Steps to Ensure Your Family’s Water is Safe
Around a fifth of Americans have been exposed to potentially unsafe water at least once during the last decade. Although over 90% of US drinking water is thought to be safe, families need to take extra steps to avoid contaminated water. Pollution from industrial effluent, farm waste, domestic waste, and damaged distribution pipes compromise local water systems. 
So, how do you ensure your family’s water is uncontaminated?
Contents
Invest in a Water Filter Pitcher
Water pitchers are one of the most common methods of cleaning tap water at home. These commodities improve your water quality and give it a more natural taste and smell, as noted on Waterdrop site. Filter pitchers are portable, inexpensive, easy to use, and require minimal maintenance.
A good pitcher should be capable of filtering chlorine, lead, plastics, and other harmful components. When buying one, consider the number of filtration layers it has, the quality of the filter medium, jug size, the time it takes to fill the jug, and how often you should change the filter.
Disinfect Your Water
Disinfecting helps kill any disease-causing germs in the water. Pathogens cause water-borne illnesses that can lead to severe complications. If the local water authority asks your community to boil water due to a new pollution problem or a disaster disrupts the water supply, you need to know how to purify your water.
Fortunately, it isn’t a complicated process. Simply bring the water to a rolling boil for a minute and store it in a clean container and cover it. Another option is to add two drops of chlorine to one quart of water, cover, and let it sit for 30 minutes.
Get the Pipe System Tested for Lead
Lead exposure or poisoning, even in small amounts, can cause health complications such as learning difficulties in kids, anemia, high blood pressure, kidney problems, and even brain damage. How do you know whether it’s lead pipes that direct water to your house? First, if your home’s plumbing system was laid before 1986 and hasn’t been replaced, you could be dealing with a lead problem.
Most pipes back then were made of lead or connected with lead solder. To test whether your water has traces of the metal, collect a sample, and take it to a certified laboratory. If the test is positive, you will need to replace your pipes.
Flush Your System
Bacteria, debris, and metals may accumulate in your pipes and affect water quality when water sits in the lines for too long. When you finally open the tap, these contaminants move through the pipe and mix with the water you use.
If the authorities had cut off the supply for over six hours, disconnect the water softener, remove aerators on taps, and run your faucet on the cold setting for five minutes before using the water. This process will flush out the pollutants inside the pipes.
Source
Frequently Read the Local Water Report
Every city in the country is required by law to provide reports on the state of water quality. These reports can give you critical insights into how your area is fairing regarding its water supply. Frequently visit the local water supplier website and look for updates.
Apart from learning about disruptions, you’ll get to know which pollutants could be in the water, the toxin levels, symptoms of drinking contaminated water, and what steps you should take to protect your family.
Start Improving the Water Quality of Your Home
Although contaminants’ concentration in most community water systems meets the required legal threshold, even little traces of some toxins can still affect your family’s health. Start protecting your family by filtering out the pollutants with a filter pitcher, disinfecting your water, replacing old pipes.
