Serving Round Lake & 
Poor water quality is an issue that affects far more homes than you may think. Even though the water in a municipal water system gets fully treated, water treatment plants can’t remove all the contaminants that are often present. The water can also pick up other contaminants as it flows through the water system to a home. While not every home necessarily needs a water treatment or water filtration system, installing one is definitely a good idea if you notice any of these issues.
Discoloration
Rusty, brown or any other type of discoloration is almost always a sure sign that your water needs to be filtered. The only time this isn’t the case is if only your hot water is discolored. This issue instead indicates that your water heater is overly rusty and should be replaced before it starts to leak.
Brown or rusty water usually indicates a high presence of minerals like manganese and iron. These minerals can just end up in water in underground aquifers, but they can also leach into the water from old, corroded pipes. While iron or manganese doesn’t make the water unsafe to drink, the thought of drinking brown or rusty water is definitely not something anyone would find appealing.
Sediment
Seeing sediment or any other particles in your water is also a concern. Sediment is often an issue with old water supply systems and overly corroded pipes. One concern is that sediment results in abrasion inside pipes and increases the chances of the plumbing system developing leaks. Sediment can also damage your dishwasher and washing machine, potentially resulting in the appliance leaking or having a shortened lifespan. An even bigger concern is that the sediment can contain dangerous bacteria that could get your family sick.
Off-Putting Smell or Taste
Many homes have issues with their water having a strong taste and smell of chlorine, as municipal water systems use either chlorine or chloramine to treat the water supply. The water supply must also be regularly tested to ensure the concentration of chlorine or chloramine isn’t above a safe level. That means the chemicals aren’t a concern health-wise, but they can make the water unpleasant to drink.
Water that has a fairly strong metallic taste can sometimes be a major concern. Iron or manganese can result in water tasting like metal. However, a metallic taste can also indicate the presence of lead from corroded pipes. Lead is obviously a serious issue due to the major health risks it poses, especially for young children and pregnant women.
A smell similar to sulfur or rotten eggs indicates the presence of hydrogen sulfide in the water. This gas is often present in underground water supplies and remains present after the water has been treated. While hydrogen sulfide generally doesn’t pose a health concern as long as the concentration isn’t too high, it can damage your plumbing by causing increased corrosion in your pipes.
Staining on Plumbing Fixtures
Dark or rust-colored stains on sinks and toilets are another indication that your water contains fairly high amounts of certain minerals. Rust-colored stains are usually caused by iron and/or manganese in the water. If your home has hard water with a high concentration of calcium and magnesium, you’ll often end up with dark, hard-to-remove stains, especially at the bottom of the toilet bowl and inside the toilet tank.
Mineral Deposit Buildup and Limescale
Hard water isn’t necessarily a concern in regards to water quality, even if many people find the strong mineral taste of hard water off-putting. The biggest issue with hard water is the challenges it poses to pipes, plumbing fixtures and appliances. If you have hard water, you’re surely aware of how it can leave mineral deposits behind on your dishes, glass shower door, etc. You’ve probably also noticed how the mineral deposits the water leaves behind can slowly start to clog faucets and showerheads.
What you may not be aware of is that hard water also leaves mineral deposits inside your pipes. Over time, the deposits basically cause the inside of pipes to shrink and lead to a decrease in water pressure and flow rate. Mineral deposits also clog up dishwashers, washing machines, coffee machines and ice makers, resulting in these appliances often failing sooner than they usually would. These issues are why it’s important to treat hard water by removing the minerals.
Dry Skin and Hair
Dry, itchy skin and dry hair after bathing is another sign that your home has hard water. These issues happen as a result of the minerals that get left behind when you shower or take a bath. If your house has hard water, you’ll often also notice that soap and shampoo don’t lather as well, and you need to use more to get fully clean.
Which Water Treatment Options Are the Most Effective?
Choosing the right water treatment option depends largely on what issues you’re facing and what your main concerns are. Installing a point-of-use reverse osmosis water filtration system at your kitchen sink is ideal for ensuring that the water you drink and cook with is pure and clean. This type of filter will also clean the water that flows to your refrigerator and ice maker. A reverse osmosis filter is just a semi-permeable membrane.
Water easily flows through the membrane, but the pores are too small for metals, sediment and other pollutants and contaminants to flow through. There are also whole-home reverse osmosis filters, but these are rarely used. One reason is that they’re big and require a large amount of space. The other is that they waste large amounts of water due to the filter needing to be flushed regularly.
A water softener system is the best choice if your primary concern is eliminating the effects of hard water. Some water filtration systems, like reverse osmosis filters, can also remove calcium and magnesium to soften the water. However, the minerals are especially tough on reverse osmosis filters and will almost always result in the filter not lasting nearly as long. Hard water also results in a reverse osmosis filter wasting more water, as the filter needs to be flushed much more frequently to wash away the mineral deposits. That’s why it’s a good idea to also have a water softener if you have a reverse osmosis filter.
If your main goal is removing chlorine to improve the taste and smell of your water, an activated carbon filter is the best option. Similarly, some filters are specifically designed to remove iron and some other metals, which is useful for overcoming brown or rusty-looking water or getting rid of the metallic taste in the water.
The best whole-home water filtration systems have multiple filtration stages that are each designed to tackle certain issues. Most systems have a pre-filter that removes silt, sand, sediment and other particles as well as a carbon filter that gets rid of the chlorine in the water. There are then typically one to three additional filters that work to remove metals, chemicals like pesticides, fertilizer and pharmaceuticals and the full range of other contaminants. The result is that you have clean, pure and great-tasting water throughout your entire house.
How We Can Help
Duane Blanton Plumbing, Sewer, Heating & Cooling is dedicated to providing premier plumbing solutions for customers in Round Lake, Ingleside and the nearby communities. We specialize in water treatment and offer a range of water softeners and water filtration systems to meet all of your needs.
To schedule a water quality assessment and get help finding the right treatment option for your home, contact us today.
