Top 5 Signs that You Are Drinking Contaminated Water
There is no doubt that contaminated water is a big impediment to living healthy. Water is usually contaminated with dissolved solids, faecal matter, chemicals, pesticides, antibiotics and micro-plastics. Each of these must be removed before the contaminated water can be deemed safe for drinking.
But, the reality is that the drinking water we get in our taps still abounds with contaminants, most invisible to the naked eye. We can’t see the contaminants, but there are a few hard to miss, tell-tale signs of water contamination that you can still pick up at home without getting any kind of water testing done.
Being conscious of these signs will enable keep many GI tract diseases like diarrhoea, typhoid, jaundice, dysentery, etc. away.
Simple Signs of Contaminated Water
- The smell of chlorine- Chlorine has a distinctive smell that can’t be missed (think swimming pool water). If you can smell chlorine in your drinking water, then know that this water is not safe for consumption. Chlorine is used for disinfecting water, but too much of chlorine residues can impact your gastroenterological system. This affects your intestines and can lead to a number of life-threatening diseases too. Needless to add, if you smell chlorine in your drinking water, do not drink it.
- The smell of sulphur– This is another red flag. Groundwater contains sulphates from the rocks and soil it comes into contact with. A little amount of sulphur is benign, but an excess of it might lead to multiple problems in the intestine and can lead to dehydration. The smell of sulphur is like rotting eggs…and if you get even a whiff of it in your drinking water, you need to run and find the water treatment guy!
- Any change in the colour of your utensils is another big sign that all is not well with the water you are using. If the water you use to clean utensils and for drinking is the same, and if you notice any sudden change in the colour of utensils, then know that the water is contaminated. Most probably, this water may be contaminated with iron which leads to oxidization of silver, changing the colour of utensils scrubbed in it. This means that the water has excess iron and is unfit for drinking.
- If you notice coloured drops on the surface of the water, leave the water as it may contain oil. As the oil doesn’t get dissolved in water because of its low weight, it forms drops on the surface of the water.
- Low kitchen faucet pressure can also be a sign of contamination of water. This means that may have some clogged pipes. The pipes become corroded and then fill up with sediment and scales due to hard water. Corroded pipes can impact the quality of drinking water too.
Last but not the least, most probably if you are suffering from frequent GI tract issues like recurrent stomach aches, loose motions, etc. understand that this could be happening due to water contamination.
In order to be sure, make sure to get your water tested. We can do a Water Test for you to give you a full report on the health of the drinking water in your home or office.
Call us to arrange a Water test now!
