Water is extremely important to our bodies. It prevents us from dehydration and increases our energy levels. Many people are actually dehydrated and are not even aware of it. Chronic dehydration has been called the hidden epidemic and an estimated 75% of all North Americans are chronically dehydrated. Some people simply do not like the taste of water. This could actually be due to a problem with your home?s water source and not distaste for water.
The high rate of pollution in water
Although we are told that city water sources are safe for drinking, this is not always the case. There have been many news stories about polluted drinking water sources. Additionally, over 500,000 tons of pollutants pour into lakes and rivers each day in the U.S. alone. Even with minimum city and state standards, your drinking water source could contain traces of these contaminants. Not only do these pollutants make the water taste bad, but they can actually be harmful for you. Fortunately, there are ways to get purer water from your home water source.
Common contaminants in public water sources
Some of the most common pollutants that you will find in public water sources include iron, lead, magnesium, and calcium. Hard water is actually the most common pollutant and is caused by a too high count of mineral salts. Hard water is high in mineral salts, especially calcium and magnesium ions. Water hardness is measured in grains per gallon, with a degree hardness ranging from 1 to over 10. Hard water can have many long term effects on both your body and your home?s surfaces.
How to find out what is in your water source
Bad tasting water does not automatically indicate polluted water. However, it does mean that proper water testing should be completed. The best way to achieve cleaner water is to become aware of it. You can purchase home water tests online or from many local stores. These tests take small samples of your water and test for some of the most common pollutants. If the results show high levels, you can send your water samples out for further testing. These tests inform you of the quality of your water, inform cities of any water testing problems, and allow you to make necessary changes for purer water.
What you can do to improve the quality of your water
So, what do you do when you have high amounts of pollutants in your water source? You can purchase a home water filter system or you can have a commercial water system installed. Commercial water systems are often needed when high pollutants are found in the water source. Even low levels, legal levels, can result in bad tasting water. One of the benefits of a home water filter is that you can easily filter out these contaminants that cause it to taste bad. The installation of a simple filter can leave you with purer water that is clean and tasty.
The importance of regular water tests
Even filters can weaken over time, making it important to regularly test your water source?s contents. Home water tests are affordable and should be completed at least once per year. However, if you live in an area with known polluted water sources, you might want to test it more frequently. Additionally, anytime you notice a bad taste in your water, you might want to run another water test.
A large percentage of Americans are dehydrated and do not even know it. A shocking number of people are not satisfied with the taste of the water that comes out of their home?s faucets. Home water sources should regularly be checked for the most common pollutants. Also, home filter systems provide you with a purer water source that is clean and tastes good.