Common Water Problems

What types of water problems are common?

Hardness in your water.
Hardness is dissolved rock and minerals like calcium and magnesium. Water hardness causes scale build-up in your pipes, washing machine, automatic dishwasher and hot water heater. Using hard water in your home can cost you up to 26% more in electrical bills, and up to 80% more in soaps and cleansing products. Not to mention the costly replacement of plumbing, water using appliances (ice makers), dishes and clothing. Try to bath or shower in hard water and it can leave your skin feeling dry and itchy, and your hair feeling dry and like straw.>
Iron and Rust in your water.
Iron and rust in your water is picked up from underground sources as rain water fitters down through the ground on its way to our aquifers. Iron and rust makes your water taste and smell metallic. It will stain your toilets rusty red, etch your china, corrode your washing machine and plug your pipes. it can ruin your hot water heater in less than a year, and will stain rusty red. Try and take a bath or shower and your skin feels dirty even after you have used tons of soap.
Tannic Acid in your water.
Tannic adds stain and discolor your water and cause it to look yellow and even green in some cases. Tannic acids are caused by decaying organic matter on the grounds surface that is leached into the ground aquifers via rain and runoff. Tannic acid in your water can stain clothing, appliances, and build up in your plumbing system over a short period of time.
Sulfur (Hydrogen Sulfide) in your water.
Hydrogen sulfide is a gas that causes an obnoxious rotten egg odor in your water. Hydrogen sulfide is caused by rotting and decaying organic matter in the underground aquifer. Hydrogen sulfide will ruin your silverware, plug your appliances, and generally stink up your whole house.
Chlorine in your water.
If your water comes from a public water supply, it probably has chlorine in it. The water utilities add chlorine to the water for disinfection purposes. Chlorine in your water can cause a swimming pool odor, and can be less than desirable to bath in, cook with, or drink. It is well documented that when you add chlorine to water containing organic matter (tannic add) it can form carcinogenic chemicals like Trihalomethanes. Some experts now believe that even the inhalation of these vapors may not be healthy. Public water supplies from surface water plants ( lakes, reservoirs ) can also contain deadly Cryptosporidium < Click for more information. Chlorine can also destroy the rubber components in a water softener ( and your plumbing ). Sodium Chloride (Salt) in your water.
Sodium chloride (salt) occurs naturally in our ground water and some water systems even add more. Salt is an essential element of life but most experts agree that we probably get more than enough in our diet and do not need more in our drinking and cooking water. if your on a salt free or salt restricted diet, you should not have any additional salt in your water.
Contamination in your water.
Contamination can be caused by many things. Some of the more common causes are improperly functioning septic tanks, leaking underground storage tanks, the use of fertilizers, the use of pesticides, animal waste, bacteria, virus, improperly disposed chemicals, organic and inorganic chemicals. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has established a list of both Primary and Secondary Drinking Water Standards and the WQA has a list of recognized treatment methods for meeting those standards.

Also see Common Water Problems