Did you know that around 1 million Californians face exposure to unsafe drinking water? Chemicals such as arsenic, chromium-6, and even harmful industrial chemicals find ways to contaminate the drinking water. The poor water quality may cause significant health issues. Whether you are living in a bustling city or a rural area, the water coming from the tap is not as clean as it seems. Therefore, water quality testing is available on the market.
It is the process of analyzing the water sample to detect harmful substances like bacteria, heavy metals, chemicals, and pesticides to ensure that the water is safe for cooking, bathing, and drinking.
In this blog, we will discuss the importance of water quality testing and how it may affect health.
Understanding Water Contamination Sources
California faces different challenges due to its diverse geography and industries, when it comes to water contamination. Let’s break down some of the most common sources of water pollution.
Agricultural Runoff
In the agricultural sector, the heavy use of fertilizers leads to nitrate contamination in the groundwater. Nitrates from the fertilizers seep into the soil, and end up in the public drinking water system and private wells. The high level of nitrates in the drinking water may cause serious health issues like nausea, headaches, increased heart rate, and abdominal cramps. That’s why it is necessary to get water testing for the residents near the agricultural regions.
Industrial Waste
California also has industries that release harmful chemicals in the environment. One of the most notorious is hexavalent chromium, which seeps into the soil and damages the water quality. This chemical may cause significant health issues like asthma, eye irritation, kidney issues, liver issues, and skin irritation. Therefore, without water testing, the residents unknowingly consume water which have these harmful substances.
Aging Infrastructure
Aging infrastructure is also a significant contributor to water contamination. The California still has lead pipes in the older homes and municipal systems, which leach into the drinking water due to corrosion over time. Exposure to lead may be harmful for children, affecting brain development, and behavioral issues. Therefore, testing is the only way to detect the lead substances in the drinking water.
Therefore, after understanding some water contamination sources, it is necessary to get regular water testing so that you can protect yourself and your family from the severe health issues.
The Importance of Regular Water Quality Testing for Well Water
In California, around 600,000 private wells provide water to homeowners to fulfill household desires like drinking, bathing, and cooking. These wells also come with their own set of risks because the homeowners are responsible for maintaining the water quality.
Vulnerability of Private Wells to Contamination
The private wells are often unmonitored by the public health authorities. It means that the homeowner is solely responsible for maintaining the water quality. The municipal water system, which the health department checks to ensure that the water is safe and healthy, the private well water may also be contaminated by the soil runoff, fertilizers, and industrial waste. Chemicals from fertilizers and industrial waste that seep into the soil and damage the water quality.
This poor water quality may cause significant health issues, that’s why it is necessary for the homeowners to regularly test their well water quality so that they can drink safe and healthy water.
Preventing Health Risks with Regular Testing
The contaminants like arsenic and uranium which naturally occur in California’s soil, create a long-lasting effect on health. If they may not cover up at an early stage, the homeowners may face significant health issues like asthma, eye irritation, abdominal cramps, nose irritation, kidney issues, liver issues, and skin allergies.
That’s why, with regular water testing, you will protect yourself from facing these severe health issues and can enjoy a healthy life.
For this purpose, you need to hire one of the best home inspection companies which have certified water testers that will check your water and perform different tests to ensure that you have a safe and healthy water.
If you want to learn about 5 simple ways to test water quality at home without a kit, then this blog is for you.
Protecting Household Appliances and Plumbing
Protecting the household appliances and plumbing system is one of the most important factors. Because the hard water is also a common issue in California, it decreases the efficiency of household items. Hard water contains a high level of dissolved minerals, which can damage the plumbing and appliances if left unchecked.
Effect of Hard water on Appliances
When the hard water passes through the appliances like washing machine, dishwasher, water heaters, and other appliances, it leaves behind minerals which is known as “scale”. This reduces the efficiency of appliances and the result is they need to work hard and consume more energy. In this way, you may face high electricity bills. Therefore, with the water testing you will get to know whether your water is hard or not.
Plumbing Corrosion
Due to the old stock of homes in California, which have old plumbing systems. Over time, old lead pipes leach lead particles into the water supply and damage its quality. Lead not only causes for serious health issues but it also speeds up the corrosion of metal pipes. Due to the corrosion, the pipes lose their strength, and you may face water leakage and a pipe burst. The water leakage will damage your home’s structure and cause costly repairs.
So to avoid to costly repairing of appliances and the home’s structure, it’s crucial to catch the problems early. Water quality testing will help to detect the harmful substances so that you may get a safe and healthy water for household purposes.
Final Words
The water quality testing provides several benefits to the homeowners. With this strategy, you will get to know the deep knowledge about the water that you used for drinking, cooking, and bathing. If any contamination is found, you can cover it up at its early stage before you may face significant health issues. For that purpose, we strongly recommend hiring the certified home inspection company, Orange and South Coast Property Services. We have certified inspectors that perform different tests to ensure that you have healthy water to fulfill the household requirements.
So, no one is better than us in California. So, don’t waste your time, we are just a call away.