When people experience an upset stomach their first thought isn’t usually that it was something they drank, but rather, something they ate. Even further from thought is the idea that your tap water could be causing you an upset stomach.
Generally, tap water is fairly safe to drink, especially if it comes from your local municipality. But if you use a well or are finding that your municipal water is causing you issues, it may time to call experienced and caring plumbing contractors to perform water-quality tests for you.
Potential Issues with Your Local Water
Whether you’re using municipal water or well-water, there are a few reasons why you might want to get your water checked by a licensed plumber:
- Foul orders (i.e., fishy, grassy, or chemical)
- Unpleasant taste
- Potential containments (i.e., from nearby farms)
- Discolouration or a frothy, cloudy texture
There’s also the potential of having issues with hard water (high in mineral-content) that can cause a number of problems in your home, like:
- Spotty dishes
- Leftover soap scum
- Soap failing to lather properly
- Scale deposits forming in water-using appliances or pipes, reducing water flow
Your Local Plumber Has a Solution
After sending water samples back to a lab, tests will be conducted to determine if there are any issues with your water; whether bacteria is present, local containments, or substances that are causing unpleasant tastes or odours. They’ll also do tests to determine whether or not your local water is safe to drink.
From there, depending on the issues you have, they can install home water filtration or water softener systems, as well as treatment systems that use reverse osmosis (a process where water is demineralized or deionized by pushing it through a kind of membrane) to remove smelly additives from your water supply.
If your issue is hard water, then your local plumber can install a water softener system for you instead. These work by using ion exchange technology to replace excess calcium and magnesium ions with sodium and potassium ions. The exchange will soften your water and make it easier on your skin, clothes, dishes, and appliances.
Who is Responsible?
When it comes to municipal water, your local authorities need to ensure water-quality safety-standards, but if you own a well, that’s instead your responsibility to manage. Though, even if you drink municipal water, it might be worth it to get it tested – especially if you notice any of the above issues.
This is because in some rare cases communities may be lacking the proper water treatment necessary to ensure that the local water is safe to drink. Some of them may only have one form of water treatment, or in the worst case, none – even though researchers suggest implementing multiple, fail-safe treatment options.
If you suspect that your local water is lacking in quality and causing you potential health-problems, then calling a licensed plumber to get your water tested is definitely worth it. They’ll be able to determine the source of the problem as well as present you with a solution that will best suit your needs.
