Water Problems:
Microbial and organic contaminants can’t always be detected through sight, smell or taste. You might go years before realizing a problem exists.
Microbial and organic contaminants can’t always be detected through sight, smell or taste. You might go years before realizing a problem exists.
Although some waterborne microbes can cause illness, many microbes are harmless or even beneficial. Very small levels of microbes are naturally present in many water supplies, but some are more dangerous than others. Some of the more dangerous microbial contaminants, such as E. coli, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium, can cause gastrointestinal problems and flu-like symptoms commonly attributed to undercooked or improperly stored food. They include:
Single-celled organisms lacking well-defined nuclear membranes and other specialized functional cell parts which reproduce by cell division or spores. Bacteria may be free-living organisms or parasites. Bacteria (along with fungi) are decomposers that break down the wastes and bodies of dead organisms, making their components available for reuse. Bacterial cells range from about 1 to 10 microns in length and from 0.2 to 1 micron in width. They exist almost everywhere on earth. Some bacteria are helpful to humans, while others are harmful.
Parasitic infectious microbes, composed almost entirely of protein and nucleic acids, which can cause disease(s) in humans. Viruses can reproduce only within living cells. They are 0.004 to 0.1 microns in size, which is about 100 times smaller than bacteria.
Capsules or protective sacs produced by many protozoans (as well as some bacteria and algae) as preparation for entering a resting or a specialized reproductive stage. Similar to spores, cysts tend to be more resistant to destruction by disinfection. Fortunately, protozoan cysts are typically 2 to 50 microns in diameter and can be removed from water by fine filtration.
There are both chemical and physical ways to disinfect water. Chemical disinfection often uses halogens such as chlorine, iodine, bromine, or ozone, while common physical choices are ultraviolet (UV) light, ultrafiltration, and distillation. These processes can eliminate 99.9 – 99.9999% of harmful microorganisms.
A common complaint by people who have private water wells is that their water smells. In many cases the common issue is a rotten egg odor. The culprit is “Sulfate Reducing” bacteria, which is common in this region. While the bacteria are not necessarily harmful, it does create a by-product which is H2S (Hydrogen Sulfide). These bacteria thrive in warm environments, which is why water heaters and bladder tanks exacerbates the problem.
For foul smells in your water see our solutions click here
On the other hand, excessive chlorination in municipal water supplies can create unfavorable odors.
For more information on odors in municipal water please click here
