What to Do When You Receive a Water Quality Alert at Home

Monitoring water quality has never been easier, especially with all the available tools that can indicate fluctuating contaminants on our phones. Low-quality water has the potential to bring in a variety of health issues since water is consumed every day as a basic necessity for life. It’s of no surprise then, that so much attention is given to improving and maintaining this quality.

Regularly Testing Water Quality

Depending on the exact source of the water, testing will come with a smaller or higher degree of necessity. Well water is one source that requires the most attention, to regulate and maintain water safety. Testing well water is something that needs to be done often. Tap water is purified in treatment facilities by the municipality and that means testing this water is not as big a necessity as with well water.

Plumbing Inspection

Damaged pipes could be the reason why a home would experience a drop in water quality. Conducting a basic inspection might offer a better view of the pipes’ condition and a potential solution to improving water quality. Older homes tend to suffer from old damaged pipes, and a professional inspection can confirm this. The solution for this is not an easy one, as it may require replacing pipes in the home. This is both extensive and expensive, which will create disruption to everyday life.

Water Treatment Tools

It’s important to know what exactly is contaminating a water source, the better to be prepared when it comes to implementing water treatment. Sources like tap water are somewhat easier to treat than private water sources such as wells. Treating well water is an extensive process and many may wonder what the best water filter pitcher for well water is.

Unfortunately, the answer to treating well water is a little more complex. A water filter pitcher is not the best choice for treating all well water so that more substantial water filters may be needed. Preferably a reverse osmosis system with multiple filtration layering to catch as many contaminants as possible.

Additional Considerations

Sometimes the easiest solutions offer great results. In the case of water quality alerts, one may simply flush the pipes to get rid of debris or other buildup particles. This usually happens in homes that have been closed for a while or even after a high level of precipitations that can bring more sediment infiltration in water sources.

Using cold water for cooking is another simple way to ensure better quality water. High temperatures dissolve contaminants far easier in water and so cold water is the answer. If water filtration is already in place, then checking for any maintenance needs is advised. Changing filter cartridges or making sure the water softener still has enough salt are simple ways to deal with water quality.

Conclusion

It’s to the benefit of the entire household when water quality alerts offer warnings of dipping quality in drinking water. Simple solutions and more complex ones can be implemented to improve water quality when this happens. From private well water sources to community ones, good quality water is something that can be achieved with the right tools.