It is a shame that this is the case, but if you live in the US today, then there is a very good chance you are one of the millions of Americans who are reported as being dissatisfied with the quality of municipal tap water.
The potential problems here are multifarious, and they depend on where you live in the country, the type of plumbing you have installed, and the chemical pollution in your local area. In some cases, it is down to contaminants.
A National Problem
While it is important to stress that all American municipal water does come with pretty strict quality controls and is certainly treated and regulated (this is no third world country), it’s also important to note that this process and these regulations are not always up to the standards of the people actually drinking the water.
One of the major problems is contamination. That is, additional substances – often harmful substances – that find their way into municipal water. realtors out of Salt Lake City, CityHome Collective, also say that water contamination is vital to check for if you’re buying a property because it is a problem that is at once costly to remedy and not immediate visible when viewing a property.
From arsenic from the ground to lead in the plumbing, and from certain heavy minerals that are not removed (and thereby create hard water) to copper contamination which can arise from degraded pipes, there are many harmful things that could be contaminating your water.
While it is important to stress that water treatment is sufficient to ensure that your health is never going to be seriously damaged in the short term, many are genuinely concerned with the long-term effects of these contaminants.
Moreover, this is one of the reasons why millions across the country invest in alternative water sources, something that CityHome Collective say can actually turn a value-sapping water problem into a value-boosting water plus – home sellers take note!
A Word About “Contamination”
However, before going any further, we should certainly say something about the contaminants in tap water, specifically that they are not always bad. Unless you are drinking purified or highly filtered water, there will be some contaminants, but these are not always bad.
The minerals within mineral water are technically contaminants, but many of these benefit your health.
Signs Your Water Could Be Contaminated
Ultimately, how you tell your water is contaminated depends on what it’s contaminated with. Here are some things to look out for:
Reddish Brown Color
If your tap water has a reddish-brown color, then you could have copper or iron contamination. This is fairly serious problem and is likely to be located in your plumbing. If you have degraded iron pipes, rust could be contaminating the water. If the area around you has a high copper presence, then it could be coming from the water itself.
Calcium Deposits (And Metallic Taste)
This is a clear sign that your water is too hard. You can also test this by seeing how easily it lathers (hard water does not). While not immediately dangerous, this will make your water taste funny, and it will be difficult to wash with.
Low Water Pressure
Low water pressure can be caused by other things, so you should eliminate those possibilities. But one of the most common indicators that your pipes are clogged with material deposits from contaminants is a low water pressure.
Once you have identified a contamination problem, the next step is doing something about it. That could be fixing the problem – or getting your water from somewhere else entirely.