The benefits of clean water cannot be overstated. Drinking water, and plenty of it, boosts our health and performance. Plus, who wants to cook or wash with contaminated water?
How can you test if the water coming out of your faucets is clean and safe to drink? Here are four things you can do to ensure that your water is safe to imbibe.
1. Ask your water company
If you have any suspicion about the cleanliness of your water, the first place you should contact is your water company.
Water companies are responsible for and are regularly held accountable to provide the populous with clean drinking water. So if you suspect there to be contaminants in your water, give your water company a ring. They will investigate your claim and remedy whatever needs doing to give your water that fresh, healthy taste again.
Unsure how to contact your water company? The CCW lists how you can contact a number of water suppliers across the country.
2. Check on the UK water quality data archive
The Government provides extensive information on the quality of water readily online. The Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs has a water quality archive that you can dig through to find all you would want to know about the quality of water in your area.
Admittedly, the data offered in this archive is fairly complex. Thankfully, the archive has a page explaining how to parse the data. Using this information can help you know if your area has had issues with bad drinking water in the past.
3. Research and know specific contaminants
It helps to educate yourself on the kinds of contaminants that could be affecting your water and how to detect them before you guzzle them down! There are tons of resources online that can help you recognise when contaminants are present in your drinking water. Additionally, if what is polluting your water is relatively minor in terms of danger to your health, they will often provide how-tos and tips on removing the contaminants from your water. In other cases, spotting harmful contaminants will prompt you to call the appropriate authorities.
4. Run a do-it-yourself water test
When you are armed with knowledge about the things that possibly could be contaminating your water, you can be prepared to run a DIY water test to officially detect them. A good place to start is through this WikiHow article.
Your water unsafe to drink? Contact Drinking Water Inspectorate
Whenever in doubt — even the smallest amount of doubt — about the safe quality of your drinking water, it is best to contact professionals. Get in touch with the Drinking Water Inspectorate and they will come assess your drinking water.
Water is the essence of life. It’s the last thing you would want to be dangerous to you and your family. Take all precautions necessary to ensure that your drinking water is safe.