Shockingly millions of Americans are still exposed to unsafe drinking water in the US. Towns such as Pittsburgh and Detroit, that are primarily industrial still have poor water quality today, despite technological developments. In fact, unsafe levels of lead in water supplies in this area of the United States has been linked to serious medical conditions and sadly they’re not alone when it comes to bad drinking water. In 2014, families in Michigan were effectively poisoned when lead began to seep into the pipes supplying water to homes. Moreover, in Dos Palos, California, toxic chemicals have been found in water, which has been linked to cancer and kidney problems, and in 2016, a 1.3 billion-gallon reservoir in Newburgh New York was found to contain a dangerous pollutant called perfluorobutane sulfonate, which has also been linked to cancer. (1) So it’s no wonder that so many people across the country are concerned about poor water quality.
The fact is, we rely on others to provide us with clean, hygienic and safe water to drink, wash and clean with, but sometimes things can go wrong, leading to a drop in the quality of our water supply. From ageing pipes, industrial leaks and water pollution, water can easily become contaminated in many ways. In addition, hard water can also cause problems. Hard water is not necessarily life-threatening but it can cause excessive limescale build-up on kitchen appliances and in bathrooms, and it can trigger skin problems such as pimples, acne and in some cases Eczema. Hard water can damage our skin, hair and make cleaning a daunting task.
So if you’re concerned about poor water quality and you want to learn more about how you can test your water at home, this article is for you!
More>> Hard water versus soft water
Do Your Research First
If you think the water from your kitchen taps and bathroom is either polluted or hard, you first should do your homework. Thankfully when it comes to water quality, there are plenty of free resources online that you can use to analyse how good the water is in your neighbourhood. To start digging into the quality of water in your local area, you can simply Google your postcode and the phrase ‘water quality report’, to find a link to access your neighbourhood’s water quality report for free. For example, if you google 90210 and water quality report you’ll find a link to the latest Beverly Hills report, detailing their findings and recommendations on how to access clean water and how you can avoid contaminants such as lead. (2)
Being able to read through this official document will help give you a good idea of how good the water is in your area, along with some useful advice on how to purify your water at home, should there be anything polluting it. In the reports, you can also find data relating to the hardness of your water, by grain per gallon. This will help you to figure out whether your tap water is soft or hard. However, this information can often be a little overwhelming to take in, so it might be better to purchase an easy to use water test online that will reveal whether your water is hard or not.
Alternatively, you can also use the EPA’s clickable and interactive water quality map to find data relating to your water provider and state.
Buy A Hard Water Test Online
Some people prefer to purchase a cheap hard water test online in order to check whether their water supply is giving them hard of soft water at home. You can buy a hard water test for as little as $5 from Amazon which should give you the results you’re looking for. The test kit will measure your water quality using a simple soap. Often these kits include a little bottle, with a line marked on it. All you need to do is simply fill the bottle up with water from your tap, to the line, and add a drop of simple soap. You then shake up the bottle and look for lather or suds. If the water fails to bubble, and it appears cloudy or milky, you probably have hard water coming from your taps. Although hard water can be annoying, it doesn’t mean your water is contaminated with other nasties, just that there is a high concentration of calcium and magnesium present. In saying this, just because water is soft, doesn’t mean it isn’t contaminated with something else. That’s why you need to pay attention to the color, taste and smell of the water too.
Hard water can damage your skin and hair, and make washing a nightmare. As your water contains a high level of minerals, it will react differently to shampoo, conditioner, body wash and soap. If you’re not getting the lather you once did, or you start experiencing dandruff or thinning hair, it could be down to your water. For many people, poor water quality can cause anxiety, but there is something you can do to improve hard water.
However, if it’s contaminants and things like lead that are making you worry, the best approach is to contact EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline, to put you in touch with a local water testing agency. They should be able to test your water quality and provide you with a detailed report, giving you complete peace of mind.
Next Steps If You’re Water Quality Is Bad
If you find after much research or a $5 water testing kit that you have hard water at home, don’t panic, there are systems that you can install at home to upgrade your level of water. At FilterSmart we specialise in developing and installing salt-free water softening systems. Using all-natural coconut shell filtration, our systems can effectively remove existing scale deposits without the need for chemicals or salt. Removing chemicals and excessive minerals from your tap water, if you are looking to improve your water quality at home, feel free to visit our website and learn more about our FilerSmart Salt Free water softener systems.
References:
1: https://www.businessinsider.nl/cities-worst-tap-water-us-2019-3?international=true&r=US
