Is Wellington water safe enough to drink? According to the local government as well as tests conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and evaluated by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), there may be microbes, herbicides and pesticides present. Long-term consumption of these contaminants can have serious consequences.
Keep reading to learn:
Flowing from rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, reservoirs, springs and wells, Wellington water has a lot of exposure to animal as well as human activity. Local ground water comes exclusively from a surficial aquifer beneath the city. To provide water to residents, 18 wells across town access this aquifer.
Water “hardness” refers to the amount of sediment in water. It’s a common problem for all who drink ground water. At around 72 mg/L (5 grains per gallon), Wellington’s moderate water hardness is severe enough to cause usual symptoms, including faded clothing, brittle hair, itchy skin and damaged appliances.
To avoid as much contamination as possible, the Village of Wellington treats ground water with chemicals that reduce hardness and alkalinity. Local treatment plants also force water through semipermeable membranes that filter some microbes. These processes are a good start, but they leave many pollutants behind.
| CONTAMINANT | TOTAL |
EWG RECOMMENDED
|
| Chlorate | 756 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium (Hexavalent) | 0.213 ppb | 0.02 ppb |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA9s) | 32.4 ppb | 0.06 ppb |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMS) | 49.4 ppb | 0.15 ppb |
A common byproduct of treatment, chlorate is a carcinogen that may impair the thyroid as a result of long-term use. Chlorate exposure is most harmful during pregnancy and childhood, causing birth or developmental defects.
You may recognize this as the pollutant from Erin Brockovich. Indeed, hexavalent chromium is a nasty carcinogen that often comes from industrial sources, though it can occur naturally. Long-term exposure can cause cancer anywhere from the gastrointestinal system to the reproductive system.
Like chlorate, haloacetic acids are almost always byproducts of disinfection, though they’re much more common. These carcinogens pose a particular threat during pregnancy, causing miscarriages and other birth complications.
This byproduct of disinfection is roughly as common as HAA9s. Studies conducted by U.S. and European sources have concluded that bladder cancer is the most common result of long-term exposure. Still, animal studies have revealed that TTHMs may also cause liver, kidney and intestinal tumors.
According to the EWG, the above four contaminants exceed recommended levels, but the bottom line is that all contamination is bad, no matter how small the amount. Here are a couple further contaminants that are still present at some level:
If you’d like to learn more about these contaminants, check out the EWG’s Wellington page.
These contaminants may seem stubborn, but there are ways for Wellington residents to kick them out. If you’re looking to improve the quality of your drinking water, there’s plenty for you to do.
Here are some practical steps you can take to clean up your water:
Symptoms of unclean water can often be seen, smelled or tasted, but many pollutants are undetectable by our senses. The only way to know what’s in your water is to test it. A comprehensive test conducted by a licensed plumber will inform the best next steps to take.
If your water has destroyed one too many dishwashers, you may benefit from a state-of-the-art water softener with which to remove water hardness almost entirely. Look for NSF 44-certified water softeners, as these have undergone rigorous testing to guarantee long-term effectiveness.
Also, note the difference between salt-based water softeners and salt-free water softeners, as the latter don’t actually soften water. Salt-free water softeners only condition water to keep it from sticking to pipes. Other symptoms will remain.
If microbes among other forms of pollution are a problem for you, you’ll likely benefit most from a reverse osmosis (RO) system. An RO system pushes water through a semipermeable membrane that filters all contaminants on a molecular level. As the best water softeners are NSF 44-certified, the best RO systems are NSF 58-certified, having endured similarly comprehensive tests that guarantee years of clean water.
Efforts to improve your water won’t last without help from professionals. Attempting to install these devices yourself may either break them or invite even more pollution into your water supply. To ensure your device works properly and to keep a warranty from most vendors, allow a licensed plumber to install and perform annual maintenance on your system.
Typically, carcinogenic materials only harm us through long-term exposure, so now is the time to take action for your family’s health and well-being. We encourage you to test your water and find a product that makes your water healthier. When installation is complete, you may very well taste the difference.
At Angel Water, our expert team is ready to chat about your water needs. For 50 years, we’ve been educating families about what’s in their water. Available for testing, installation and maintenance, our plumbers can help you find a device that best suits your needs.
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If you want to understand the quality of the water your family depends on everyday, contact us today. One of our representatives is standing by to help you schedule your free water test. We’ll send one of our local water expert to test the water at your tap and explain common problems and solutions for your specific water composition so that you can rest easy, knowing that your family is drinking the healthiest water possible.
