Water Contamination: Keeping your water free from lead contamination

June 2018, a news report in the Sydney Morning Herald was posted saying that a huge trail of contaminated water was found near Sydney air base. The contaminated water risked the health of residents that live nearby and they were told not to drink all surface water. Contaminated water can be a huge health risk to everyone and it doesn’t matter if your stomach can withstand dirty water but the whole community must be aware and prepared for circumstances like this. Contaminated water can also be from flooding due to typhoons. Each household must know how to detect dirty water for the safety of their whole family.

No matter where your drinking water comes from, testing your water is the only way to know if it’s contaminated or not. No, we’re not saying that every water you drink, even from eating outside, needs to be checked but you have to make sure of the ones in your home. Imagine the risk you’re putting the health of your whole family in. Testing your water is most advisable if your home has lead pipes or non-plastic plumbing that were attached before 1986. Lead contamination in water can be hard to detect as lead cannot be easily detected tasting or smelling the water nor can it be seen.

Public water system do regular rounds of water testing but you should also be testing your water on your own. Lead testing kit can be bought from your local home improvement store.

To keep your family free from lead contamination, it is advisable for a household to install faucets that filter lead from drinking water. Sanitation groups from your area may have brands lead-free approved, so you might want to check on those brands. Also, remember to always wash keep your faucets screen clean. Minerals from water may buildup overtime and this may cause contamination. In case of lead contamination outbreak, use cold water in cooking and in making baby formula. Lead content is said to be highest in hot water. Additionally, make sure to run your tap for 15-30 seconds before drinking the water coming out of it to make sure you aren’t drinking stagnant water, especially when your faucet wasn’t used for the last 6 hours.

If water in your home is lead contamination positive, you may want to ask for pipe and fixture replacement. Ekorp Plumbing offers only the best material for your plumbing system, guaranteeing you a lead-free water system. Call our plumbers today!