Signs That Your Tap Water Could Be Unsafe To Drink

Professional testing is the best way to determine what’s in your water. However, there are several ways that you can test for contaminants with your senses. These are signs that your tap water may not be safe to consume.

It is a good rule to look out for cloudiness. Safe water should be free from any odors or strange tastes. You can tell if water has turbidity or cloudiness by looking for it. Although cloudy water doesn’t necessarily pose a danger to your health it can indicate the presence of hazardous pathogens and chemicals.

You can also check if your hands feel slimy when you wash them with soap or water.

When Flint residents first detected signs that their drinking water was contaminated, they noticed it was “harder” than the water they usually drank.

Hard water can often be characterized by calcium and magnesium buildup, which can cause deposits on your sink, faucet, and drinking glass. This could also explain why your hands feel slimy when you wash them with soap and water.

Although hard water is not a sign of contaminated water, it can be a sign of metals such as lead, manganese, and aluminum.

Never drink yellow, orange, or brown water.

Yellow water could signal the presence of chromium-6, the cancer-causing chemical that resulted in a lawsuit filed by clean water advocate Erin Brockovich. This could also indicate a buildup in iron, manganese, or copper. If your water comes from a public system, check to see whether the yellow tint only appears while running cold water, which could be a sign that your utility is simply clearing out its pipes.

A watercolor that is orange or brown can also indicate excess iron, manganese, or lead. It could also signal the presence of rust, which can cause bacteria to grow.

This post was written by a water treatment expert at Paragon Water Systems. Paragon Water Systems is a water filter supplier. We know that the best product comes from the best materials. We manufacture home water solutions such as reverse osmosis systems, under sink water filtration systems, showerhead filtration systems, carbon cartridges, and a wide variety of other products. Our focus is to provide Americans with safe and clean water throughout the home.