Zap It or Boil It? What are your options when there is a “boil alert” due to contamination of your water?
NOTICE- BOIL ALERT! When you see this on the news, in an email or a social post, you TAKE NOTICE and make adjustments that are advised from your authorities. Did you know you have options when it comes to your water quality ‘notices?’ You can be proactive and, therefore, not need to go through the inconvenience of boiling your water before drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, washing hands, food preparation and more.
SOLUTION…
Zap it! An Ultra-Violet (UV) System can act as a barrier before entering your house and protect the quality of your water no matter when the ‘notice’ of a boil alert is announced.
Filter it! A Reverse Osmosis (RO) System can act as a barrier before exiting your faucet and protect the quality of your cooking and drinking water as well as your ice, no matter when the ‘notice’ of a boil alert is announced.
Do I need to boil my water if I have a water softener or other water treatment equipment in my home?
YES! If you have a water softener or a whole house water system WITHOUT a Reverse Osmosis (RO) or an Ultra-Violet (UV) system, YOU ARE NOT PROTECTED!
What causes the need for a boil alert?
In the case of the recent boil alert for portions of Montgomery County PA, a water main broke Monday, October 12th. Water main leaks and breaks occur from pipes that have been weakened by corrosion or when the network undergoes extreme pressures. The corrosion is a natural phenomenon occurring over years and can be caused by the water carried by the pipe or due to external soil conditions which may be acidic and can corrode the pipe.
NOODLE THEORY:
If a noodle is placed into the water stream at the municipal water treatment facility and travels through the pipes and out your home’s faucet, would you eat it?
If you say NO, why not? You drink the water don’t you?
Sample testing can also sometimes result in signs of contaminants due to many reasons, including seasonality. Sometimes, the original test to confirm a potential water quality concern can turn out to be negative but can indirectly detect another concern in the water wells that serve that community.
What are the side effects?
Boil alert notices go out to the community to prevent short-term health effects, such as:
- Diarrhea
- Cramps
- Nausea
- Headaches
- and other symptoms.
PEACE OF MIND
We all live busy lives and many times we unintentionally ignore NOTICES that are sent out. When it comes to your health, wouldn’t you want to invest in preventative equipment to protect your family? Water treatment equipment like Reverse Osmosis and UV Systems from Sanatoga Water Conditioning is the proactive protection that you can have installed to be that barrier between the unexpected ‘notices’ that affect your water’s quality.
To find out what kind of water treatment equipment you have in your home OR to get your water tested and learn more, contact Sanatoga Water Conditioning.
