Potable Water
Know Your Water Supply
Whether for drinking, cooking, bathing, or doing laundry, a supply of clean water is important to a healthy home. Know where your water comes from.
- Tips for All Water Users
• Install devices to prevent garden hose water from flowing backwards into your drinking water.
• Consult your local building code office before making major repairs or changes to your plumbing system.
• Conserve water because clean water is precious. Don’t waste it, instead, use water-saving toilets, and showerheads. Repair plumbing leaks right away.
Water Supply Problems
Bacteria & Viruses
The most common problem in private well water is bacteria. If bacteria are found, it means that human or animal wastes may be entering your water. Some bacteria can cause stomach upset or diarrhea.
Chemicals
Harmful chemicals such as gasoline, solvents, and pesticides can get into drinking water. Natural chemicals like arsenic, manganese, iron, and radon can also get into your drinking water.
Water Quality Testing
Public water supplies are tested for more than 100 chemicals. If you use public water you can call the water utility for information about your drinking water.
All private wells and many public water supplies use groundwater. Groundwater is water held in underground soils and rock.
- Tips for People who use Public Water Supplies
• Find out where your water comes from. Contact your water utility if you have questions about your water supply.
• Protect your water supply. Follow any water-use warnings. Dispose of pesticides, motor oil, and other chemicals properly. Reduce your use of lawn and garden chemicals since these chemicals may seep into drinking water.
• Call ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS-USA if you have questions or if you notice a change in the taste, odor, smell or color of your water.
If you own a private well, be sure your water supply is safe. Yearly testing and maintenance will help protect your water supply. Call ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS-USA office for more information.
- Tips for People who use Private Wells
• Find out the age and depth of your well and the length of its casing (the pipe inside the drilled hole). Learn about the types of soil, bedrock and water supply problems in your area.
• Find out when your drinking water was last tested. Know what tests were run, and the results. Keep records of any tests or repairs that you make.
• Test at least once a year for bacteria. ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS-USA can do these tests.
• Test for nitrate. This is especially important if there is a pregnant woman or infant in your home. Nitrates come from fertilizer use, barnyard runoff, and septic systems. A high nitrate level may mean that your water also has bacteria or farm chemicals.
• You may want to do other tests. Talk to ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS-USA agent to find out if arsenic or radon are common in your area. If your well is near an old landfill, gas station, or buried fuel tank you might want to test for volatile organic chemicals (VOC's). If your well is near an orchard or farm field, a test for pesticides might be advised.
• If your water contains bacteria or chemicals find out the source of the problem. Fix it and test the water again to be sure it is safe.
• Keep chemicals, septic tanks, and animal waste away from your well. Dispose of chemicals and motor oil properly. Don’t put waste chemicals in your septic system. Limit your use of lawn and garden chemicals. Keep the area around your well clean.
SWIMING POOLS
• Never leave a child alone near water -- at the swimming pool, the beach or in the tub -- a tragedy can occur in seconds. If you must leave, take your child with you.
• Always use approved personal floatation devises (life jackets.) The U.S. Coast Guard estimates nearly 9 of 10 drowning victims were not wearing one.
• Beware of neighborhood swimming pools -- be it your own or your neighbors. Remove toys from in and around the swimming pool when not in use. Toys can attract children to the swimming pool.
• For swimming pools, barriers can offer added protection against drowning. Power or manual covers will completely cover a swimming pool and block access to the water, however, be sure to drain any standing water from the surface of the swimming pool cover as a child can drown in very small amounts of water.
• Enroll children over age three in swimming lessons taught by qualified swimming instructors. But keep in mind that swimming lessons don't make your child "drown-proof."
• Older children risk drowning when they overestimate their swimming ability or underestimate the water depth.
• Teach your children these four key swimming pool rules:
1. Always swim in a swimming pool with a buddy.
2. Don't dive into unknown bodies of water. Jump feet first to avoid hitting your head on a shallow bottom.
3. Don't push or jump on others in the swimming pool.
4. Be prepared for an emergency.
• Always have a first-aid kit and emergency phone contacts handy. Parents should be trained in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). The National Safety Council's First Aid Institute offers first aid and CPR training, for more information call 1-800-621-6244.
• Don't just dive in... Swimming pools come in all shapes and sizes with a variety of features that either aid enjoyment or quite possibly increase your chance of incident. Take some time to look around the pool area, look for things like underwater features which may look great but could be dangerous if dived onto or trapped against. Also look for depth markings and warning signs as even the simplest pool may have changes in depth that are suprising and dangerous if you are unaware.
• Look around... Look for signs that the pool is well maintained and free of broken fixtures and fittings. The pool area should be clean and surfaces around the pool should not be obstructed or too slippery so that moving around is dangerous.
• Children's pools... When ensuring that your children are safe to swim do not assume that a dedicated children's pool is safe. make sure that you can supervise them easily and that should they get out of the children's pool it is not possible for them to get into deeper pool area.
• Avoid overcrowding... Swimming pools are designed with a certain number of patrons in mind. If this number is exceeded it becomes difficult to safely control the pool as an individual in distress or drowning would be much harder to to spot when obscured by so many others. Another aspect of overcrowding is the fact the area surrounding the pool may become too full to navigate safely without the risk of falling in.
• What is in the water... Swimming pool water should be clean, clear and not murky or smelly. If the water clarity / quality is poor then it is evidence that the water disinfection regime is not working effectively. Avoid waterborne illnesses by staying out of water if you see these characteristics.
WATER SAFETY TIPS:
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