Drinking Water Contamination
Drinking water contamination is a growing problem worldwide and dwindling freshwater resources are under increasing pressure due to pollution and population growth. In fact, the leading cause of epidemic disease in developing countries comes from drinking impure, contaminated water.
But water contamination problems are not solely the concern of non-industrialized nations. For people that live in progressive, industrialized nations, access to clean drinking water is something often taken for granted. Agricultural runoff, careless use of chemicals, the growth of cities in desert climates, and more all add up to intense pressure on a precious commodity that each of us needs on a daily basis.
Here is a concise listing of types of drinking water contamination, how the contaminants get into water, and what you can do to filter these out of the water that you need for drinking, cooking, and cleaning.
Pesticides
- How they get into drinking water.
- How to remove them from your drinking water.
Pesticides enter the environment as herbicides, algaecides, fungicides, and other agricultural applications. These chemicals are applied to crops to deter crop loss and soak into underground aquifers and enter rivers and streams from runoff when it rains.
When ingested in food and drinking water, these chemicals produce a wide range of ailments from mild rashes and headaches to organ failure and cancer. Whether organic or inorganic compounds, these man-made chemicals become more of a problem year after year as agricultural workers use them to help ensure crop yields.
The most effective way of removing pesticides from your drinking water is a combination of two different filtering methods:
1. Install a Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) system so that the carbon will absorb some of the pollutants.
2. Install a Reverse Osmosis system so that the contaminants are trapped as they pass through a membrane.
Pathogens
- How they get into drinking water.
- How to remove them from your drinking water.
Pathogens is a very broad term describing bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and other organisms that may or may not occur naturally in drinking water. Cryptosporidium and E. coli are examples of pathogens that get a lot of attention in the media because there are occasional outbreaks of these pathogens in water supplies across the U.S. and other parts of the world.
The most common way that these get into drinking water is from fecal matter from sewage discharges, leaking septic tanks, and runoff from livestock feedlots. If ingested, they can cause polio, cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, infectious hepatitis, and a host of other health problems ranging from mild intestinal discomfort to death.
There is no single solution to removing pathogens from drinking water and a lot depends on the volume of water that you must treat. A combination of different types of treatment is often the best approach.
1. Boiling water for at least five minutes is one way to lessen the impact of pathogens, but this is a short-term solution, and the dead bodies of pathogens still impart a significant level of toxicity.
2. Ultraviolet water filters are effective at killing the pathogens most of the time but, again, you have the toxicity of the bodies of the dead pathogens which must be removed by another type of filter.
3. There are new multi-stage, multi-barrier water filters on the market that will remove almost all pathogens, but they can be expensive and require regular maintenance.
Industrial Pollutants
- How they get into drinking water.
- How to remove them from your drinking water.
Industrial water pollutants are the byproducts of all sorts of manufacturing from plastics to gasoline production to everyday cleaning chemicals. They enter the environment from leaking storage tanks, improper waste disposal, and industrial runoff.
When ingested, these chemicals cause numerous symptoms from dizziness and headaches to nervous and reproductive system failures, cancer, organ failure, and death. Most of the drinking water all over the world has at least some type of industrial pollutant present.
Yet again, there is no single approach that will remove industrial pollutants from drinking water but this combination of filters does remove the majority of chemicals for your home water use:
1. Install a Granulated Activated Carbon system so that the carbon can absorb most of the chemicals.
2. Install a Reverse Osmosis System so that the water is filtered through a series of membranes which trap most chemicals.
Summary
As more and more of us become aware of what our drinking water really contains, we are increasingly interested in what we can do to protect ourselves and our families. The solution for most homes is a series of different types of water filters that are each designed to effectively reduce a specific kind of pollutant.
Please remember that no matter what system or systems that you choose for your home, the only way for your filter(s) to remain effective over time is by timely maintenance and replacement of filter media. Consult your owner�s manual regularly for specific information on how to keep your water filter performing properly and protecting your family.