Water filters, from the one installed in your refrigerator’s water dispenser to the Brita pitcher that you fill at the sink, provide some protection against contaminants like lead, arsenic, nitrate, barium, and radium and others. While these filters do improve drinking water, especially compared to drinking straight from the tap, do they provide enough protection? Water testing shows us that the answer is no.
Too many consumers have been misled into believing that simply using one of these filters will remove all impurities. The filters themselves indicate on the packaging that they only remove as low as 50 percent of some chemicals. This information is typically in the fine print on the back of a box and gets overlooked or ignored completely.
To be completely sure about the quality of your water, you will want to have professional water testing performed by a trusted company like Atlantic Blue Water Center. This is important for all homeowners. Those in new developments may have pipes installed improperly, while those in older homes could have leaking pipes or water contamination. Even if you feel secure with your home’s water supply it can be good to take your water to an approved facility for water testing to ensure it is safe.
How Can I Have My Water Tested?
At Atlantic Blue Water Services, we provide free water testing for customers. The process is incredibly simple. Bring in your water sample to our treatment center or schedule an at-home visit and our lab technicians will test the water for contaminants. The tests will check for different chemicals and potentially harmful bacteria. This information can be used to make informed decisions on potential water treatment solutions. The team at Atlantic Blue Water Services can aid in understanding your results and determining the best course of action. We offer a broad spectrum of water treatment solutions to remedy issues, including acid neutralizers, whole house filters, reverse osmosis systems, water softeners and more.
Possible Problems
As we’ve previously discussed, there could be contaminants in your water that could cause severe harm, and even be fatal. Some common problems found in water testing include:
- Microorganisms like viruses, parasites, and bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal problems and in the most extreme cases could cause severe sickness to even death.
- Heavy metals like arsenic, chromium, selenium, copper and antimony from pipes, refineries and other nearby businesses that can do serious damage to your body.
- Nitrate and nitrite, which are contaminants that come from sewage, fertilizers and animal waste. These chemicals are especially detrimental to children.
- Organic chemicals that come from things like paints, pesticides, inks and gasoline. These chemicals can be okay in small amounts, but if ingested in large quantities they can cause organ damage and failure.
Why Should You Go to a Water Testing Lab?
There are commercially available water testing kits, but these tests typically can only detect a limited number of contaminants and bacteria. They are similar to water filters in that they could provide you with a false sense of security as to the cleanliness of your water.
A water testing laboratory offers a more comprehensive test so you can be assured that your water is checked for any potential problems. These tests include tests to measure hard water, lead, bacteria, VOCs, MTBE, nitrates, pH and radon.
What Should You Do if a Problem is Found?
It can be disconcerting to find out there are potentially hazardous chemics in your water. That is especially true if you are using a water filter and thought you were able to get rid of any impurities.
If you want to reduce your exposure to harmful contaminants, it’s vital to filter your drinking water. At Atlantic Blue Water Center, we help our customers remove toxins and contaminants from their water supply. If you want to learn about the contaminants currently in your home’s water, bring a sample to our storefront or schedule an at-home test, and our lab technicians will perform an in-depth assessment of its quality.
If you have more serious water quality problems, we can help you find the best solution. We offer stronger filters that can help remove all dangerous elements. We can also provide other guidance to ensure that you find the proper solution to your water problem. Poor in-home water quality can have serious ramifications, so you should not leave it up to chance. We want to help keep you and your family safe, so give yourself peace of mind and have your water tested.
Remove Waterborne Contaminants Using Atlantic Blue Water Center
We provide water treatment solutions for homeowners that want a cleaner water supply. We’re also focused on providing additional education on water treatment, water quality, and issues associated with water contaminants. Call us at (410) 751-9200 to schedule your in-home water testing appointment today.