No individual can go for more than four days without drinking water. Water is essential to our survival, and ensuring a pure domestic water supply is crucial for good health.
However, in many Maryland areas, water impurities significantly lower the quality of drinking water and make it undrinkable. Take iron-laden water, for instance; this water tastes like its tainted with blood, and besides the bad taste, there can be significant adverse effects of too much iron in drinking water.
How Does Iron Get Into the Water Supply?
Iron can infiltrate your domestic water supply via:
- Corrosion
- Seepage
Corrosion occurs when the pipes that carry your drinking water corrode due to exposure to water and oxygen. The iron in these pipes turns to rust, which contaminates the water going into your tap.
Iron can also contaminate drinking water from ground seepage. If the local area soil contains iron, this iron can dissolve into water and pollute the water supply.
Is the Presence of Iron in Drinking Water Common?
Iron is widely present in many of Maryland’s groundwater sources.
While water treatment goes a long way to removing iron and other heavy metals in the water supply, there may still be a high concentration of these impurities in drinking water due to pipe corrosion.
Even if your home’s water looks crisp and clear, it most likely contains an unacceptable level of heavy metals and other impurities. It is advisable to further treat the water with Atlantic Blue’s water purification techniques such as water testing and acid neutralizers to remove these impurities.
Are There Negative Effects of Too Much Iron in Drinking-Water?
The short answer to this question is – yes.
There are several negative effects of too much iron in drinking water, which include adverse health effects. Some notable consequences of drinking or bathing with iron-laden water include:
Acne and Other Skin Conditions
If you bathe with water containing high iron levels, you risk developing acne and other troublesome skin conditions.
Iron particles can damage skin cell walls and also clog skin pores, causing breakouts. If you find that you and your household regularly suffer chronic skin conditions, you might want to test your domestic water supply to see if it is the cause of these skin problems.
Bad-tasting Water
Without the right treatment, water laden with iron can taste metallic, affecting your food’s taste. If your water supply has a characteristic metallic taste, contact a professional to treat the water and remove the excess iron content to safeguard your health in the long term.
Iron Poisoning
Iron is essential to primary body functions. It is an important constituent of hemoglobin, which transports oxygen in the blood, certain hormones, and myoglobin, which provides oxygen to your muscles.
However, too much iron in the body is counterproductive and can damage internal organs. This iron overload could lead to iron poisoning, which is potentially fatal.
If you regularly suffer unexplained abdominal pain, joint pain, and general fatigue, you should call in a professional to test your water supply’s iron levels. Failure to take these remedial measures in time could lead to your family developing conditions such as diabetes, liver disease, heart failure, and skin color changes.
Excessive Bacterial Growth in Water
For many harmful bacteria, iron creates the ideal environment for them to grow and thrive. For instance, G+C content Gram-positive bacteria, which are detrimental to human health, grow better with higher iron levels.
If you ingest these harmful pathogens through your water supply, you risk developing severe bacterial infections, leading to potentially serious illness.
Long-term Plumbing Problems
If your domestic water supply contains high iron levels, it could lead to plumbing problems in the future. Excessive iron build-up causes clogging, and this requires frequent plumbing repair, ranging from leaks to burst pipes.
Failure to lower the iron content in your water can lead to expensive repairs and water wastage, resulting in higher costs over time.
Avoid the Health Risks of Too Much Iron in Your Drinking Water
High iron content in domestic water is a common problem in Westminster, Maryland.
Atlantic Blue offers innovative and highly effective water treatment solutions that work to remove this iron excessive iron, making your water safe for drinking, cooking, and bathing.
Using innovative procedures like ion exchange, we can remove heavy metals like iron, magnesium, and calcium from your water supply and replace them with sodium for softer water. The result is healthier water and less plumbing issues in your home.
Call our friendly team at 410-751-9200 or contact us online to discover the many water purification solutions available at Atlantic Blue. Our team will carry out water testing and advise you on the most suitable water treatment system for your home that will safeguard your family’s health in the long term.