Even though you cannot see them, there are many potential dangers in Home Drinking Water. Whether you get your tap water from a public source or from a private well, it may contain serious health hazards in the form of biological contaminants. Some of these contaminants occur naturally, but are nonetheless, very dangerous to the health of you and your family. Conversely, some of these contaminants are the result of industrial, manufacturing, mining, or agricultural run-off and leakage. You cannot see or smell most of these biological contaminants, so you must protect yourself by properly filtering your tap water. In addition, you should test your tap water on a regular basis.
The United States EPA has established standards for 90 contaminants in Home Drinking Water. If the water that you drink meets these criteria, it will be safe to drink. However, infants, children, ill people, and people with suppressed immune systems, need to be more careful than normal healthy adults.
Here are some of the most common biological contaminants in tap water…
The presence of certain micro-organisms can give a good indication of the quality of your water.
First, a Word about “Indicator” Parameters…
A parameter is an analytical term for a substance of organism that is being tested for. In other words it is one of the metals, or chemicals, or bacteria which are being tested. For example if you test for lead and copper, then lead and copper are known as ‘parameters’. So an “indicator” parameter is a parameter which signals the presence of pollution. Coliform bacteria are an indicator parameter. Its presence in your water indicates a water pollution problem.
Water pollution caused by fecal contamination is a serious problem due to the potential for contracting diseases from pathogens (which are disease causing organisms). It is not always practical to test for pathogens in every water sample collected. Instead, the presence of pathogens is determined with indirect evidence by testing for an "indicator" organism such as coliform bacteria. Coliforms are relatively easy to identify and are usually present in larger numbers than more dangerous pathogens. As a result, testing for coliform bacteria can be a reasonable indication of whether other pathogenic bacteria are present.
Fecal Coliforms:
Description: Coliforms indicate fecal contamination of the water source, typically from animals grazing in the watershed area. If there are a high number of these organisms it indicates that the water supply has been contaminated.
Danger: Home Drinking Water containing fecal coliforms can cause severe gastrointestinal problems including vomiting, diarrhea, and cramps.
Treatment: The risk of infection from these organisms is easily removed by the traditional disinfection processes of chlorination and ultra violet disinfection.
Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia:
Description: These contaminants are a single-celled animal or a protozoan. They come from water contaminated by human or animal fecal waste. For example, in many small ponds which contain beavers, the water may be teaming with Cryptosporidium parvum. Both of these organisms create protective oocysts which are resistant to traditional disinfection processes.
Danger: Home Drinking Water containing these protozoa can cause severe gastrointestinal problems including vomiting, diarrhea, and cramps. This can be especially dangerous to people with reduced immune systems or infants or elderly. Prolonged diarrhea can lead to dehydration and exposure.
Treatment: Cryptosporidium and Giardia is not reduced by chlorination and other traditional methods. You need to get professional assistance to effectively remove it by micro-filtration or other more advanced techniques.
Escherichia coli or E. coli:
Environmental Protection Agency
Description: E.coli is a bacterium which if often associated with contaminated beef, but it is also an emerging cause of waterborne illness. Fecal coliforms are bacteria that are associated with human or animal wastes. They usually live in human or animal intestinal tracts, and their presence in Home Drinking Water is a strong indication of recent sewage or animal waste contamination.
Danger: It is estimated that 73,000 cases of infection and 61 deaths occur in the United States each year as a result of E. coli. Infection can often result in severe diarrhea, and occasionally to kidney failure. In 1999, people became sick after drinking contaminated water in Washington County, New York and swimming in contaminated water in Clark County, Washington.
Treatment: E. coli can be killed in a variety of ways; the contaminated water can be treated using chlorine, ultra-violet light, or ozone. Water systems which use surface water as a water sources are required by law to disinfect their water. This disinfection ensures that all bacterial contamination is inactivated.
Nitrates and Nitrites:
Description: Nitrate contamination is most often found in areas of high agricultural activity. They are often the result of excess fertilizer use, animal waste, and other run-off.
Danger: Nitrates are especially dangerous to children under 6 months of age. Exposure to nitrates in Home Drinking Water at levels above the Home Drinking Water standard may result in "blue baby syndrome," in infants under six months. “Blue baby syndrome” is life-threatening without immediate medical attention. This occurs when babies drink formula mixed with tap water that is high in nitrates. By boiling water, the level of nitrates is increased, due to a concentration effect.
Treatment: Reverse osmosis, distillation, or ion exchange systems can all be used to treat water to remove nitrate. However, these treatment systems are expensive and usually require the services of a professional environmental firm.
Other sources of contamination: These include pesticides, soil, lead, chlorine, iron, copper, chloride, suphate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, arsenic, zinc, radon, atrazine, triazine, sulfur, sodium, and simizine. However, contamination with the natural elements is determined by amounts that exceed normal levels already found naturally in the water. Arsenic levels in US and world drinking water is on the rise and raising serious concern. Recent studies have shown that the use of the bracken fern in filtration to be the best treatment. In US scientific testing, the fern absorbed 14-64 times the original amount of arsenic compared to other filters and plants. Scientists are awaiting approval to begin bracken fern filter production.
Sources: EPA.Gov
Water Industry.Org
H2o Kits.Com
APS Water.Com
Co. Portage.WI.US
