Contaminants That May Be in Your Home’s Water

Boy drinking a glass of water Do you know what is in the water you and your family drink every day and use to bathe, cook, and clean? Maybe you don’t want to know—but it’s vital for the health of your household to have any harmful contaminants removed.

Below is a list of some of the more common waterborne pollutants that may be traveling through your freshwater plumbing at this moment. As you read these, keep in mind that there are solutions to these problems.

Lead

This is the most frightening pollutant for people because of how often it happens and how much it appears in the news. Lead can enter drinking water because of corroded pipes and corrosion on lead soldering on faucets. If your home was built before 1986, it may have lead pipes, fixtures, and solders. We recommend making plumbing upgrades to avoid problems with lead, which can be harmful to children and pregnant women.

Nitrates

Nitrates come from fertilizer used in agriculture and gardening. They can enter into drinking water through rain, irrigation, and surface water. Nitrates can cause a number of health problems, and as with lead, the danger is highest for children and pregnant women.

Heavy metals

Heavy metals include arsenic, mercury, cadmium, chromium, and thallium. (Lead is also one of the heavy metals.) These metals all part of the earth’s crust, which makes it easy for them to get inside the drinking water. A high concentration of different heavy metals can cause health risks such as damage to the brain and the nervous system (mercury) and damage to the kidney and liver (chromium). A number of filters, such as reverse osmosis systems, can deal with heavy metals.

Hard Water Minerals

Hard water is common in many parts of the country. It occurs because groundwater seepage allows minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and gypsum to enter municipal freshwater pipes. There’s some trace amount of these minerals in all water, but when the levels rise too high the water is considered “hard.” These minerals aren’t harmful to ingest—but they gradually wreck plumbing systems, shorten water heater lifespans, and make it difficult to clean and wash. A whole-house water softener can fix this.

Hydrogen Sulfide

This is a gas that can enter drinking water and create an unpleasant “rotten egg” smell you’ve probably encountered before. Although it’s not harmful, it isn’t something you want in your home.

Bacteria

A range of bacteria, including the dreaded E. coli, can be found in drinking water because of sewage contamination. These are among the most dangerous pollutants that may infiltrate drinking water and one of the reasons we urge people to have regular water testing. Eliminating bacteria can be done with special UV purification systems as well as other types of powerful filters.

We want you and your family to enjoy the freshest, healthiest water possible for your home. That’s why we offer services such as water testing and the installation of water purification systems in Clovis, NM. If you have concerns about water quality, arrange for water testing with us. We can tell you exactly what’s in your water—and what can be done about it.