If you get your drinking water from a private well, you should test the water each spring for contaminants. If there is contamination of other wells in your area or if your water suddenly tastes or looks differently then you should test more often. To make sure the water from your well is safe for your family to drink, you should consider installing a water filter on your well.
You can install a filter right at the site of your well so all outgoing lines are filtered, or you can install a whole house filter at the water main to your home so all of the faucets in your house will be filtered and outside faucets will not be. You can also save money by just placing a filter on a single faucet.
Well water is not regulated like municipal water supplies so you are responsible for making sure your water is safe to drink. You can start with your local health office to see if there are known contaminants in the area of your well. Some pollutants you might encounter are nitrates and volatile organic compounds.
Your well can become contaminated with nitrates if you live close to an animal farm and the waste enters your water supply. Contamination can also come from agricultural runoff, wastewater and your septic system. Do not drink water that is contaminated with nitrates. Look for another source of water or use a water filter that can filter our nitrates. Not all water filters are able to filter nitrates so make sure the one you choose is made specifically for that purpose.
Volatile organic compounds are chemicals like benzene, trichloroethelene and carbon tetrachloride that may leech into your water supply from local industries. Test your water to determine what chemicals are present and make sure your water filter is able to remove them before drinking the water.
Your well water could also become contaminated with bacteria like E coli. To determine if your well water has unhealthy bacteria, you should order a coliform count. This will give you an idea of the number of bacteria present. Not all of these bacteria are harmful but if the count is high it means there is a possibility that your well water also contains bacteria and viruses that are harmful.
Testing your well water for pollutants and then using a water filter to get rid of them is important in reducing the risk of transmission of disease in your family. These are the top six diseases caused by organisms from contaminated private wells: E. coli, Hepatitis A, Shigells spp., Giardia intestinalis, Salmonella typhi and Campylobacter jejuni. In addition to those, the following pathogens may be present in your well: Enterovirus, Crptosporidium, Norovirus and Rotavirus.
It may be scary thinking about all of these pollutants and pathogens in your well water. Just remember that with an effective water filter installed, you can remove all of these impurities before you drink the water. Not only will a filter help prevent your disease, it will also help your water taste better. Well water often has a bad taste due to the fine sediments suspended in the water like sand, rust and minerals. Good water filters remove all tiny solid particles so your water tastes fresh and pure.
| Price : $181.71 | Post Date : Dec 17, 2011 03:21:07
