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Where Do Ground Water Pollutants Come From?
Understanding and spotting possible pollution sources is important. It’s
the first step to safeguard drinking water for you and your family. Some
threats come from nature. Naturally occurring contaminants such as minerals
can present a health risk. Other potential sources come from past or present
human activity — things that we do, make, and use—such as mining, farming
and using chemicals. Some of these activities may result in the pollution
of the water we drink.
Several sources of pollution are easy to spot by sight, taste, or smell.
(See “Quick Reference List.), however many serious problems can only be
found by testing your water. Knowing the possible threats in your area
will help you decide on the kind of tests you need.
Quick Reference List of Noticeable Problems
Visible
- Scale or scum from calcium or magnesium salts in water
- Unclear/turbid water from dirt, clay salts, silt or rust in water
- Green stains on sinks or faucets caused by high acidity
- Brown-red stains on sinks, dishwasher, or clothes in wash points to
dissolved iron in water
- Cloudy water that clears upon standing may have air bubbles from poorly
working pump or problem with filters.
Tastes
- Salty or brackish taste from high sodium content in water
- Alkali/soapy taste from dissolved alkaline minerals in water
- Metallic taste from acidity or high iron content in water
- Chemical taste from industrial chemicals or pesticides
Smell
- A rotten egg odor can be from dissolved hydrogen sulfide gas or certain
bacteria in your water. If the smell only comes with hot water it is
likely from a part in your hot water heater.
- A detergent odor and water that foams when drawn could be seepage
from septic tanks into your ground water well.
- A gasoline or oil smell indicates fuel oil or gasoline likely seeping
from a tank into the water supply
- Methane gas or musty/earthy smell from decaying organic matter in
water
- Chlorine smell from excessive chlorination.
Note: Many serious problems (bacteria, heavy metals, nitrates, radon,
and many chemicals) can only be found by laboratory testing of water.
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