Plumbers are keeping your water safe to drink

October 29th, 2012

Plumbers are keeping your water safe to drink

Most people don’t give a second thought to drinking water out of just about any tap they find. They should though, and for a number of reasons. Drinking water that is brought to you by your city or municipality might contain metals which can be dangerous for your health, minerals and even some chemicals. If you have a concern that your drinking water may not be as safe as it could be, there are many options available to you to reduce your risk of contamination from metals, minerals and chemicals. Plumber Salt Lake City can help you go over these options and choose what is best for you to make your drinking water as safe as possible. There is no reason to risk unsafe or unhealthy drinking water when so many viable options for purification are available to households today. If you question whether you have safe drinking water or not, you should have it tested to ease your concerns. Livestock waste, agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial waste and mine tailings are just a few of the things homeowners need to be worried about polluting their water supply. A simple test can let you know if you should be worried about one of these contaminants. Thanks to the Environmental Protection Agency, all cities must print out an annual report called the Consumer Confidence Report. This report makes available all the information regarding the levels of bacterial contaminants, chemicals, heavy metals and all the other garbage and pollutants that might exist within the water supply of your city. If you don’t live in a city or don’t trust the Consumer Confidence Report that is put out by the Environmental Protection Agency, you can have your water tested by a private lab, the department of health or other county and state agencies. Salt Lake City Utah plumbing would suggest having your water tested just to make sure everything is on the up and up.

There are many options available to purify your water, and Plumber Salt Lake City can go over those with you. Having a professional help you choose the right purification system for you can turn a headache into a breeze. Many different setups are available depending on your specific needs. If you’ve tested your water and the test has come back to show pollutants in your water, you will want to take steps to purify it. One method of purification is carbon filters. Carbon filters are available in two different varieties, granulated and solid block. Carbon filters are great at absorbing pollutants and disgusting odors from the water. They are cheap to buy and have a great ease of use. Granular activated carbon water filters are thought to be more efficient at water purification that the sold block model. Depending upon your specific needs, which a plumber in Salt Lake City can help you with, you can find a carbon filter that is best for you.

Another method of home purification is a reverse osmosis water filter. A reverse osmosis filter uses water pressure to power water through a porous covering that strains polluted particulates out of the water. Due to the porous covering being so fine, almost nothing but water passes through it. Because reverse osmosis is so good at removing nitrates and metals from water, it is the method many bottle water companies use. Plumber Salt Lake City would say reverse osmosis is great for home use, but there are some disadvantages. Reverse Osmosis units in a home use a lot of water due to low back pressure. This water is wasted and sent out as waste water. The amount used can be significant. Reverse osmosis also not only takes out the bad pollutants and harmful contaminants, but it also removes many of the healthy minerals that are found in our drinking water. Drinking demineralized water might not be good for your long term health. Demineralized water can be remineralized though, making it good for drinking.

A third solution to your water problems, which may include having hard water, is a water softening system. A water softening system removes the minerals from your water. While hard water may contain a high mineral content, it generally isn’t considered to be a safe drinking worry, unless the levels are very high and then they can become a problem to your health. A water softener is mainly used to reduce mineral buildup in pipe, on fixtures and also to make bathing and washing easier and more pleasant. If you haven’t bathed or showered in hard water before, the hard water can leave a soap scum coating that shuts in bacteria and can cause skin irritation. A Plumber Salt Lake City will tell you if you have hard water that a water softening system is a great investment for your home. It is estimated that more than eighty five percent of homes have hard water problems in the United States. The hard water comes from underground sources of water and aquifers that have collected minerals from the earth over years of wear. The minerals are what give the water the hard feeling to it. The hardness of the water is calculated by grains per gallon. A plumber in Salt Lake City might tell you to get a hard water softening system if you water is more than five grains per gallon or in that range, with more than ten grains per gallon to be considered very had water.

Plumbers are keeping your water safe to drink