The pros of living within the countryside include peace and privacy from the world. Apart from that, people get to have firsthand experiences with mother nature. When compared to people living in urban areas, countryside homeowners have unique responsibilities. Water supply happens to be one of the responsibilities found in countryside homes. When it comes to safety in urban homes, houses receive their water supply from the government using safe supplies that have been tested.
For the rural environment, there are some households that source their water from wells. This water can be influenced by the environment. Compared to water in a city, where the water is regularly analyzed, the water in a well can change depending on the rainfalls or runoffs from the farmland and the geology. Therefore, the ability to sustain your water is a very important aspect in the rural environment.
Finding Common Contaminants
The starting point to having safe water is by being conscious of the possible contaminations that may be present within the water. There are a variety of possible contaminations that may be present within a private water well. The most harmful ones may include bacteria, viruses, and chemicals. These may generally come from human or pet waste that may pose a severe health threat when ingested. Fertilizers and pesticides used within farmland areas also lead to the entry of nitrates within the water.
Heavy metals are also a possible source of contamination of your drinking water. The heavy metals arsenic, lead, and copper can leach from naturally occurring deposits within the Earth’s crust or from the plumbing system within your own household. A large quantity can be harmful to your health. Last but not the least, although not harmful to health, the minerals within hard water can corrode the plumbing or appliances in your household.
Effective Testing Your Water
The difficulty with many kinds of pollution is that it can be tasteless, odorless, and invisible to the naked eye. Where this is an issue, you can only ensure that your water is protected by having it tested. Well water treatment experts suggest that you must at least once per year test your water in your well, if you have one, for any traces of contamination by bacteria and nitrates. It is also important that you determine any contamination by heavy metals if your plumbing is old, or by any chemicals if there are known mineral deposits within your area.
However, if you would like to conduct a comprehensive test, it would be advisable to do so at an accredited laboratory. Your local health department or extension service can help or refer you to such a laboratory. In case you would like to collect water samples effectively, there is a procedure to follow. You will have to let water run for a couple of minutes before collecting it from the laboratory with a clean container.
Well Water Treatment and Other Solutions
Armed with the results, you can then make a determination about what you should do. If you have determined that the water is safe but is also hard, you may be able to use a water softener that will ensure that your pipes last for a long time as well as purify the taste. Alternatively, if there is bacterial contamination, a shock treatment, chlorinator, or a permanent treatment like a UV light may be used.
In fact, reverse osmosis filtration is very effective when it comes to the removal of various substances like nitrates and heavy metals. These filtration systems are usually mounted underneath the sink and provide purified water for drinking and kitchen purposes. A whole house filtration system is also possible. The water is filtered as soon as it enters the house, thus providing clean water from all taps. Maintenance of your well, including checking the well cap/casing for any cracks, is also important.
Keep Your Peace of Mind
Having safe and clean drinking water in a rural home requires continuous maintenance. Through learning the origins of the contamination and combining the relevant measures based on the knowledge, the home shall have fresh water. Access to drinking water is basic, but with the right measures, the water in your rural home shall be safe, fresh, and clean!
