The Most Common Drinking Water Contaminants

With the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, it has never been more important to monitor your drinking water. Today. we'll take a look at the most common water contaminant, and what you can do to stop it affecting your family.

The water contaminant making all the headlines at the moment is lead. Lead is particularly dangerous because it is odorless, invisible, and has little effect on how water tastes. The corrosion of old water pipes, which use lead based solder, is the main cause of lead water pollution in homes. To truly know whether your home has a problem, you must get in contact with your local water authority. Statistics should be supplied online. Lead is particularly harmful to the young and pregnant, but its effects should not be taken lightly by anyone. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have set the danger threshold of lead in water at 15 parts per billion, but the vulnerable should be wary of levels even close to this.

So, how do we keep unwanted lead away from our water?

1) Traditional cures like boiling water can work killing viruses, but have absolutely no impact on the removal of lead from water. If your local water supply has a problem with lead contamination, then the best solution is a home water filter. There are various types of water filter, each with their own method of filtration, and positive and negative effects. The most powerful from of home water filtration is reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis filters down to 0.001 microns, which is a much more stringent process than other types of water filter. This means that any particle bigger than 0.001 will not be allowed to pass into the drinking supply. Lead particles range in size from 0.1 to 0.7 microns, so are easily "picked up" by the reverse osmosis filter.

2) Limit your interaction with hot water in your home. While the cold water supply might contain traces of lead, the hot water pipes will likely have much higher readings for lead pollution.

3) Flush your water pipes for a few minutes before using the water. Lead tends to leech into you water when it sits in the tank or pipes for long periods of time. By running the water before using it, you can limit the amount of lead that leeches into the water.

It's never been more important to know exactly what is in your drinking water. If you are concerned about the state of your water supply, then learning more about what reverse osmosis systems are available is a good start. Remember that just because your water looks and tastes good, doesn't mean that it's not doing you and your family harm. You can get information about what your state is doing to tackle the lead problem at The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Unfortunately, not every state has such high standards for water purity, and by taking initiative you can protect yourself and your family.



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