Many homeowners come to us because they notice strange tastes, odors or colors in their home's tap water. These are obvious signs of water contamination, and we offer many different products that will make tap water look, smell and taste just right. But what about the water contaminants that are mostly undetectable by human senses? As it turns out, this class of contaminants is often the most dangerous to our health. Today we're going to talk about the types of contaminants that are difficult to detect, the health effects that they have and how you can know if your water has hidden water contaminants!
Common water contaminants that are difficult to detect
Out of all of the different types of water contaminants, the ones that are typically the most difficult to detect include:
- Viruses and bacteria: Most contaminants in this class are odorless, tasteless and invisible to the naked eye.
- Chemicals: There are thousands of different chemicals that can pollute tap water, and they are typically too tiny or in too small of quantities to be detectable (although they are still quite dangerous).
- Heavy metals. Some heavy metals can give off a metallic taste or smell in large quantities, but smaller traces of heavy metals are hard to detect (and dangerous after long-term exposure).
Why are hidden water contaminants so dangerous?
In general, the water contaminants that are the easiest to detect (like sulfur and iron) are also the least dangerous. These contaminants make it unpleasant to drink tap water, but they don't typically pose any serious health effects.
Hidden water contaminants, on the other hand, typically pose the biggest risks to our health, especially after long-term exposure. This is a big problem, because many homeowners might be exposed to hidden water contaminants for a long period of time without even being aware of it.
What are the health effects of hidden water contaminants?
As the Water Quality Association points out, the health effects that hidden water contaminants can cause fall into the following two categories:
- Acute health effects. These health effects are less serious, but develop much quicker than chronic health effects. Symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, dizziness, weakness, muscle cramping, colds and flus. Acute health effects typically occur when the levels of hidden water contaminants are high.
- Chronic health effects. Chronic health effects develop slower than acute health effects, but they are much more serious. They occur after long-term exposure to hidden water contaminants at lower levels when the contaminants are much harder to detect. Chronic health effects from hidden water contaminants include liver and kidney problems, reproductive issues and various types of cancer.
How can you know if your water has hidden water contaminants?
Given how serious the health effects are of hidden water contaminants and how difficult those contaminants are to detect, it's important to be proactive and find out if you have any contamination issues at home. The best way to do this is to schedule a free water quality analysis with North Carolina Water Consultants. We'll test your water for many different hidden water contaminants and provide you with a report of exactly what's in your water, and you can use those results to choose a water treatment system that can fix your specific quality issues.
If you have any questions about the effects of hidden water contaminants, or if you'd like a water system serviced or installed in your home, contact North Carolina Water Consultants, your water softener and water filtration system dealer in North Carolina and South Carolina. We provide service all over the Carolinas, including towns like Huntersville, Matthews and Wadesboro, NC.