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Accessing clean water is vital to our everyday lives, yet there are numerous ways for it to become polluted with germs and chemicals that could pose serious threats to our health.
There are various tests available for us to use at home to test water quality, but they are often costly and time consuming. Instead, simple at-home kits with only a few ingredients required can provide better solutions.
If you would like to really hire a professional for your test water quality or any plumbing systems concerns, get in touch with J. Blanton Plumbing, a water testing Chicago.
Cloudy or turbid water
While color and odor of water may indicate it is safe for consumption, cloudiness or turbidity could indicate there may be other issues with it.
Turbidity indicates the presence of organic and inorganic materials like clay silt particles, microorganisms algae or microorganisms which absorb light, scatter it around and make your water appear murky – this in turn may interfere with disinfection processes as well as contain pathogens which could make drinking it dangerous.
Turbidity in water may be natural; however, it can also be caused by land disturbances that stir up sediment and minerals such as construction projects, storms or urban runoff.
A simple test to see if cloudy water is caused by air bubbles is to fill a glass and let it sit for one hour – if it clears after this period then most likely air bubbles are the culprit; otherwise call Kinetico about purchasing one of their K5 drinking water systems or Kinetico home iron and sediment filters as further options to remedial solutions.
Yellow or orange water
Home water testing kits can help assess your household’s drinking water quality. While these are an invaluable resource, if recurring issues with it arise then it would be prudent to contact your water supplier company for additional support.
Brown, reddish-orange or yellow water discolorations is usually due to rust particles from corroded pipes, and while this doesn’t pose any significant health risk it may lead to leaks and other plumbing problems in the future.
Galvanized pipes can present an issue for older homes that utilize them; exposed to oxygen, the iron may oxidize and discolor your tap water causing discolored spots on taps that are easy to resolve with new installation of systems.
Orange stains caused by high levels of iron found in well groundwater supplies can also create difficulties; dealing with them often requires special iron filtration systems for effective management.
Brown or rusty water
If your water appears brown or rusty, it could be an indicator that old pipes have leached rust into its source of supply. While not necessarily hazardous to health, rust may stain plumbing fixtures and leave an unusual taste behind.
If your brown water smells of bleach, that could indicate high levels of chlorine in your system. While chlorine is used to kill germs in cities, its byproducts have been linked with kidney and liver issues.
IF YOUR WATER IS DARK BROWN, first check with your neighbors if they’re also experiencing this problem. If so, the problem most likely resides with your city’s water utility service and lab testing can give a clear picture of exactly what’s present in your water so that you can decide the most effective course of action.
This may involve installing whole house water treatment systems; results of lab tests may even help prioritize contaminants to remove first.
Odd smells or tastes
Most homeowners don’t think twice about the quality of the water in their home, trusting public water treatment facilities to keep it at healthy standards and safe to drink. But many potential issues exist within your own plumbing that might affect its safety – even when not visible to the naked eye.
Odd aromas and tastes in your water supply should be taken as warning signals that something could be amiss with it. A fishy or rotten egg smell could indicate sulfur bacteria producing hydrogen sulfide gas which irritates eyes, noses and throats at high concentrations.
If your water contains an overwhelming chlorine flavor, that may indicate too much chlorine has been added, leading to harmful byproducts like trihalomethanes (THMs). THMs have been linked with kidney issues and increased cancer risks; chlorine was originally added to US water supplies to kill germs and pathogens.
However, over time it can etch inner surfaces of pipes, potentially creating these dangerous toxins in your own water supply.
