Water quality is an important consideration for residents of Colorado. Whether you get your water from a well or your local municipal water system, it’s important to regularly test your drinking water to ensure it’s within the EPA’s safe limits. Impurities in water can not only affect taste, hardness, and color, but also your health.
While water treatment plants are required to meet EPA standards for contamination levels, it’s up to homeowners to ensure that their well water is safe. In Grand County, ground water contamination can occur from human activity such as agriculture, mining, and industrial production, as well as naturally occurring minerals and organic matter in the soil.
Another concern is recent wildfires in Grand County. Wildfire can impact drinking water by affecting the watershed, which can be contaminated with ash and organic compounds that are released into runoff where vegetation has been burned. For private well owners, even if the property did not burn directly, contamination is still a possibility and wells should be tested regularly to ensure the water is safe to drink.
Here are some of the contaminants that a water test can find in drinking water:
Microorganisms
Harmful microorganisms include viruses, cryptosporidium and giardia,all of which can lead to gastrointestinal illness such as diarrhea, vomiting, and cramps. We all know how important it is to bring a water filter when camping in the back country, it’s just as important to know if your home’s well is clean, or if you need a whole home water filtration system.
Disinfection Byproducts
Chlorite is a byproduct of drinking water disinfection. In can cause anemia and nervous system effects in infants and young children. Bromate and haloacetic acids are another byproduct of water treatment and have been linked to an increased risk of cancer.
Inorganic Chemicals
Inorganic chemicals include: arsenic, asbestos, barium, cadmium, Copper, chromium, lead, mercury, nitrates and other chemicals. These contaminants can occur naturally in the soil that comes in contact with water, as well as from industrial and agricultural byproducts. Even in very small quantities many organic chemicals can cause serious health problems.
Organic Chemicals
Organic chemicals include benzene, dioxine, toluene and other chemicals that can be found in industrial waste and agricultural pesticides and herbicides.
Have concerns about your drinking water? Grand Lake Plumbing and Heating can test your water for contamination. If problems are found we can offer effective solutions to clean the water, such as reverse osmosis water purification.
