Health experts emphasize the importance of drinking quality water. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.8 billion people drink contaminated water. This results in disease outbreaks like cholera and diarrhea. In extreme cases, death is possible.
Although municipal water facilities across the nation carry out water quality schemes, it’s best to be on the safe side. It begs the question; how do you improve water quality at home to reduce and eliminate diseases to protect your loved ones?
Here’s a guide on how to do it. Keep on reading to learn more.
- Research About Different Water-Cleaning Solutions
Researching available solutions to a problem is the first important step to take. It allows you access to helpful information that gives room for you to pick the best option possible. Some water treatment systems you’ll find are water aeration, water filters, and so on. A water softener is also an option available that your family can take advantage of.
When conducting research on possible water cleaning solutions you can use, find out the ease of use, costs, resources you need to implement it, availability, and so on of each one. You’ll find these pieces of information online; your chosen vendor or plumber can give you much-needed details too.
- Assess Your Water’s Current Quality
Assess your water at home to identify the impurities you’re going to handle. There are different ways to test your water: you can employ a test strip, carry out a visual or smell test, and so on.
To do the test strip method, fetch water in a container and add the strip. The strip will change color and indicate the impurity in your water, depending on the strip model. A lab test can also be carried out wherein you collect a water sample and send it to a testing facility.
On the other hand, you can rely on your senses to check the quality of your water.
Looking at the water is another way to identify impurities. Brown-colored water showcases the presence of sediments, green shows algae presence, with red or orange indicating the presence of rust. Suppose the water appears blue-green or black. It’s possible that copper and lead respectively are present.
In addition, high-quality water should have no smell. If your water has a foul smell, like rotten eggs, it probably contains hydrogen sulfide.
Lastly, you can request a water quality report from your municipal water provider. Most of the time, they have these records on hand, and they’ll be more than glad to furnish you with a copy.
- Carry Out Regular Plumbing System Upkeep
Households rely on plumbing systems to transport water from the municipal water provider to all of the taps indoors and outdoors. This shows the impact the plumbing system plays on your water’s quality. It’s recommended that you make sure that your plumbing is in top condition at all times.
Maintenance encompasses cleaning, repairing, and replacing of defective pipes in your residence’s plumbing. The better you maintain your plumbing, the better quality of water you’ll enjoy.
Did you know that your house’s plumbing can get dirty too? Slime and debris can get stuck on the insides of pipes – both provide the perfect environment for algae growth. Hence, it’s important to flush your plumbing pipes clean with water at high pressures regularly.
Do keep in mind that plumbing pipes are made of various materials, like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to steel. The pipe’s material has an impact on your water in the long term. For example, steel plumbing pipes are likely to rust over time. The rust will mix with your water, giving it a metallic taste. Your water supply will turn red or brown too, depending on the quantity of rust present. Once you spot any of the aforementioned, replace your rusted pipes immediately.
A licensed professional plumber can aid you in regularly inspecting your plumbing pipes. With their expertise and tools, they’ll be able to identify issues and rectify them to prevent a decline in water quality.
- Properly Dispose Of Household Waste
Waste is one of the major causes of water impurities. The waste ends up in the water source and later in your tap water.
Wastes that greatly increase water contamination are hazardous ones from industries and non-biodegradable garbage like plastic bottles. Hazardous waste contains chemicals, from lead to copper to steel.
By reducing and properly disposing of waste, you reduce their entry into water systems. The result is increased water quality.
- Boil Your Water
Some techniques, like filtration, might leave minute particles in the filtered water. To further improve the quality of your drinking water, boil it for around a minute. Boiling kills disease-causing organisms before you consume water.
Conclusion
The discussion above has established the importance of quality water at home. Further, it has guided you on how you can improve water quality at home. Be sure to implement this guide in protecting yourself and your loved ones from the dangers of using unsafe and impure water.