Have you ever considered just what types of bacteria are creeping through your home’s pipes unbeknownst to your family? Regardless of the countless advancements in water filtration technology around the world, water contamination remains a significant issue. This is seen through various viruses, bacteria and parasitic contaminants invading local homes and potentially infecting local drinking water supplies. This typically occurs as a result of water sources nearest a home becoming infected with these contaminants.
As more and more water purification technology is developed, this problem can continue to be mitigated. You should always invest in these systems for your home to ensure that you are supplying the safest water for your family. While most situations will be mild, in some cases failure to avoid specific contaminants can be deadly. This is why it’s so important to take the time to educate yourself regarding these contaminants and how to avoid them.
A possible contamination situation could be as simple as this: a forecast in your local area calls for extended periods of heavy rain throughout the day. Within a few hours of this rainwater collecting, fecal matter from local farmland surrounding your area could be fed into the bodies of water closest to this farmland. These bodies of water would go on to become infected with E. coli, a bacteria known to cause pain-staking gastrointestinal symptoms. A home-based example would be your air conditioning or sprinkler systems becoming infected with Legionella. This occurs when families neglect the necessary maintenance and care for their air conditioning and sprinkler systems. Failure to keep these systems maintained and monitored can result in this Legionella bacteria festering and spreading Legionnaires disease to your family.
The types of bacteria that can find their way into your home does not stop there. One that is much more commonly found in the home is salmonella. While most families assume this bacteria is strictly associated with food, it is also commonly spread through a number of cold-blooded pets that some families keep in the home. Never neglect disinfecting after coming into contact with these animals, as failure to do so could lead to some serious gastrointestinal issues. Even some of the most unknown pathogens, take pseudomonas as an example, can infiltrate the home. Most commonly this pathogen will fester itself in untreated water sources, so families may have a tough time tracing it.
There’s no telling when your family may become the victim of one of these types of contaminants. As such, it’s imperative to remain cautious and secure when it comes to water flowing through the home. For additional information on the various bacteria that could be infiltrating your home and strategies to remain safe, please take some time to view the infographic accompanying this post.
Chris Ebener is a mechanical engineer for LiquiTech, with a proven track record of diagnosing and remediating public water system issues of various sizes and complexity. Ebener is an expert on the biochemical makeup of facility water systems, system architecture and various methodologies of public drinking water treatment.
