Our Water WV

Water quality is an issue across the globe. A quick look at the news will illustrate the problem. All across the country, residents are experiencing issues with contaminated water. And often, they don�t know about until long after contamination occurs.

At the end of 2016, a sinkhole caused contaminated water to leak into a major aquifer servicing thousands of residents outside of Tampa, Florida. According to the New York Times, residents were not notified of the problem for weeks. The same article references several recent examples, making it abundantly clear that water contamination is a very real concern.

While you may feel like your hands are tied, there are a few things you can do to within your home to improve your water quality. Try these tips:

• Use a water filter: Using a water filter can help remove bacteria, metals, and other contaminants. The better the quality of your filter, the more it will remove. Make sure that you choose a quality filter and replace it regularly.
• Clean water aerators: Bacteria can become trapped in your water aerators. Remove them and clean them thoroughly to avoid buildup. Check out these tips for cleaning an aerator.
• Properly dispose of hazardous wastes: Take the effort to properly dispose of hazardous chemicals and other household waste. Keeping this waste in its proper place keeps dangerous chemicals out of your water.
• Keep your pipes and plumbing maintained: Older pipes or plumbing in disrepair may contain lead. By keeping your plumbing in good working order, you reduce the chances of lead in your water.
• Properly maintain septic tanks: Septic tanks can overflow if not maintained appropriately. When that occurs, waste can leak into the ground contaminating the water supply. Check out the EPA�s tips on maintaining your septic system.
• Keep storm drains clear: Stormwater is a big supplier of drinking water. By keeping storm drains clear of debris and other materials, you are helping to keep your drinking supply clean.
• Avoid using hot water for drinking or cooking: Hot water helps to dissolve sediment and other chemicals contained in water pipes. When this happens, the contaminants become mixed with your water supply.
• Boil your water: When communities suspect water contamination, a boil order is often issued. Boiling your water helps to remove dangerous elements, making it safe to drink. If you suspect that your water has been subject to contamination, boil it. Check out these additional tips for boiling your water.

Ultimately, if you suspect that your water is contaminated, you may consider testing it. You can purchase an inexpensive in-home water testing kit from Amazon and other major retailers. You can also find out use online and local resources to find information about your local water quality.

Water quality is defined in terms of the chemical, physical, and biological content of water. The water quality of rivers and lakes changes with the seasons and geographic areas, even when there is no pollution present. There is no single measure that constitutes good water quality. For instance, water suitable for drinking can be used for irrigation, but water used for irrigation may not meet drinking water guidelines. Water quality guidelines provide basic scientific information about water quality parameters and ecologically relevant toxicological threshold values to protect specific water uses.

Many factors affect water quality

• Sedimentation
• Runoff
• Erosion
• Dissolved oxygen
• pH
• Temperature
• Decayed organic materials
• Pesticides
• Toxic and hazardous substances
• Oils, grease, and other chemicals
• Detergents
• Litter and rubbish

Substances present in the air affect rainfall. Dust, volcanic gases, and natural gases in the air, such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, and nitrogen, are all dissolved or entrapped in rain. When other substances such as sulfur dioxide, toxic chemicals, or lead are in the air, they are also collected in the rain as it falls to the ground. Rain reaches the earth’s surface and, as runoff, flows over and through the soil and rocks, dissolving and picking up other substances. For instance, if the soil contains high amounts of soluble substances, such as limestone, the runoff will have high concentrations of calcium carbonate. Where the water flows over rocks high in metals, such as ore bodies, it will dissolve those metals.

Industrial, farming, mining, and forestry activities also significantly affect the quality of rivers, lakes, and groundwater. For example, farming can increase the concentration of nutrients, pesticides, and suspended sediments. Industrial activities can increase concentrations of metals and toxic chemicals, add suspended sediment, increase temperature, and lower dissolved oxygen in the water. Each of these effects can have a negative impact on the aquatic ecosystem and/or make water unsuitable for established or potential uses. We have to keep in mind that all these pollutions that we have done to Earth not only affect

Water is life. The human body is comprised of 65% water and it cannot survive without it for any great length of time. Water needs to be absorbed several times a day in order to stay healthy. While the body can go 3 weeks without food, it cannot go more than 3 days without water.

Studies show that women need to drink 2.2 litres of water a day while men need 3 litres. The difference is due to the fact that men, on average, have more fat-free body mass and higher expenditure of energy. Because it’s important to hydrate the body frequently, it’s also a good idea to be doing so with the water that is the best for the body. Between spring, mineral and distilled, which one is the healthiest choice for the human anatomy?

Spring wins.

No beating around the bush here. Without a doubt, spring water is the winner. It is considered the best water to drink, providing vital nutrients as it moves through the body.

This is, of course, spring water that is bottled at the source and proven to be actual living spring water. Only 55% of the bottled water that claims to be spring water actually is bona fide spring water. 45% is just treated tap water. This does not give us the same benefits, nor will it have the refreshing, unique taste that real spring water has. It’s important to check the authenticity of spring water.

Spring water provides much needed oxygen to the body and the brain, aids in good digestion, helps us maintain a healthy weight, and tastes great. Spring water never tastes flat or boiled. It makes for an excellent drinking experience and one that does wonders for the body.

Mineral water is right behind.

Mineral water is spring water that has had more minerals added to it. It has 250 minerals per million solids. Sparkling mineral water is bottled containing the same carbon dioxide that was at the source of the spring.

Because of the additives in this water, there can be a bit of a distinctive taste to it. Not all of the additional minerals are necessary for the body, and not everyone can process them. In addition, there is a distinct taste that is off-putting to mineral water, which puts it behind spring water. It doesn’t taste as natural or pure because of the additional minerals.

Distilled water’s little victory.

Distilled water may lack the minerals and nutrients of spring and mineral water, but the distilling process can be used to remove toxic metals and chemicals from the water. While there are home distillers, it is best to go with industrially distilled water instead.

However, distilling water also removes healthy minerals the body needs, which means drinking it for any length of time can lead to mineral deficiencies. Also, once it comes in contact with the air, distilled water absorbs carbon dioxide, which makes it acidic. When it is ingested, that goes into the body and causes excess acid. With all of this in mind, it’s clear to see why distilled water is the last on the list of waters to drink.

A quick word about reverse osmosis

While not as beneficial for the body as live spring water, filtered water is better than none at all. Reverse osmosis water filters are excellent tools for purifying water, even after a carbon filter has already been used on it. They remove many contaminates that are still left behind by the carbon filters and create healthy, fresh water for drinking.

Safe drinking water starts at the source.  

West Virginians get their drinking water from sources like rivers, lakes, reservoirs, streams, and groundwater. The cleaner our drinking water sources, the cleaner our drinking water. 

The more polluted our drinking water sources are, the more expensive it is to treat the water, burdening both water utilities and their customers. More importantly, the more polluted our drinking water sources, the greater the human health risk.  

Following the West Virginia water crisis in 2014, the legislature passed a law requiring public water systems that utilize water sources easily susceptible to contamination (rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and streams) to have a Source Water Protection Plan.  

These plans include management strategies to prevent contamination of drinking water sources, and encourage the public to participate in protection efforts. 

The Safe Water for West Virginia program facilitates collaboration between utilities and their communities to actively implement Source Water Protection Plans and protect drinking water sources.  

Resources

Looking to take a deeper dive into source water protection? Check out these resources to learn more.

• Drinking Water Protection – A Citizen’s Guide to Getting Involved to educate community stakeholders and prepare them to take on a leadership role in source water protection planning.
• Source Water Protection Plan Implementation Guide with information on what these plans entail, how they overlap with Watershed Based Plans, and ways the community can work together with utilities to protect drinking water supplies.
• Stormwater & You: An Outreach Toolkit for Watershed Groups, which was designed to help watershed organizations improve water quality, reach new members and build capacity within their organization.
• The Importance of Safe Drinking Water for Protecting Women’s and Children’s Health details some of the dangerous toxins water quality standards protects us from and why removal of drinking water designation is a bad idea.
• Video Library to explore and learn more about water in West Virginia and how WV Rivers and what we can all do to keep it safe.

The market is flooded with different types of water purifiers. Water purifiers range from simple water filters to advanced purifiers using membrane technology for filtration followed by disinfection with UV lamp filters. But when you decide about buying a water purifier, the biggest question arises as to which water purifier is correct for your home?

Here are 4 important factors that you must consider before buying a water purifier:

Water Quality

If the water supplied to your home is high in TDS, hardness and salinity then RO is the best choice for your home. RO has a semi-permeable membrane which has pore size of 0.0005 microns. Such tiny pores can remove the tiniest of dissolved salt, metals and impurities.

For areas where water supplied to home is soft and has TDS under permissible limit, carbon activated filters can work well.

Contamination

Bacteria, nitrate, dissolved pesticides and lead are the most likely health-effecting contaminants present in water. The amount of contaminants present in water can be tested in any laboratory. If water supplied to your home is high in microbes and contaminants then a UV based RO filtration can be an intelligent choice. The UV effect irradiate the water and penetrate the cells of bacteria and viruses, destroying their ability to reproduce. These organisms fail to multiply and eventually die. The RO membrane removes these dead germs and contaminants from water and make it fit for consumption.

Water pressure

Both UV and RO filters need water supply at a good pressure. If the incoming water flow does not have sufficient pressure, the RO filter will not work optimally. So if the pressure of water supplied to your home is insufficient (but the condition is that water is soft and less in impurities) it is best to go for the activated carbon purifiers. But if the water is high in TDS and contamination, then go for RO purifier. You can attach a pump to the RO filtration unit to boost the pressure.

Electricity

Although RO and UV filtration are advance water purification technologies, a big problem is that they need electricity to operate. This means that they cannot be useful if power-supply to your home is inconsistent. So if you live in area where electricity supply is erratic then go for activated carbon purifiers.

Have you thought about purchasing and installing different types of water purifiers in your home? Many people find that they improve the quality of life around the house and allow them to make better use of their water supplies. As you continue to think about what water purifier to buy, ask these five questions. The answers will help you decide which water purifier is the best one.

Do I Need a Water Purifier? Why Water Purifiers are Important?

Some people believe that water filters andwater purifiers are not all that important. Water purifiers point toward the efforts made by the local municipality to supply water that is suitable for consumption. Without minimizing the efforts made by your local community, the fact is there is more to clean water than what happens at those huge purification stations.

Factors like the residue found in your home plumbing can also affect water quality. If you have a home water purifier, you can remove that residue and enjoy water that tastes better and is better for you.

Those who rely on water from wells or a local pond or lake should also consider installing some type of water purifiers. Regular checks of the water itself will reveal what sort of contaminants are present. That information will help you decide what water purifier is best for your need.

How are Water Purifiers Certified?

The Standards Council of Canada uses specific ANSI/NSF standards to certify best water purifier systems. There are six standards in all for water purifiers, with each one relating to softening, distilling, and purification treatments and systems. In order to certify specific devices, the Council has authorized three certification bodies: Underwriters Laboratories, NSF International, and CSA International. The latter is specifically authorized to issue certifications for drinking water treatment units related to health effects and aesthetic effects.

Remember that you only want to buy a water purifier that is properly certified. Anything lesser will not provide the benefits you want and is likely to not hold up well to ongoing use.

Will I Need to Take Mineral Supplements If I Use a Water Purifier?

There are those who believe it’s necessary to purchase and take mineral supplements if you install a water purifier and filter. The logic behind that belief has to do with how much mineral content is removed from the water. In fact, most people obtain most of the vitamins and minerals they need from food.

If you follow a balanced diet, the relatively small amount of healthy minerals removed from the water will make no difference. What will happen is that you will no longer consume other contaminants that may be interfering with your body’s ability to effectively absorb minerals from your food.

Are Water Purifiers Hard to Maintain?

Ease of use is another question many people have about water purifier installation in their homes. Many are simple to install and require little maintenance. The OurWater.Org water purifiers used for the better systems can be reached with ease and require only a minute or two to replace. As long as you remember to change the filter according to the manufacturer’s instructions, the system will work perfectly.

Where Can I Buy a Water Purifier? Are The Systems Expensive?

There is an up front cost associated with installing a water purifier. The amount of expense will depend on whether you are installing something under the kitchen sink of a system designed for the entire home.

Are you unhappy with the quality of the water in your home? Does your tap water have a weird taste or smell? Are you worried that your family may be ingesting or absorbing dangerous substances through your water supply?

In an ideal world, everyone would have access to safe and clean drinking water, but unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Consuming contaminated water can cause many diseases that bring unpleasant symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting, and pneumonia. In severe cases, consuming contaminated water can even lead to death.

But when it comes to poor water quality, it’s not just human health you need to worry about. Your pets deserve clean, fresh drinking water. Many garden plants are sensitive to chemicals, sodium, and pH levels in their water supply. These are all important reasons why it’s so important to get your water tested and take control of your water quality.

Are you ready for expert help improving your water quality? Call Mr. Rooter^® Plumbing at (855) 982-2028 today.

Simple Steps to Improve Water Quality

Fortunately, if you’re not happy with the water quality in your home, there are things you can do about it. Here are five strategies to improve water quality that will make your water safe to use.

1. Test Your WaterThe easiest way to test the quality of the water in your home is with a test kit. These kits are user-friendly and will accurately indicate the presence of various contaminants in your water and tell you whether the water is safe to use. If you find that the water is unsafe, you and your plumber can then determine additional steps necessary to make your water safe to use and consume.
2. Boil Your WaterBoiling water is a short-term solution that makes water contaminated by harmful bacteria and parasites safe for consumption. If you need to boil tap water before consuming it, you need to contact a water quality professional for a home filtration system installation. In the meantime, before boiling contaminated water, filter it through a clean cloth or coffee filter first. Then, bring the filtered water to a rolling boil for at least a minute. If you are at a high elevation (6,500 feet or more), boil for three minutes.
3. Filter Your WaterA good water filtration system can remove sediment from your drinking water. A good water purification system can remove harmful chemicals, metals, and microorganisms from your drinking water. A whole-home water filtration/purification system installation will keep your family safe from the ill effects of poor water quality. If you are only concerned about filtering the water coming out of certain taps, install a filter or reverse osmosis system just for that faucet.
4. Get a Water SoftenerIf your water test revealed problems with minerals, consider having a water softener installed. A water softener will remove calcium, magnesium, and iron from the water. This process will make your water safer, taste better, and even prolong the life of appliances like dishwashers.
5. Take Care of Your PipesKeeping the water pipes in good condition reduces the chances of harmful bacteria or chemicals entering your water supply. If the water pipes in your home are old or you notice any signs of damage, contact a plumbing professional.