Chemical reduction
Raw water will never be chemical free. From source to tap, water can come into contact with natural contaminants, environmental pollutants or tainted surfaces - each with the potential to introduce chemicals into your supply that exceed regulatory limits and reduce water quality.
Chemical profiles
What are the signs of chemical contamination?
Every chemical has its own set of attributes, including what effect it can have on the taste, smell, appearance and behaviour of your water. Aside from their warning signs, each chemical will also have associated common points of entry, regulatory limits and testing recommendations - details which can help you figure out the potential source of contamination, what parts of your system to check in on and how regularly you should get your water tested.
While many chemicals can cause issues with private water supplies, we’ve created some chemical profiles for the most common ones*. They should give you all the information you need to know.
Iron
Warning signs: Orange/brown staining to plumbed fixtures and fittings, and laundry.
Manganese
Warning signs: Black staining to plumbed fixtures and fittings, and laundry.
Lead
Warning signs: There are no obvious indicators of lead contamination in drinking water, but water testing can provide peace of mind.
Copper
Warning signs: Turquoise staining on plumbed fixtures, fittings and pipework. Green staining to bleached hair.
Arsenic
Warning signs: There are no obvious indicators of arsenic contamination in drinking water, but water testing can provide peace of mind.
* While these are some of the most common chemical contaminants, this is not an exhaustive list.
The first step
The importance of water testing.
Every chemical contaminant has its own set of characteristics and symptoms, but warning signs such as changes in the taste, smell and appearance of your water only offer an indication as to the chemical culprit, not a conclusive diagnosis. Water chemistry is complex. The behaviour and appearance of your water is influenced by the type and concentration of each contaminant individually as well as how all the contaminants react together. Water tests take out the guesswork, providing a roadmap to exactly what filtration your water needs.
Want to get started with water testing?
