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The following are common bacteria and chemicals found in drinking water. Learn about what you don't want to be
giving your children. Check out our well
water treatment page so can find out the correct applications to
get rid of impurities such as the ones listed below.
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C O L I BACTERIA
The most likely source of acute water-borne disease - Bacteria
and other potentially dangerous microbes are commonly found in
our environment but
they should not be present in our drinking water. Thousands of
cases of bacterial illness occur every year, many of them
fatal. Many strains of bacteria are not toxic, but some can
cause very serious illness. Even mild cases can result in
diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, and other gastrointestinal
symptoms. Young children and those with weaker immunity are
more likely to be affected. Since contaminated water may not
taste or smell "bad", most cases of water-borne
disease are not likely to be identified as such. The presence
of bacteria in drinking water indicates that treatment methods
are not working properly and are not adequate to remove all
viable microbes. When treatment fails, drinking water may
become potentially toxic. Community water systems take steps
to disinfect drinking water, but they may not become aware of
problems until it's too late. This bacteria was first
recognized as a cause of illness in 1982.
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LEAD
Lead from pipes can leach into household water used for
drinking, cooking, and washing. Many homes and buildings have
pipes and plumbing fixtures that contain lead. Lead is
so toxic that even very low levels may be dangerous. Lead
consumption and poisoning has been linked to many serious
illnesses, especially in young children. Lead can harm mental
and physical development and may cause brain abnormalities,
kidney damage and hypertension. Lead can leach from pipes into
household water, making this plumbing a major source of water
contamination and a potential source of toxic lead poisoning.
As with other water contaminants, the risk of lead damage are
much greater for children than for adults --families should be
particularly concerned about the health of the water supply.
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PESTICIDES
Pesticides are deadly chemicals used to eliminate weeds, insects and other
harmful elements in crops. Their pervasive use, however, has produced its
own harm. Now it is not uncommon to find pesticide contamination in our
drinking water. Atrazine and Simazine are two of the pesticides most
commonly found to contaminate drinking water. More than 60 million pounds
of these two chemicals are introduced into the environment each year as
herbicides, and left to potentially leak into the soil, groundwater, and
the lakes and rivers that are the sources for the water we drink. They are
so toxic that the EPA-mandated maximum level is equivalent to less than
one drop in a swimming pool. There are laws that require the regular
testing of community water supplies, but they are, in practice, rarely
tested.
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NITRATES
& NITRITES
A common yet incredibly harmful pollutant especially to children and
small animals When animal and human wastes or field fertilizers come into
contact with water, they show up as nitrates and nitrites. Both are
serious contaminants because they affect the very core of human life -
birth and the development of young life.
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