Poor water quality impacts every aspect of life. The world relies on clean water to thrive, but low-quality water plagues communities across the globe. Frequently, new stories come out about unsafe water in towns all over the country. Homeowners in Indianapolis, Indiana, want to know their water is safe.
Mr. Plumber understands your concerns. Our clean water solutions ensure the quality of your water. We discuss what the negative effects of poor water quality are and how they are caused. We aim to clear up any confusion around water quality and give homeowners solutions to the problem. Our plumbers also give homeowners tips to reduce their water pollution impact.
Effects of Poor Water Quality
The consequences of low-quality water are scary to think about but require careful consideration. It’s crucial for homeowners to know the full scope of the issue. The effects below are extreme circumstances. However, many experience these repercussions across the world. When water dips in quality, these are the potential results.
- Bacterial disease. Water-borne bacterial diseases thrive in poor-quality water because bacteria grows best in polluted, stagnant water. Bacterial disease from water contamination presents with these symptoms—vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain. Cholera is one of the most well-known water-borne bacterial diseases.
- Viral disease. Viral disease due to poor water quality is also possible. These diseases include hepatitis, gastroenteritis, poliomyelitis, and even some forms of cancer. Viruses in water occur when human and animal waste enter the rivers, lakes, and oceans. Some water-borne viruses have vaccines to prevent infection, but others don’t have preventative medication yet.
- Parasitic disease. Parasitic diseases are found in waste-contaminated water. Many parasitic diseases cause problems with the digestive system and lead to excessive vomiting and diarrhea. These diseases spread through both consumption and recreational use—swimming, boating, and other water-based activities.
- Reproductive issues. Certain water contaminates impact the reproductive system in particular. Both men and woman experience the negative repercussions of low-quality water on their reproductive systems. However, in each circumstance, infants have lower birth weights and are often premature. Additionally, infertility may result from chronic exposure to poor-quality water.
- Environmental concerns. Poor water quality unquestionably affects the environment in a negative way because it impacts plant and animal life. Plants rely on clean groundwater to sustain life, but pollutants lower the quality and kill plants. Additionally, animals drink fresh water from ponds, lakes, rivers, and the like. Those animals contract any disease in the water. This leads to the spread of illness in animals and death.
- Death. In the most extreme circumstances, death is possible due to poor water quality. According to the National Resources Defense Council, 1.8 billion people died from water contamination in 2015. This number reflects the international number of deaths. These deaths are directly linked to diseases contracted via contaminated water.
Though these facts are shocking to most homeowners, they represent the worst possible outcomes. Some effects of poor water quality take time to develop, which is why these repercussions are so severe. Minor effects of poor-quality water include chronic low-level illnesses, headaches, and digestive problems.
Causes of Poor Water Quality
The causes of poor water quality relate to situations outside of most homeowners’ control. Pollution, on the whole is the leading cause of poor-quality water, but there are some causes many don’t know. The causes below are the most common reasons for poor quality water.
- Agricultural waste. Waste from animal and food farms account for a large portion of water pollution. In addition, agricultural businesses are the largest consumers of freshwater. Rain moves fertilizer, pesticides, and animal waste from farms to our water sources such as lakes and rivers. When this happens, bacteria and viruses are more prevalent.
- Sewage and wastewater. Used water, or wastewater, comes from our homes and commercial properties. This also includes stormwater and runoff from rainfall. Sewage and wastewater does go through facilities to clean the water for reuse, but the process doesn’t always improve the quality enough to be 100% clean and safe.
- Oil pollution. Poor water quality also exists because of oil spills and oil consumption in general. Gasoline and oil drip from vehicles onto the ground. When it rains, the oil and gas move from roads to bodies of water. Of course, major oil spill in the ocean contribute to this type of pollution as well.
- Radioactive materials. Radioactive materials produced by power plants lower the water quality too. Radioactive materials live for thousands of years, which means their impact on the environment and humans last far beyond the near future. These substances cause multiple types of cancer in humans.
- Urban development. Because urban development occurs at high speeds, regulation of pollutants is more difficult. Many factories dispose of their chemical waste in whatever body of water is closest.
- Plastic pollution. Next, poor water quality also stems from the improper disposal of plastic items. Plastic doesn’t break down in water, which means it stays there forever. Everyone disposes of plastics incorrectly from time to time, but it’s important to remain diligent and reduce plastic consumption.
- Thermal pollution. Lastly, thermal pollution negatively affects water quality because it raises the temperature of water across the globe. When the temperature of water increases, new bacteria and viruses grow. Marine plants and animals often die when temperatures rise because they aren’t able to handle warmer water.
Solutions to Poor Water Quality with Mr. Plumber
Luckily, homeowners regain control of their water quality with some of Mr. Plumber’s services. Poor quality water improves with preventative care from plumbers who know about the importance of clean water. Homeowners experience the benefits of the following services with the help of our expert plumbers.
- Water quality analysis. Firstly, we carry out water quality analyses for homeowners across Indianapolis. We look for hard water, chlorine, and TDS—total dissolved solids—in these inspections. During our inspection, we diagnose issues with the water and propose solutions based on the needs of the homeowner.
- Water softener inspection. Additionally, we perform water softener inspections to determine if the softener contributes to poor water quality in your home. We check the mechanical functionality, cycle regulation, and overall performance to make sure it works its best. We also include a complimentary resin clean to ensure the quality of the softener stays high.
- Water softeners. Hard water refers to how much-dissolved calcium and magnesium is present. Hard water often leaves film or spots on dishes, dulls color in clothing, and leaves skin dry. Water softeners reduce the calcium and magnesium in your water, which improves the quality overall.
- Reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis systems are our plumbers’ specialty. This process removes inorganic solids from water to make it cleaner overall. Water pressure pushes tap water through a semipermeable membrane which removes impurities such as fluoride, lead, and nitrates. When these impurities—and many others—are removed, the water quality increases.
- Carbon filters. In addition, we use carbon filters to remove contaminates and impurities from the water. Carbon filters use activated carbon to remove chlorine, benzene, radon, and more. Plus, the carbon eliminates bad water smells and improves the taste.
- Chlorine removal. Finally, our expert plumbers assess the chlorine levels in your water and propose a number of solutions to keep those levels low. Through carbon filters and reverse osmosis, poor water instantly increases because both remove significant amounts of chlorine from water.
Little Things to Improve Poor Water Quality
Along with the services offered by Mr. Plumber, homeowners reduce the effects of poor water quality with easy at-home tips. These methods not only improve your water quality, but they help raise the quality of water all over the world.
- Reduce plastic use. One way to instantly improve water quality is to reduce your usage of single-use plastic. Though it’s hard to avoid single-use plastic in today’s society, try to limit how much you consume on a daily basis.
- Dispose of waste correctly. Make sure to properly dispose of garbage, human waste, animal waste, and the like. Waste items often find their way to large bodies of water through rainfall, but there are some who dispose of waste directly into water. Never throw away trash or waste into bodies of water.
- Limit use of pesticides. Additionally, limit your use of pesticides in your gardens and lawns. Pesticides contain harmful chemicals and contaminate groundwater. When it rains, those pesticides move from our lawns to lakes and rivers.
- Don’t dispose of chemicals down drains. Harsh chemical drain cleaners contaminate water supplies. The chemicals in these cleaners don’t always filter out completely when they go through water filtration plants. Other substances like prescription medication and fats used in cooking require disposal without the use of drains.
Improve Your Water Quality
Poor water quality impacts homeowners across Indianapolis, Indiana, and the world at large. Though the causes of water pollution are often out of our control, there are some things we are able to do to keep water clean and safe. The plumbers at Mr. Plumber want you to feel safe when you use the water in your home.
For more information on our services, call us today. Our plumbers are here to answer your questions about poor-quality water. We also tell you how to combat its negative effects. We want your drinking water to be clean, so we offer extensive water quality solutions to reduce contaminates and impurities.
