What Is a Water Safety Plan?
How are you making sure that your family has clean, filtered water? A water safety plan answers this question and helps you to determine the best way to ensure that the water your family accesses is safe for cleaning, washing, and drinking. Everyone uses water in all sorts of ways:
From watering lawns and gardens to making ice tea and bathing babies. Every day, water is used in one form or another. But how safe is the water used? Getting to know the water you use is an important part of making a water safety plan.
A water safety plan is a plan that determines the water source, the level of contaminants, and alternative water sources to use in case of water quality issues. The key to staying safe is acquiring information and making a plan to act upon this information.
Ensuring You Have Safe Drinking Water
The water people drink impacts health to a large extent. Poor water quality can introduce toxic contaminants such as lead, or pollutants such as pesticides into people’s bodies. That’s why it is important to make sure your water is safe to drink.
The first step to building a water safety plan is determining the source of your water. Does your home have a well, or do you receive water from a local water source such as a reservoir?
If your home utilizes well water for drinking, it’s important to periodically test this water for impurities. If your water is sourced outside the home, you should receive a periodic utility bill and statement. It’s important to review this statement to determine what impurities are found in your water and at what levels.
The source of your water may be pure enough, but the pipes in your city could contain lead or other metals. It’s always a good idea to test your water at home to make sure your family has safe drinking water. Although water quality is regulated, it is possible that the water in your home does not meet these regulations. Not only is water quality important for your family’s health, but also for the value of your home.
Water Quality Can Impact Your Fixtures Too
Has your water heater been tested to make sure your hot water is uncontaminated? Water heaters can contain bacteria that make the hot water in your home unsafe.
For example, legionella bacteria can be aspirated in the shower if present in your hot water heater. Unlike your drinking water, this can affect you in other areas of your home like shower water or your bathtub.
While you may not realize it, you and your family are in constant contact with water. Be sure to clean your hot water heater periodically, and test your water – particularly if the water source has hard water, as bacteria can grow in this type of water. With safe showering water, your soap will lather easier and you’ll see fewer stains and spots on your fixtures.
Water Safety Is Essential
Water filters can help decontaminate drinking water. Different filters remove different types of contaminants.
Manganese and iron can be removed using an oxidizing filter, whereas a granular activated carbon (GAC) filter can be used to remove some pesticides and volatile organic chemicals (VACs).
Reverse osmosis filters can reduce arsenic, radium, nitrate, and other chemical compounds. Knowing what contaminants you’re up against is the key to determining whether your water safety plan involves filtration, alternative sources for drinking water, or moving to another location with different water sources.
Homeowners should approach a long term water safety plan with knowledge about what contaminants to worry about and what solutions are available. In emergency situations, boiling water can kill bacteria and viruses, but fuel contaminated water is not potable – even if boiled.
Remember your water safety plan for the future, and be sure to check back every year to make sure nothing in your plan has changed. You’ll have peace of mind knowing you are keeping your family’s drinking water safe.
Trust a Local Expert
Resolved Home Services in Huntington Beach, CA is a reliable, accessible, well-rated company with dedicated technicians who are available to service your home for all your plumbing needs. With years of local experience, they can help you create the perfect water safety plan with your specific water quality concerns in mind.
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