What can I find in my water?
For town supply the councils are under government regulations to keep the water quality to a certain level. Unfortunately, councils also have to put chlorine in the water to keep the pipes clean, and also they can only get the water to a certain quality with a limited budget and a long way to get the water to your property. Once the water arrives at your gate you don't need the chlorine. Below is a list of common contaminants possible in water and with possible related issues.
|
CONTAMINANTS |
SOURCE |
PROBLEMS |
|
Arsenic |
Geothermal areas |
Health problems |
|
Bacteria |
Septic tanks, bird and animal feces, back flushing from incorrectly connected W.C. bowls, sewage discharges |
Diarrhea, Gastroenteritis Other waterborne disease |
|
Boron |
Geothermal areas |
Health problems |
|
Carbon dioxide |
Atmosphere and decaying vegetation |
Corrosion |
|
Chemicals |
Backflow (suck-back) from incorrectly connected dosing equipment, cattle feeding systems, garden hoses dangling in container etc |
Health problems depending on the nature of chemical contaminants. |
|
Colour |
Decaying vegetation |
Appearance |
|
Copper |
Dissolved from pipes or taps by aggressive water |
Staining, taste |
|
Faecal material |
Backflow (suck-back) from incorrectly connected waste disposal equipment animal washdowns, etc |
Diarrhea, Gastrointestinal infection |
|
Hardness |
Dissolved rocks |
Soap demand Scale formation in kettles and Hot water tanks |
|
Iron |
Dissolved rocks, especially in bore water |
Taste, Staining, Clogging of pipes and valves |
|
Manganese |
Dissolved rocks |
Taste, Staining |
|
Nitrates |
Fertilisers, clover, Septic tank soakage |
Can cause health problems for bottle fed babies |
|
pH |
Atmosphere, decaying vegetation, dissolved rocks |
Corrosion if too low, Scale forming if too high |
|
Protozoan cysts, eg Giardia Cryptosporidium |
Septic tanks: bird and animal feces on roofs, in streams; sewage discharges |
Diarrhea, Protozoan infection |
|
Taste and odour |
Algae |
Unpleasant to drink, Can be toxic |
|
Turbidity |
Dirt |
Appearance (usually biologically Contaminated as well) |
|
Viruses |
Sewage, bird and animal feces |
Gastroenteritis Other waterborne diseases |
