What’s Lurking in Your Well Water?
Well water can become contaminated for several reasons, making your water unsafe for consumption. If your drinking water comes from a private well, there is no regulating body that is responsible for ensuring your water is potable. This is why you should arrange for regular water quality testing to protect your health. There are several diseases that might be lurking in your well water, so it is important that you know what to look for when your water is tested.
Hepatitis A can be spread when fecal matter is introduced into your water supply. This can happen when sewers are overrun, causing contaminated water to enter your well. This form of hepatitis can cause severe illness, though you can prevent it through vaccinations for your family and vigilance in water quality tests.
Giardiasis is less well known than some of the other diseases caused by drinking contaminated water, but the parasite that causes this condition can wreak havoc in your gastro-intestinal system, and it is able to live outside of a host for long periods of time, making it a serious threat when found in your water.
E Coli is most commonly associated with contaminated food supplies, but it can be found in water that has been contaminated with waste. This bacteria can cause respiratory problems, urinary tract infections, and diarrhea, and it can affect young children quite severely.
Water quality testing can alert you to any contaminants in your water, allowing you to take the proper precautions to sanitize your water supply and find drinking water alternatives until your well water is safe again.