5 Ways Water Treatment Can Improve Your Health

Water is essential. Unfortunately, water can also be a prime source of any number of dangerous contaminants, and the condition of your household water may be in question.

Whether you have municipal water or a well, using a residential water treatment system for your home can effectively remove many contaminants, providing cleaner, safer water.

Eliminates the Need for Fabric Softener

Certain ingredients in fabric softeners, including chemicals, artificial fragrances, and dyes, can cause skin or respiratory irritation in some people. Even if they don’t cause a noticeable reaction, some people simply prefer to avoid exposing themselves or their families to these elements.

Hard water can leave your clothing with white streaks or feeling stiff, either of which can make fabric softener seem unavoidable. Installing a water softener is a safe alternative. It removes excessive minerals that cause hard water. Once you start washing your laundry with soft water, you’ll find that you can leave the fabric softener behind.

Reduces Lead Levels

Until the United States government prohibited its use in 1986, lead pipes were standard in residential and industrial plumbing. Even though inhalation is the most dangerous form of lead exposure, lead can also enter your body through ingestion or skin absorption.

If you’re drinking, cooking with or bathing in water that has unsafe levels of lead, you could experience symptoms such as…

• Headaches

• Weakness

• Irritability

• Decrease in appetite

• Memory problems

Lead can also reach an unborn baby through the mother’s placenta, and the fetus’s delicate nervous system is vulnerable to damage. A reverse osmosis or distillation system are the most effective treatment methods against lead—nanofiltration is also moderately effective. Lead is a serious issue when it comes to water quality, so be sure to contact a professional if you live in an older home and are worried about the quality of your water or plumbing.

Removes Arsenic

Arsenic is an environmental element that occurs naturally in rocks, soil, water, and air. In large or cumulative amounts, arsenic is poisonous and can be fatal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists arsenic as a known human carcinogen that can have negative effects on the neurological system, respiratory system, skin, liver function, and gastrointestinal tract.

Classified as a metalloid substance, most basic filtration systems aren’t equipped to remove arsenic from drinking water. Distillation is the most effective method for removing arsenic, but reverse osmosis and advanced nanofiltration can also help reduce the amount of arsenic in your water.

Filters Out Contaminants That Can Harm Gastrointestinal Health

Certain protozoa, bacteria, and viruses can make their way into your drinking water and cause gastrointestinal illness. According to statistics from the CDC, these microbes are a few of the most common causes of waterborne gastrointestinal illness in the United States.

• Giardia

• E. coli

• Cryptosporidium

• Legionella

• Norovirus

Symptoms that frequently accompany a gastrointestinal infection include:

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Moderate to severe abdominal pain

• Nausea

• Dehydration

If these symptoms are left untreated or occur repeatedly, they can be fatal. This risk is especially high for the elderly, young children, or those with compromised immune systems.

Reverse osmosis, distillation, and ultraviolet (UV) treatments are the most effective methods for removing or neutralizing protozoa, bacteria, and viruses.

Purifies Contaminated Groundwater

Depending on your geographical location, natural sources of contamination can cause unsafe drinking water. This issue is particularly concerning for homeowners with wells since their water doesn’t pass through a municipal water department.

Nitrites and Nitrates

Agricultural products like fertilizer are the main culprit for elevated nitrites and nitrates, but excessive waste products from animals or even human sewage can find their way into the groundwater supply. At high exposure levels, nitrites and nitrates can reduce your blood’s capacity to carry oxygen.

Distillation is the most effective method for removing nitrates and nitrates, and reverse osmosis can also be helpful.

Heavy Metals

In addition to lead and arsenic, other heavy metals such as copper, cadmium, selenium, and antimony can be present in groundwater at harmful levels. These metals can cause various health problems, including kidney damage, liver damage, and cancer.

Distillation reliably removes most metallic elements, and reverse osmosis is effective against certain heavy metals.

Radioactive Elements

While nuclear power plants and mining operations are the primary sources of radioactive materials in groundwater, these elements also occur in naturally higher concentrations in certain parts of the world. Exposure to high levels of radioactive elements could cause kidney damage and potentially lead to cancer.

Reverse osmosis is the most effective method for reducing radioactive materials in drinking water.

An in-home water treatment system can provide you and your family with healthy water for drinking, bathing, and cooking at a fraction of the cost of buying bottled water. Different water treatment methods are effective in reducing or removing different impurities, and testing is the only way to know for certain what contaminants may be present in your water and which system is the right choice for your needs.

Whether you’re interested in getting your water tested, a reverse osmosis system, water filtration system, or UV water treatment, let Advanced Home Services help you get started on the road to better water and better health.

To schedule your appointment, call 208-745-9406.