The following is a list of the some of the most common water contaminants found in household water supplies.

Chlorine

If you’re hooked up to a municipal water system, you’ll almost definitely have chlorine in your water. Chlorine is an economical and effective method of removing waterborne illnesses from water supplies, but, research is beginning to show that Chlorine is also likely responsible for some types of cancer as well as certain heart attacks.

Lead

Lead can be present in household water supplies as a result of lead pipes in your home, the previous use of lead solder in plumbing systems with copper pipes, or, if you have some types of brass faucets or fittings. Having even a small amount of lead in your water can be particularly dangerous for small children and pregnant women.

Arsenic

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element but can also be introduced into your water supply through agricultural and industrial activity. If present in your drinking water, arsenic can cause a great deal of health issues including cancers and neurological disorders.

Bacteria

While bacteria can be present in any water system, it is most likely that you’d find bacteria in a water supply fed from a well. There are many different types of bacteria that can enter your water supply but the most popular are a group known as Coliform Bacteria. While some of these bacteria are harmful when ingested, many of the types of bacteria contained in this group are harmless and won’t cause you to become ill. However, they are indicators of a problem in your water supply.

Mercury

Mercury is present in many fresh water lakes and rivers in our country as a result of pollution. This also means that mercury is often present in many public and private water supply systems. Regular ingestion of mercury can cause problems with your kidneys, your brain, and it’s very harmful to developing fetuses.

VOC's (Volatile Organic Compound)

VOC's are a problem for both municipal and private water systems. They result from pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals that enter the ground water in a variety of ways from spills to vaporization. VOCs can cause irritation to your skin and mucous membranes and high levels of exposure can cause central nervous system depression. Common VOCs include MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether – a gas additive), PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls), and Benzene.

Fluoride

While Fluoride does often help prevent tooth decay, many dentists no longer believe that it is nearly as effective when added to drinking water as when actually applied to the teeth. Fluoride can also have some benefits for bones, however, when its levels are too high in the water supply, Fluoride can actually cause problems for both bones and teeth. For these reasons, many do wish to remove Fluoride from their water supply.

MTBE

MTBE or Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether is a gasoline additive used in many states. Unfortunately, MTBE is also a threat to ground water supplies because it easily dissolves in water. This means, if gas with MTBE added to it leaks from an underground storage tank, is spilled during an auto accident, or is released in any other way, the MTBE will quickly spread to the surrounding ground water thereby contaminating the local water supply.

Zinc

Zinc is a metal, often found in nature as part of other minerals. Zinc is also found in many foods and is an important element for maintaining health and even resisting illness. However, like anything, if too much Zinc is ingested or absorbed by your body, it can cause health problems. Some of the effects of an over consumption of Zinc include stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, anemia, damage to the pancreas and decreased levels of HDL cholesterol.

Copper

Copper is a fairly common element in our lives, and a necessary part of our diet. However, if you are exposed to elevated levels of Copper there can be some very negative health effects including vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and nausea. In infants and young children the negative effects of Copper can be even more intense and include kidney and/or liver damage.

Remove or reduce your house's drinking water contaminants with one of our water filter systems.