I talk a lot about how filters purify water, but I have never given you any tips on how to make tap water taste better. Yet, this is so important when it comes to keeping ourselves hydrated. The quality of the water we drink is getting deteriorated by the day due to the course of industrial advancement. Natural water pools are getting polluted, and this inevitably takes its toll on the water’s quality. More and more do we start to see the need to improve the quality of the water to stay healthy.
There are plenty of ways to make the taste of tap water better. You can evaluate the conditions of your pipe as they erode over time, which, as a result, creates an unpleasant taste. Water filters improve the taste of water significantly. Be aware that lead in plumbing impacts the taste too, so make sure to investigate it. To keep the quality of water in your area, be regularly involved in community improvement projects.
Well, for once, there are plenty of solutions out there which remove contaminants and handle the bad quality of the water you drink.
Before you go ahead and take advantage of any solution, the very first thing that you ought to do is to have your water tested. To clean the water from specific contaminants, you would first have to identify them, which is quite critical.
With this said, the treatments are different, and they might require separate approaches. That’s why it’s best to guarantee that you are aware of what’s wrong with your drinking water and you know how to handle it.
Keep in mind that people from different regions get their water from various sources. This means that solutions for improving the water quality will differ, based on the source you get it from.
City Water
Homes which get their water from the central city plant can be a bit more confident that the issues that they are experiencing come from their property, rather than the entire plant.
Of course, there are always exceptions. For instance, lead contamination could be caused at the central plant, thus spreading the issue to all connected homes.
There are quite a few different ways you can potentially improve the quality of your water, so let’s have a look at some of the most convenient ones.
What I’d suggest here is to start evaluating the condition of your pipes. If there are any noticeable changes in the color and the taste of the water, this might be a sign of an issue. Also, if you see the color is changed, this is another red flag. One of the reasons for a sudden color change could be corrosion.
I’d strongly suggest that you leave pipe repairs, regardless of whether they are major or minor, to professionals. This way, you can rest assured that everything will be handled as per the highest industry standards.
Well Water
The very first thing that you ought to do if you are getting your water supplies from a well is to have it tested professionally. If the water is clean and you still experience issues, it means that you are having problems somewhere through the system.
What you want to do in these cases is to go ahead and check the pump and the casing. If there are any cracks or leaks there, they might be the cause of contamination. Dirt and sediment can quickly get in your drinking water through any crack.
Before I give you some general tips on how to handle your overall maintenance and how to perform some basic check-ups, here are a few solutions for improving your water’s quality.
1. Get a Water Filtration System
Regardless of whether you have your water coming from the city’s central plant or from a well, a water filtration system can easily help you out. There are plenty of different types that you can take a look at based on your particular installation. The best thing to do is to get a specialist to assess the situation and have the most appropriate filtration system put in place.
Filters on Points of Entries
If you see that your water has a slightly odd color or odor, for instance, you might benefit from a purifier which is installed on the line for the cold-water supply. These are usually a lot smaller, and they could be installed by the homeowner without having any serious plumbing knowledge.
Whole-House Water Filters
These are going to be installed on all of the exit points. In other words, they are put on the showers, and even on the laundry solutions. They are installed on the main water supply line, and they might also include pre-filtering devices.
Reverse Osmosis Systems
These are usually put at the sink. However, there are also faucet models as well. They will pass the water through a range of membranes which are designed to remove bacteria, pollutants, and sediment.
Distillers
Distillers work by heating the water to create steam and condense it into the pure water to remove all impurities, including oxygen and minerals. They aren’t that difficult to install.
Now that I’ve taken a closer look at some of the solutions you can take advantage of, below are a few general tips that you can use to make sure that you’re working towards improving the quality of your water.
2. Sneaky Lead
Lead is a highly toxic element which poses severe health concerns for people, regardless of their age. This is, however, especially true for women who are currently pregnant, for young children and for infants. Lead is not something that will do quick damage to your body, but in long-term exposure, the consequences can be lethal.
You need to make sure that the lead which could generally be present in your drinking water is filtered and removed to guarantee that everything is handled as per the highest health standards. When it comes to children, even low exposure to lead has been associated with learning disabilities, specific behavioral issues, and others of the kind.
The water which leaves the water treatment plans is traveling through water mains, and it is almost free of lead. Nowadays, most of the pipes should be lead-free, as the lead is prohibited substance, but houses that are were built in the 1980s and earlier that have old plumbing system might be in a risk of contamination.
This is the main reason for which you ought to get in touch with a professional. He is going to identify the lead service lines as well as other materials which may contain this harmful material and get rid of it from the entire plumbing system. This is going to ensure that your drinking water remains entirely free of lead and that there’s nothing you should be worried about.
3. Check Out For Leaks
This is one of the things that a lot of professionals would actively encourage you to do. You need to fix the leaks within and outside of your home not only to prevent water waste but also to guarantee that there is no contamination.
There are 2 main ways how to check if there is any leakage of water. First, you need to ensure to shut off the water within the entire house.
Then the first way is a simple visual check. Just go around your property and have a look around for possible wet spots within and outside your property. This should be done every time you feel like there is low pressure on the output.
The second way you can do so is the actual meter reading. Write down your reading and don’t use any water for a couple of hours. Compare your readings, and if they are different, then there is a potential leak.
My personal recommendation would be to do both checks, first try meter reading and then just to be sure do also the visual inspection.
You should make sure to check everything that could potentially leak – from your faucets to your toilet. Not only will this improve the overall quality of your drinking water, but it will prevent the further potential for any contamination, which is essentially the most important thing to take out.
4. Clean and Maintain Your Pipes
As I mentioned above, lead is one of the most dangerous contaminants which can be contained in your water, and the main source that it comes from is your pipes.
Furthermore, you ought to understand that clogged pipes can cause a lot of issues. Not only can they be a menace, cutting off your water supply, but also a clog could contaminate the drinking water.
A lot of things can lead to a clogged pipe – from leaves and even dead animals, so make sure that this is taken care of properly.
This is especially true for the piping which is heavily subjected to throw-out materials like flushable wipes, facial tissue, paper towels, and others of the kind. Remember – these have to be thrown away, not flushed down the pipes.
This is something that quite a lot of people are doing mistakenly, and it’s one of the most common causes of clogged pipes. Furthermore, when you are doing the dishes, you shouldn’t throw fats, grease, and oil down the drain – the best thing to do is to throw them away in your trash can.
5. Local Water Infrastructure: Work Towards Community Improvement
If you are aware of a serious issue which is taking place within the water infrastructure of your hometown or village, you might advocate for replacing it.
Of course, for this to happen, there needs to be a valid and serious reason and you ought to ensure that you have the merits for it well laid down.
However, replacing the local water infrastructure with a new one is something quite challenging. It would require a whole lot of preparations and a serious amount of overall work, which is carried out by official structures.
I would also like to provide you with one additional tip on how to improve the quality of your water, despite the fact that it might sound a bit odd at first.
6. Water Freezing
When water freezes there is absolutely no room for contaminants when the crystals begin to form.
This is especially true if the freezing takes place slowly. Therefore, the impurities will be forced out of the water, and what is left will be entirely pure.
While this is a process best known for purifying sea water and removing the salt from it, you can also take advantage of it to purify small quantities of drinking water that you consume daily. In fact, it’s said that frozen water is a lot more purified when it comes to it.
To Wrap it Up
There are plenty of different solutions that one can take advantage of to ensure that the water he and his family drinks is purified, at least on a local level.
From different filtration systems to changing the entire plumbing system of your home – you can rest assured that there’s plenty you can do to guarantee the quality of your drinking water.
However, what’s important to understand is that this is something which has a severe impact on your overall health. Therefore, you should be proactive when it comes to the water that you drink. You shouldn’t leave this for the last moment because the more polluted water you drink, the more your health will deteriorate.
This is something that you absolutely must prevent. I hope that the above tips provide you with a clear idea of what and how to do it and that they will help you improve the overall water quality.
I do have a full system filtering water and a UV lamp for whole house. When you have checked the water quality, the results were not encouraging. The water was very hard and we have started looking for a filtering system. Now, we are happy with it. Apart from the big system, we also have a separate system in the kitchen.
Before installing the system, one of the elements got hols in it. Not anymore with the new system.
Great article.
Hi Dany,
Yes, water filters are really useful. Personally, I am using a tiny one for the faucet because I move and switch house really often, but once I have moved properly in and settle I would definitely go with something bigger 🙂
Hi Eugen, thank you so much for such great informative article. I live have a borehole at my home and I have never thought of having the water tested, am going to do that right away.
Hi there,
I am really glad that my website had helped you to identify the importance of the issue. 🙂 I am pretty sure you will find lots of useful information here.
These are all great tips on how to improve drinking water. We have well water but still filter it in the kitchen. And I also use a We currently have a water filter in our kitchen. But for the most part, we drink water from a natural stream.
Hi Wendy,
It great that you have found these useful. What kind of a filter do you have is it the big RO system or just a countertop one?
Eugen
I have a water filtration system, and love it. The water tastes 500% better, and cleaning is also easier. A lot of time, just using the water will clean a window and a mirror without leaving any smudges. I highly recommend a water filtration system.
Hello, I am glad that you have found the filter for you. This is definitely something I advise everyone to have as the expense for it is not massive but what you are receiving back is way more important.