What’s In Our Water?

Water is one of the purest things you can think of. It makes up such a large percentage of our body and we need it so desperately that we can barely go a day without it. But what you might not realise is that it isn’t simply H2O – there are many other things you might find in your water. Some of these things occur naturally depending on where your water is sourced from, and some are added  for health reasons. Very rarely are there any harmful elements added to our water, so let’s take a look at the most common things you might find.

Chlorine

More commonly associated with swimming pools, chlorine is actually added in the slightest amounts to our water supply as a disinfectant, it ensures we are protected against diseases such as E. coli. The levels of chlorine are so low in our water that you won’t even notice it.

Lithium

Lithium is not something many people will be familiar with, so to learn that it  is being put into some water supplies might be shocking. However, this is not a bad thing, since the low levels being added are actually thought to provide a health benefit. The right dosage of lithium is said to be a good mood balancer and research in other countries revealed a drop in suicide rates because of lithium.

Fluoride

One of the more commonly read about chemicals added to our water is fluoride. Fluoride is great for our teeth and enamel and actually occurs naturally in many parts of the country. Only a small number of water companies add this chemical to our water.

Aluminium Sulphate

We often think of water as being crystal clear, but given the natural sources it usually comes from it may not always be devoid of foreign particles. Aluminium sulphate forces these minute particles to coalesce and sink to the bottom of the container to be filtered out. This chemical is usually filtered out but you may find extremely small, harmless doses in some cases.

Calcium

Calcium is more commonly associated with milk and how it can benefit our bones. This isn’t a chemical you’ll find in all water supplies, but it will show up on those where the natural source has flowed through limestone or chalk. There is no harm in having small amounts of natural calcium in your water.

Iron

There are two reasons you might find iron in your water, one is because it can occur naturally in our water sources (though it should have been filtered out), the other is from the water flowing through ironworks underground.

Copper & Zinc

These two elements are found less and less in our water supply but are often present because of the domestic pipelines in our streets and in our homes.

Manganese

Manganese is a useful element to have in our diet so it’s handy that it can sometimes find a way into the water supply naturally. Sometimes it might also be present because of cast iron waterworks underground.

At 1st Call Drain Clearance we’re the experts when it comes to your drains. If you believe you have any issues with your pipes or drainage system then simply contact us today and we’ll be happy to help.