If your home is supplied by a private water well, one of the most important actions you can take to protect your family is to ensure that your water is pure and healthy. This is especially true if you have babies, pregnant women, older family members or anyone who is immunocompromised in your home. These individuals have a reduced ability to cope with toxins.
These days, there are two sides to the water quality issue. On the plus side, it is easier than ever before to test your water and find the right method of removing contaminants. On the minus side, there are more toxic and persistent industrial and agricultural chemicals reaching our groundwater than ever before. The only way to ensure good water quality is to perform your own private well testing.
Which Toxins Are the Most Important to Test For?
While different regions of the county will have contaminants unique to their area, there is a basic list of toxins everyone should be concerned with. These are:
- E. coli and other coliform bacteria
- PFAS, often called “forever chemicals” because some of them don’t break down for a hundred years or more
- Nitrates and nitrites
- Heavy metals like lead, arsenic, mercury and others
- Pesticides and herbicides
- Radon, a radioactive gas
- Volatile organic compounds—basically, industrial and manufacturing chemicals
Let’s take a closer look at each type of contaminant.
How Can E. Coli and Coliform Bacteria Harm Your Health?
You’ve probably heard of agricultural crops being recalled for “E. coli contamination.” E. Coli refers to a large group of bacteria, some of which are harmless. Others can cause annoying digestive upsets—diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Some strains, however, are very harmful. One is capable of producing toxins that are life-threatening, especially for children, older individuals and those who are immunocompromised. Another can cause kidney failure.
“Coliform” refers to an even larger group of bacteria, all of which are rod-shaped. In addition to E. coli, the group also includes Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Serratia, and Hafnia.
A water well test that is positive for E. coli or coliform bacteria is an important indicator that the sanitation of a well has been compromised. There could be a leaking septic tank, runoff from agricultural activities, or surface water that has infiltrated the well. Whatever the cause, if E. coli or coliform bacteria are detected, the source of the contamination must be found and the well must be disinfected.
What Are PFAS and What Harm Can They Do?
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are better known as PFAS, a group of more than 12,000 industrial chemicals used in a wide variety of consumer and industrial products. From nonstick cookware to firefighting foam and from water-resistant clothing to stain-resistant furniture, PFAS have been in widespread use since the 1940s. These chemicals are incredibly persistent in the environment, meaning that some types of PFAS chemicals take decades or even a century to break down into harmless components. They can accumulate in the human body and gradually damage health. They have been linked to the following health problems:
- Increased risk of certain cancers, especially kidney and testicular cancer
- Hormonal disruptions
- Liver damage
- Immune system suppression
- Higher cholesterol levels
- Developmental delays in infants and children
PFAS have been found in the drinking water of millions of Americans. They make their way into groundwater from industrial activities, landfills, airports and military bases. Once in groundwater, they can slowly travel for many miles. Therefore, even if you are far from any of these activities, you can still have PFAS in your well water.
What’s the Problem with Nitrates and Nitrites?
These contaminants are usually associated with agricultural operations. Both fertilizer and manure contain high levels of nitrates which may not themselves be harmful. But in the human body, nitrates are converted to nitrites which are far more harmful. They are associated with stomach, esophageal and bladder cancer, kidney damage, immune suppression and endocrine disruption.
Perhaps the worst effect is the types of reproductive harm caused by nitrites, including low birth weight, birth defects or premature birth. If babies are fed formula made with nitrate-contaminated water, that contamination can interfere with the ability of their blood to carry oxygen. This can result in a potentially fatal condition known as methemoglobinemia or “blue baby syndrome.”
What Types of Heavy Metals May Be Found in Drinking Water?
Heavy metals can enter drinking water supplies from naturally occurring deposits in rock and soil. Unfortunately, even if there are no heavy metals in the area, they can be added to drinking water as a result of corrosion of plumbing pipes or fixtures. Mining and industrial operations can also result in heavy metals leaking into groundwater and private water wells.
Heavy metals you don’t want in your water include:
- Lead: The Environmental Protection Agency states that there is no safe level of lead in drinking water. Consumption of lead can lead to brain and nervous system damage, reduced IQ in children and heart and kidney problems in adults. Lead often leaches out of plumbing systems, especially if the water is acidic.
- Arsenic: This metal is frequently found in the Western U.S. and parts of the Midwest. Exposure to arsenic is associated with several kinds of cancer and developmental problems.
- Mercury: Mercury is found in areas with volcanic activity, fault lines or geothermal activity. Industrial and agricultural operations, landfills and septic system failures can also leak mercury into well water. Mercury exposure can lead to kidney failure, gastrointestinal distress, immune suppression, high blood pressure, and neurological disorders like memory loss or peripheral neuropathy. Babies exposed to mercury in the womb may suffer low birth weight, delayed development or other neurological damage.
- Chromium: While small amounts of chromium are necessary for health, the type of chromium that contaminates well water is typically hexavalent chromium, a known cancer-causing chemical. This chemical can also cause liver and kidney harm, damage to human DNA, and severe reproductive harm including infertility and miscarriages. Wastewater from chrome plating, dye manufacturing, wood preservation and textile manufacturing may release hexavalent chromium into groundwater or the atmosphere.
- Cadmium: The body can’t easily eliminate cadmium so it accumulates in the kidneys and liver. The outcome is possible bone degradation, cancer, nervous system damage and more reproductive harm.
Which Pesticides or Herbicides May Be Found in Well Water?
Hundreds of different pesticides or herbicides have been found in well water. A look at the most common types will probably be enough to convince you that you don’t want them in your well water.
- Atrazine: Herbicide used to control weeds around corn, sugarcane, sorghum and turf that can cause endocrine disruption, birth defects and possibly cancer.
- Glyphosate: Herbicide often sold under the brand name Roundup that has been associated with kidney and liver damage and disruption to the beneficial bacteria in the gut. It is classified as a probable human carcinogen (cancer-causing chemical).
- 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid): Herbicide sold under many names including Weedone, Enlist One, Simplicity and more. It is used around cereal crops, sugarcane and soybeans, in rice fields, and on golf courses, sports fields and many, many other places. Long-term exposure may result in cancer, endocrine disruption, birth defects, memory and cognitive problems and more.
- Alachlor: Herbicide used around corn and soybean farming that is associated with kidney and liver damage and possibly cancer.
- Chlorpyrifos: Insecticide that is used on fruits, vegetables and grains in some states and banned in other states. Exposure is associated with lower IQ and attention disorders, and harm to the brain, especially in children.
This is only a small part of a very long list of pesticides or herbicides that should not be in your well water.
How Does Radon Get into Drinking Water?
Radon is a naturally occurring gas released from radioactive materials in the earth. From New England through the Appalachians and across large swaths of the North-Central part of the U.S. plus parts of Nevada and New Mexico, radon gas leaks into many homes. It is released into the home’s air and also makes its way into well water. It’s not difficult to eliminate radon from the home, but many people don’t even know that it is even a problem. But it is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the country.
What Are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and What Harm Do They Create?
Volatile organic compounds are essentially industrial and manufacturing chemicals including benzene, ethylene glycol, formaldehyde, methylene chloride, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, xylene, and 1,3-butadiene. In the home, they are found in cleaning products, fuels, solvents, new furniture, building materials, paint, and even personal care products like shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, deodorant and nail polish. Long-term exposure to VOCs can damage the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. The gasses emitted from these items around the home add VOCs to the air in your home. Industrial spills and waste, landfills and even household disposal of these items add VOCs to groundwater. Some VOCs are linked to cancer, liver damage and neurological issues while others may aggravate asthma and COPD.
Should Municipal Water Customers Be Concerned about All These Contaminants?
Your city water treatment service should be testing your water and removing these contaminants. But a list of the number of cities that have failed to provide healthy drinking water is very long.
Consider the chemical dichloromethane. This is a VOC used in paint strippers, adhesives, metal cleaners and many other formulations. While the EPA established a maximum contamination level of 5 parts per billion (ppb) in drinking water, the citizens of Watertown, New York were served water that had three times that level of contamination.
You can protect your family by monitoring the quality of your municipal water supply.
How Can You Get Started Finding Out What’s In Your Water?
You can start improving your water simply by having a professional water test done of your well water or municipal water. A professional test involves receiving a test kit from the company and following the instructions on taking water samples exactly. Your test kit may come with more than one small bottle for taking samples.
Return your samples to the company. You should receive test results by email or mail, whichever you specify. Your results will normally list all the contaminants that were checked for, the quantity of contaminants that were present and, often, the limit set for that contaminant by the Environmental Protection Agency. You should quickly be able to tell where your water falls short of a healthy standard.
What Should You Do After You Read Your Test Results?
That depends on whether your test was for your private water well or city water.
City Water: If your municipal water is not up to the quality you would like to see, then you have a decision to make. You can purchase bottled drinking and cooking water for your family or you can install a filtration system for your home. A filtration system will cost much more up front but you will not have to constantly carry bottles into your home.
You could also consider speaking to a local representative about your water results if they violate EPA standards.
Well Water: The action you take depends on the type of contamination in your water. If it’s bacteria, fungi or other microorganisms, you need to disinfect your well immediately. After disinfection, do another water test to make sure there is not a continuous source of contamination that is introducing a steady stream of microorganisms into your well.
If you have PFAS, VOCs, pesticides or other chemicals in your water, you will need to install a filtration or water treatment system to remove them. Some systems will even remove radon from your water. At the same time, you might want to do some detective work in your area to see if you can find a source of contamination, such as agricultural runoff or surface water intrusion into your well.
ETR Laboratories Can Help You Maintain High-Quality Drinking Water
For years, ETR Laboratories has been helping homeowners and municipalities detect water quality problems with precise lab results. Businesses that rely on ultrapure water such as pharmaceutical companies, medical services and semiconductor manufacturers also know they can count on fast, accurate results from ETR Laboratories.
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