ArticlesReader.com Menu
Newest Articles
Most Viewed Articles
ArticlesReader.com RSS
Submit Article
Login
Signup
Search the articles

Articles Main Categories
Advice
Animals
Automobiles
Business
Career
Communications
Computer Programming
Computers
Entertainment
Environment
Family
Fashion
Finance
Food
Health & Medical
Home & Garden
Humor
Internet Business
Internet Marketing
Legal
Leisure & Recreation
Marketing
Other
Politics
Reference & Education
Religion
Self Improvement
Sports
Technology & Science
Travel
Writing
Subscribe
Receive alert message from us when new articles submitted to our site for free.

Enter your name

Enter your email

Syndicate

















Related Products
Home::Home & Garden

What is Lurking in Your Water?

Author : New Jersey Home Inspector Michael Del Greco
What is Lurking in Your Water?

Submitted by: Michael Del Greco, New Jersey Home Inspector Lic GI 0121, President of Accurate Inspections, Inc, a New Jersey home inspection company

Have you ever wondered what might be lurking in the water you\'re drinking?


There are millions of different bacteria, chemicals, minerals and toxins in the water we drink. However, they are at trace levels and are, for the most part, tolerable.


Your best protection is to learn about your water and test it regularly. Water labs will be able to give or direct you to a source that will outline the acceptable parameters or tolerances of the compositions or conditions that may be found in your tap water. A local lab should also be a good source of information for the most common problems found in your area. Public water systems are required to test their water periodically by State regulations.


Here is an overview of a few of the dangerous concerns found in some water:


1) Coliform bacteria. This is waste from animals or humans. This situation can develop in areas where there are large populations of humans or animals. Surface water may be washed into wells or their underground aquifers. In older communities, cesspools were much deeper in the ground and closer to water tables. New community requirements put on-site water systems closer to the surfaces and farther from the water tables. There is no acceptable coliform bacteria level for water that is to be consumed.


2. Nitrates. These chemicals may cause neurological problems.


3. Pesticides. These are found in areas where foliage is sprayed or dusted. Rain washes the pesticides to the surface and possibly to wells or underground aquifers.


Proper balanced water is 7.0 PH. When the PH is below 7.0, the water is acidic. With levels above 7.0, the water is alkaline, or base. It is very common to see water with low or acidic PH, especially in municipal water supplies or densely populated areas.


Low PH can be recognized at sinks and tubs after a few years by the greenish stain at the drain. This stain is caused by the chemical reaction of the acidic water and the copper piping. The acidic water causes copper to be depleted from the pipes to the point of failure, or leaking. Advanced stages of this activity can be evidenced by small, round, green stains on the pipes. This is an indication that the pipe is newspaper thin and will leak at any time.


Limits of acidic PH are typically 6.5 to 8.5. The levels are measured on a logarithmic scale. High levels of minerals will manifest themselves by leaving brownish stains at the sink and tub drains and in the toilet tanks.


Here is a partial list of maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for Safe Drinking Water:


Component/Condition MCL Component/Condition MCL

PH 8.5 Nitrate 10

Manganese .05 Total Dissolved Solids 500

Sulfate 250 Hardness 250

Lead .050 Copper 1

Sodium .50 Iron .03

Fluoride 2.0 Chloride 250


There is treatment equipment on the market that will address these issues and hundreds more. You should know what is in your water and the possibility of problems before you call a treatment specialist. The better informed you are, the higher the probability of purchasing a system that will be best for you, if a system is needed at all.



Information provided by Michael Del Greco, New Jersey Home Inspector Lic. GI 0121, American Society of Home Inspectors Member 102273, Pesident of Accurate Inspections, Inc. A West Paterson New Jersey Home Inspection firm.

Spam emails More free articles

Related articles


  1. How To Save Your Fruit Tree Blossoms From A Spring Freeze.
  2. Planting Roses - Tips And Ideas To Ensure Beautiful Results
  3. Helpful Ideas For Designing A Flower Garden
  4. Fertilizing Your Flowers And The Importance Of Choosing The Right Flower Food
  5. Choosing The Perfect Flowers For Summer
  6. The Best Flowers For Spring
  7. The Great History Of Roses
  8. How to choose your garden furniture and make it last
  9. Garden Leaf Blower Maintenance
  10. Garden Composting Tips- The Art of Composting
  11. Types Of Lawn Mower Batteries
  12. Mulching Benefits / Organic And Inorganic Mulch Types
  13. Soil Basics - Creating Fertile, Healthy Soil
  14. Everyone Needs A Spaghetti Garden
  15. Fall Planting
  16. Soil PH And Its Effect On Your Garden
  17. Caring For Christmas Trees
  18. It's Time To Select Your Snow Blower
  19. How to make your landscape look good.
  20. Introduction to bonsai tree growing: an overview
  21. How to Grow Wildflowers
  22. Make Your Fresh Cut Roses Last Longer!
  23. Bonsai Soil And Additives
  24. Tips For Buying Lawn Tractors
  25. Gifts for the Gardener
More related feeds
Is your saltwater aquarium too salty?
A large amount of water is constantly circulated in a freshwater fish and excreted as urine so that your system is constantly flushed. Moreover, a marine fish has an internal salt level lower than the surrounding water so the osmotic ...

Granite Backlash: What's Cooking in Tomorrow's Kitchens?
It all started with a story in The New York Times, ominously titled "What's Lurking in Your Countertop?" The article recounted the tale of a New Jersey homeowner who had recently learned that the granite in her kitchen countertops was ...

Food Storage and Stockpiling Tips
You can survive longer without food than you can water. It is essential to have at least 2 weeks worth of water put back for every person in your home - one gallon per person/day. If you have your own well or a stream nearby, ...

By now you have likely heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a ...
Shipping one bottle of water costs on average 1/3 bottle of fuel. It is best to filter or distill your own water and use metal or glass containers. Companies like Nalgene make trendy reusable water containers of high grade plastic. ...

QRC - “Stain Protected” Carpets and Furniture - the lurking danger
... and food from becoming embedded in your carpets and upholstery. 2. Prior to 2002, many of these products included Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOs for short) which are organofluorine compounds which tend to repel water and stains. ...

Dark cloud is lurking.......And.....
I finally noticed you and went to read your blog !!! very nice and so, how's the property market there ? and my quotes, Heavenly ? yeah, I think so too. My favourite one is this :"Fred and Fay went up the hill to fetch a pail of water". ...

Wireless Security Cameras for Home
Many home security systems help to protect your home by alerting you if an intruder is detected, but a camera can help to identify any criminals lurking around your home. In case you are still contemplating whether to invest a few ...

Tap Water Can Harm Your Kids
clik here>Why Tap Water Can Harm Your Kids Is a chemical used to make rat poison lurking in your family’s water?

Fragrance 101: What's Lurking in Your Favorite Fresh Scent?
If you want a bit of fragrance, purchase pure essential oils, add a few drops to a spray-bottle full of water, then spritz away to your heart's content. Don't use perfume or cologne (they almost always contain toxic chemicals). ...

Lurking Danger
DO NOT SCROLL DOWN Continue reading, when you reach the question, think about your answer. Given a chemical with the following properties:. key ingredient in pesticides; contributes to acid rain, green house effect and spoil erosion ...

 


 

2007 articlesreader.com - All Rights Reserved