The lead contamination of Flint, Michigan’s water supply put the spotlight on the importance of clean, healthy water everywhere, including your desert home. Do you know how to make sure the water coming out of your home’s tap is safe to drink?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, between 10 percent and 20 percent of Americans’ exposure to lead comes from contaminated water. Because lead accumulates in the body over time, even low levels of lead can eventually become toxic to the body.
Is my water at risk for lead contamination?
It doesn’t matter whether your water comes from a well on your property or from a public water system, putting your water to the test is the only way to make sure it is healthy to drink. While public water systems do their own testing as part of their monitoring procedures, water quality can vary from home to home. Testing your water is especially important if your home has lead pipes or your non-plastic plumbing was installed before 1986. And there is no way to see, taste or smell lead dissolved in water.
If you use a municipal water supplier, you can ask for a copy of their Consumer Confidence Report, which is required to be conducted on a regular basis. Safe levels of lead in the water should be below 15 parts per billion. If you have well water, it is important to test that water when the well is new and then again when there is a pregnant woman, an infant or even a child under the age of 18 living in the home.
The only way to really know the quality of the water coming out of your faucet is by testing it. Simple tests are available for at your local home improvement store. For a more thorough water test, your local or state drinking water authority can provide you with a list of certified laboratories.
The Centers for Disease Control suggest two ways to remove lead from drinking water: Reverse Osmosis or Distillation. Reverse osmosis is a simple and economical way to protect your household drinking water by filtering out contaminants like lead. Reverse Osmosis can remove 99.1% of lead in water. Distillation is a very slow process and requires a lot of energy from a heat source, so it’s not the optimal process.
In addition to lead, Reverse Osmosis systems also remove other impurities such as Fluoride, Chlorine and Chloramine, Pesticides, Detergents and Nitrates & Sulfates. They also have a very high effectiveness in removing parasites such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia, bacteria such as Campylobacter, E Coli, Salmonella and Shigella and viruses including Enteric, Hepatitis A, Norovirus and Rotavirus.
Kowality Plumbing is your quality source for Reverse Osmosis, Water Filter Systems, Water Softeners and Phyn Plus – Moen Flo – Stream Labs, (smart water monitoring and auto shut off devices) throughout the East Valley.
For More Information, Call 602-653-9230
Email: kowalityplumbing@gmail.com ~ Website: www.kowalityplumbing.com
Licensed, Bonded & Insured ~ ROC #264507 – Plumbing & ROC #322353 – Excavation