium dries your skin. It can also damage appliances and create buildup within pipes, slowing the flow of water and eventually causing clogs. And bacteria that make it through municipal systems can cause gastrointestinal upset.
Even if your home’s water test reveals your water is safe to drink, you may still have water quality problems. Your water may be cloudy or have a bad odor or taste. Some try to address poor water quality by purchasing bottled water, but this is costly and contributes to plastic pollution. Many bottled water products use tap water from municipal sources, and they can contain chlorine.
Home water treatment systems can address water quality problems. Carbon filter and reverse osmosis systems can remove many common contaminants. Reverse osmosis systems use a membrane to filter water. It allows water molecules to pass through but blocks contaminants, even bacteria and viruses. These systems can remove excess minerals, chlorine, heavy metals, and pollutants.
If your water is cloudy, discolored, or smells bad, contact Fletcher’s Plumbing. We can test your water, and advise you about the importance of having your home’s water treated. We are an independent, authorized dealer of Kinetico water systems. These water softeners and filtration systems can address hard water and remove contaminants.