The Importance of Knowing Your Local Water Quality
If you have a bottleless water cooler from Artesian Bottleless Water & Air Purification, you’re probably wondering why you need to worry about local water quality. But the truth of the matter is municipal water quality can have a significant impact on your overall health and wellness. For example, dirty, contaminated water that is full of heavy metals and rust can lead to dry skin, brittle hair, and gunk buildup on all your appliances that use tap water. In addition, contaminated water can lead to various health issues, including cancers, developmental problems, and bacterial infections.
While the EPA sets and enforces health standards for municipal water sources, one can never be too careful. Furthermore, regulations vary from state to state, making it imperative you keep up with standards.
What is Water Quality?
Water quality is the “condition of water, including chemical, physical, and biological characteristics, usually with respect to its suitability” for drinking or swimming. In our case, we care more about the suitability for drinking.
To get an accurate measurement of quality, tap water is tested for things such as:
- Dissolved oxygen
- Bacteria levels
- Salt levels
- The amount of material suspended in water
- Concentration of microorganisms
- The concentration of heavy metals & other contaminants
What is Considered Good Quality?
So, is there such a thing as “good” water quality? That’s what we’re here to find out.
One factor that plays into “good” water is all the impurities. Impurities in the water are commonly known as Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). This is a measurement of the total ions (or electrically charged particles) in a solution. The ions in water make it a good conductor for electricity. So, pure water from your bottleless water cooler ill have a higher electrical resistance than your ordinary tap water. The higher resistance, the more pristine the water.
Another factor is water hardness, which is measured by the “grains per gallon” of calcium and magnesium ions. In one gallon of water, one grain of hardness equals 64.8 milligrams of calcium. So, if your tap water tests for more than seven grains per gallon, you have hard water. But if it measures less than one grain per gallon, you have soft water. Most people can handle drinking water that measures four grains per unit.
pH is another factor that plays into whether or not you have good local water quality. This measurement falls on a scale that indicates how acidic or alkaline your drinking water is. Absolute pure water has a pH level of exactly 7.0, which lands directly in the middle of the scale. This water contains no acid, zero bases, and essentially no taste.
As you can see, several factors play into whether or not your tap water is “good” or “bad.” Human activities also play a role in water quality, especially here in the United States. While we might have some of the cleanest water on the planet, we certainly don’t help ourselves by discharging waste and other substances in our rivers, lakes, and underground water systems. These factors result in poor local water, which is often regulated by local authorities.
What Do Local Governments Do About Water Quality?
As we mentioned above, the EPA creates standards for what’s acceptable in our tap water. However, local agencies tend to put forth their own set of rules and regulations for drinking water that are at least as protective as the EPA’s. Depending on where you live, learning about these standards can help you keep your family and employees safe from contaminated drinking water. Furthermore, if you have a well, you are responsible for its quality, but you are expected to keep up with the EPA and local standards, especially those found in the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Improve Your Drinking with Artesian!
When it comes to providing pure, clean drinking water at home or the office, turn to Artesian Bottleless Water & Air Purification. Our multi-stage filtration process removes 99% of impurities and heavy metals, leaving you with clean, refreshing water and ice. We also have under-the-counter reverse osmosis units that remove even more contaminants and give you high-quality drinking water right at your fingertips. Artesian is located across the US, so find a location nearest you and start your FREE 7-day trial now!
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