Water is precious and an essential part of our daily lives. It improves the quality of our health and offers the required hydration we need. It’s important to ensure that you only drink clean water. At Cooper’s Water, we offer high–quality water filtration systems to ensure households have access to this essential commodity.
Even with a filtration system in place, other factors can affect your water quality, including human and environmental (natural) factors. These include but are not limited to dissolved oxygen, nitrates in drinking water, pesticides, and toxic and hazardous substances. In this blog post, we will discuss the five primary factors that affect your water quality.
1. Sedimentation
Sedimentation occurs when substances settle at the bottom of the water source, especially after erosion due to heavy rains. When tiny particles of clay, silt, and pebbles settle at the bottom of any water source, they can cause massive damage in the long run. They also prevent the natural process of water cleansing from happening.
This process plays a significant role in the quality of the water, thus causing huge problems if not kept to a minimum. In contrast, aquatic creatures contribute to the quality of the water. Their absence due to sedimentation results in low-oxygen water and decreased visibility.
Further, sedimentation along the water filtration pipes automatically decreases the quality of water running in the household’s pipes. Sometimes, the damage is so extensive that it calls for overhauling the whole system to ensure clean household water.
2. pH Levels
pH refers to the measure of alkalinity and acidity in the water. Above seven, the water is referred to as too basic, and water creatures, including fish, cannot survive. Below seven, the water is acidic and again harmful to life. Seven is neutral and the recommended pH level for water from any source.
However, while water from the source can be neutral, other factors in the process affect its quality. You may not detect the changes immediately, but with time, you can notice changes in your dishes and the food you are cooking. Severe pH levels damage internal organs, so it is crucial to keep a check on the levels in your household water supply.
3. Pollution
Water pollution is the most significant factor affecting water quality. Pollutants range from grease, debris, and fats to detergents, pesticides, and many more items thrown into water sources.
Household waste tossed down the drain can cause a blockage in the drainage, making it overflow and run down the streams or other sources of water. This can cause massive damage to the existing ecosystem and the underground water at large.
Huge companies often drain their waste pipes into the river, claiming it has flowing water. They forget the chemicals’ effect on the water pumped to households downstream and the aquatic life. Thus, installing a filter for your household’s water supply is essential to remove all the contaminants.
Avoid actions such as throwing trash in your drains, pouring grease and fats down the sink, directing pesticide waste into water sources, and flushing medical supplies into the toilets to reduce water pollution.
4. Temperatures
Water temperatures differ from time to time and affect water quality. When the temperatures are high, they encourage the growth of harmful bacteria and algae, which interfere with water quality. The water becomes smelly and can change color. On the other hand, when temperatures are too low, they prevent the growth of important microorganisms and affect the color of the blue algae because they lack the nutrients required for survival. It is important to note that when installing a filtration system, the pipes should have the ability to control the temperatures to ensure a quality water supply in the house.
5. Water Heater
Life is made better with the convenience of a good water heater installed in a house. It is important to place emphasis on annual servicing. Water heater tanks accumulate sediments over the year; thus, you must drain them to avoid blockage of the outlet pipes.
The blockage starts by reducing the water pressure in your taps and faucets. Eventually, you will notice a change in the color of your water. By this time, the water in your taps is already contaminated and potentially harmful to your health.
Servicing the filtration equipment as recommended is extremely beneficial. Professionals can properly clean the storage tank and vital parts when necessary. This will help eliminate hard water as well.
The tell-tale signs of hard water are mineral deposits on clothes and utensils. Additionally, your faucets may get clogged frequently, and appliances could experience reduced performance power.
How to Manage Factors Affecting the Quality of Water
A kitchen is sometimes the dirtiest place in a house. Thus, people should know that not all waste is safe for the drain. Some waste like grease, oil, onion peels, and eggshells can harm your home’s drainage and cause blockages. This eventually leads to wastewater running back to the freshwater pipe, causing contamination of the whole system.
Water reservoirs like underground tanks hold water directly from the source for a long time and are likely to host sediments. Too many deposits deprive living creatures of oxygen, so they end up dying. This poses a danger to the water pumped for filtration and house usage. To avoid oxygen-less water that is harmful to your health, it is advisable to clean the reservoirs frequently to clear away any sediment. Keep the water tanks covered to avoid pollution from external factors like birds and dust. If you source your water from water companies, ensure you get a report on its quality every three months.
However, if you get your water from other sources, engage a water professional to conduct the pH test before pumping it into your filtration system. This report will help you to understand the measurements to ensure your household water is at the correct pH level for consumption.
Faucets in your household also play a significant role in affecting your water quality. Old fixtures produce lead, a major water contaminant that is extremely harmful to your health. Thus, ensure you clean and replace the old faucets before they show signs of rust.
Quality Water Filtration Services in Indianapolis
Sometimes, it is easy to take quality water for granted. While water is essential to our bodies, its poor quality can be the beginning of serious health-related problems. Thus, it is vital to know what type of water you are consuming.
While several factors contaminate water quality, efforts to address them are important. To ensure the quality of your water, it is a good idea to install a reliable filtration system from Cooper’s Water. What sets Cooper’s Water apart is our long track record and reputation of integrity and honesty, adding to the quality of our services and the professionalism expressed by our staff.
Cooper’s Water has served Indianapolis and the surrounding areas since 1980. You can depend on us for a wide range of plumbing products and services. Whether you are looking for new filters, plumbing services, or water softeners, we are here to serve you. Contact Cooper’s Water today for professional services in Indianapolis.
