Clean water isn’t a luxury, it is a necessity. So much of life depends upon water that clean water should be of the highest priority, but drinking water that is one hundred percent pure is an impossible concept as water derives so much of its content from the contaminants and microbes that it comes into contact with. Harmful microorganisms, as well as manmade pollutants, can damage water quality and make people sick from drinking seemingly clean, fresh-tasting water. Water testing should be a common practice for all water sources to ensure safe water, as there are many contaminants that can damage the basic human need for clean, healthy water.
Did you know that water is teeming with life? With drinking and “fresh” water sources, we tend to forget that there’s a lot more moving around in lakes besides a few fish. Thousands of different types of tiny microorganisms call even the freshest water source their home, many of them quite harmful and destructive to water quality. Many of the harmful microorganisms, which fresh from a source can number 77 living bacteria per ml, can only be found through water testing from a proven service. Don’t take water quality lightly, as the harmful microorganisms in the water supply can have truly debilitating effects on humans; including digestive illness, and ultimately death in some cases.
Manmade pollutants have some of the most dramatic effects on water quality. Assuming the wastes are removed in a responsible manner, large scale waste dumping, pesticides, and industrial impact can get into water sources through runoff or (in some industrial cases) acidic rain. These contaminants can contain metals and salts that are terribly damaging to the human body, resulting in anywhere between illness to death and cancer in instances of overexposure for a prolonged period of time.
With water quality, it is best to note where the water source resides. Water is a highly solvent compound, meaning that it breaks down almost anything that it comes into contact with to some degree. This being the case, water will add a little bit of any contaminant it comes into contact with to its composition. External water sources such as wells or reservoirs are highly susceptible to runoff, so make sure to keep up water testing on your clean water source. Once again, clean water isn’t a luxury, it is a necessity. Keep yourself and the ones you love safe with water testing and treatment.
