Having tap water that’s clean and safe to drink or use for washing dishes and other household tasks is highly important. While some areas have tap water that’s treated to remove contaminants, some harmful particles can still be present. How can you tell if the water in your home is safe to drink? If your water has any of the following signs, you should consider it harmful. Keep in mind that you can easily make your tap water safer and cleaner with a Berkey Water Filter.
Orange, Yellow or Brown Water
Tap water that’s orange or brown might have too much lead, iron or manganese, which can be harmful to consume. These colors can also indicate that your pipes are rusty and might contain bacteria. Yellow tap water is associated with chromium-6, which is a chemical that can cause cancer.
Green or Blue Water
Having greenish or bluish water coming out of your tap could mean that your pipes have corrosion and high levels of copper. Too much exposure to copper in your drinking water can put you at risk of health problems, such as kidney damage.
Metallic Taste
Tap water with a metallic taste might contain high levels of copper, lead, iron or other metals that are found in rusty pipes. While a metallic taste can also indicate a low pH balance in your water, it’s important to find out for sure if your tap water is safe to drink.
Cloudy Water
You should ideally have clear water from the tap. If your water comes out looking cloudy, this can happen due to the presence of air bubbles, which are harmless. However, in some cases, cloudiness can indicate that you have harmful particles in your water. You should have your water checked to see why it’s cloudy when it comes out of the tap.
Rotten Egg Odor
Tap water that has a rotten egg or sewage odor can mean that it has hydrogen sulfide. This clear gas is found in groundwater, but it should not be present in your drinking water. This gas can mix with bacteria to create a harmful pathogen.
Bleach Odor
If your tap water has a bleach odor, this might indicate high levels of chlorine. Local water supplies might use chlorine to destroy germs, but you shouldn’t have excess chlorine coming out of your tap, since this can cause health issues.
Fish Odor
Cadmium and barium are chemicals that can make tap water smell fishy. Too much exposure to barium can cause health problems, such as kidney or liver damage. High levels of cadmium in drinking water can also cause serious health issues, including bone damage.
Hard Water
Hard water doesn’t always mean your water isn’t safe to drink. Magnesium or calcium buildup can cause this to occur and is usually harmless. Other particles, such as lead and aluminum, though, can cause hard water as well. These other particles are considered unsafe.
Enjoy Clean Water with a Berkey Water Filter
If you’re looking for ways to make sure you have clean and safe drinking water at home or while you’re travelling, contact Conscious Water today. We have a wide selection of Berkey water filtration systems for you to choose from.
