Is There Bacteria In Your Well Water?
Bacteria is present in nearly all freshwater sources. Whether you have a private well or spring, or municipal water, most of these contaminants are successfully eliminated and disinfected using chlorination, chloramines or UV treatment. So when should you be concerned?
A number of issues can arise that allow bacteria and viruses to infiltrate your water supply, including runoff, septic systems, animals and poor well/spring construction. If you recently bought a home with a well or spring, get it tested immediately if this wasn’t a requirement over the inspection period.
How To Detect Bacteria In Water
Turbidity is the apt descriptor of cloudy water with suspended solids. While the water itself is not harmful to humans, the suspended solids can act as an impediment to the disinfection process and provide an ideal environment for microbial growth.
The best way to tell if there is bacteria in your water is always to have it tested, although there are signs to recognize if you suspect you might have a problem with your water:
- Water begins leaving unusual or heavy staining around fixtures and drains, may be rust colored
- Water takes on an unpleasant (rotten eggs or moldy) smell
- Water is cloudy or discolored
- If your water shows any of these symptoms, stop drinking and using it immediately it and call your local water authority.
Even if your water shows no outward signs of contamination, make it a habit to test your water at least once a year. If you use well water, test it biannually to ensure your supply is safe. You should also schedule a water test any time you do septic repairs or upgrades.
While some of the common bacteria can be treated by boiling water, like giardia and cryptosporidium, others are more difficult to eliminate from drinking water. In those cases, you’ll want to be sure you’re treating water with a reverse osmosis filtration system to effectively remove problematic bacteria.
To protect yourself and your family from bacteria found in tap water, there are several options to choose from —whether you want filtration just at the kitchen sink, or a whole house of filtered water free from bacteria.
The type of treatment you need can depend on a variety of factors. Another common form of disinfection technology is UV. Culligan’s UV Disinfection System within its whole home UV water purification solution can be added to your filter or softener to eliminate 99.99% of bacteria, viruses, mold and other waterborne contaminants such as protozoa.
Sometimes, positive bacteria tests are a result of one-time contamination and may only require shock chlorination treatment. This requires a coliform bacteria test, followed by a period of retesting over a two- to three-month period. If this does not work, a more permanent solution is in order.
For private springs, shock chlorination rarely works, as water runs through the spring too quickly to contact the chlorine needed to eliminate the bacteria.
Common Types of Bacteria In Water
Total Coliform – Coliform are a naturally-occurring and usually benign bacteria very common in the environment. While not always an indication of a problem in your water, they can signal that other types of coliforms, like fecal coliforms, could be in the supply. Read more below.
Fecal Coliform – As its name might suggest, fecal coliform indicates water has been contaminated by human or animal waste, commonly as a result of heavy runoff near agricultural areas. Fecal coliform contamination can cause stomach issues when in- gested, ranging from mild upset for young and healthy people to more severe symptoms for children, expecting mothers, the elderly, and those who may already be immunocompromised.
E.coli – Having made its share of headlines, E.coli may be the most recognizable bacteria in water. As a form of fecal coliform bacteria, E.coli in water presents the same symptoms and is generally caused the same way (agricultural runoff, septic system malfunction, well or water infrastructure breakdown). Some forms of E.coli can be more serious than general fecal coliforms, especially for vulnerable members of the population.
Legionella – Legionella is also a commonly occurring bacteria. It becomes problematic when it’s aerosolized — or airborne — as it would if you were using legionella contaminated water for an air conditioning unit, or to shower with (where legionella bacteria would form steam that could then be inhaled). Like coliform contamination, legionella contamination typically occurs through breakdowns in water infrastructure and/or during storms, floods, or other periods of increased runoff.
Giardia & Cryptosporidium – Found all over the world, giardia and cryptosporidium are a parasites that cause severe stomach upset when ingested. They are also closely associated with poor sanitation, waste-contaminated, or otherwise untreated water, and can be caused when runoff near agricultural areas exceeds the capacity of water infrastructure and treatment.
Bacteria That Filters Can Not Remove (and What To Do)
Campylobacteriosis is the most common bacterial cause of diarrhea in the U.S, and affects nearly 1% of the population every year, according to the CDC. Salmonella has been known to cause waterborne disease for more than 100 years. These come from the intestines of humans and animals.
These diseases are found in private wells from sewage malfunctions, runoff, and flooding in wells that are shallow, have been bored or dug, or flooded for longer periods of time. There is no filter that has been certified to remove campylobacter or salmonella.
Contact your local state certification officer if your water tests positive for them, and boil your water.
Bacteria can also cause aesthetic issues. Iron-eating bacteria leaves behind waste deposits, causing sludge in your bathroom and kitchen fixtures. It also can react with hydrogen sulfide to cause the rotten egg smell you may be familiar with in your drinking water.
Bacteria is not always a persistent contaminant. It may the issue of a one-time contamination caused by a faulty well cap, new pump installation or surface runoff from heavy rainfall.
The issue can be a seasonal occurrence, as bacteria naturally thrives in warmer environments, all of these issues can be more prevalent in the spring and summer months.
Bacteria in Municipal Systems
While water bacteria are most often an issue affecting those who use well water, it’s not uncommon for municipal supplies to experience occasional issues with bacteria. It can be an issue during periods of heavy rain or runoff, which often impacts reservoirs and existing water treatment infrastructure.
Viruses In Your Water Supply (Coronavirus, In Particular)
With all the precautions being taken to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus thru social distancing, one concern could have been coronavirus in your tap water.
More than one hundred different species of viruses can spread through water that can lead to diseases in humans — including hepatitis, gastroenteritis, meningitis, fever, rash, and conjunctivitis. But viruses, along with bacteria, are high on the regulation hit list for any water treatment plan. This means most bacteria and viruses don’t have a chance to reach your tap.
Furthermore, the CDC posted a bulletin regarding the issue of coronavirus in water:
“The COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking water. Conventional water treatment methods that use filtration and disinfection, such as those in most municipal drinking water systems, should remove or inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19.”
Based on this information, the CDC has determined that coronavirus has not been detected in tap water.
Water Treatment for Viruses
It wouldn’t be unprecedented to have a water issue with coronavirus — albeit these problems are typically not related to drinking water. The last major coronavirus outbreak, SARS, was found to be living in contaminated raw sewage for 2 to 14 days.
But the CDC, WHO and EPA cite traditional water treatment methods as a way to get rid of any coronavirus concerns. This would include:
- UV Treatment
Finding Viruses In Unregulated Water Sources Such As Well Water
Other sources where treatment is done by private well owners are more susceptible to contamination. But that doesn’t necessarily mean a virus is lurking in your well. While well water can be a source for bacteria to reside if untreated, there are few instances of anecdotal evidence supporting the presence of viruses in private well water.
“Generally, if a virus gets in a well, it’s an extreme situation, like flooding” said Gary Falkengren, a water treatment specialist with Culligan International for nearly three decades.
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Je, Kuna Bakteria Katika Maji ya Kisima Chako? Bakteria hupatikana karibu katika vyanzo vyote vya maji baridi. Ikiwa una kisima cha kibinafsi au chemchemi, au maji ya manispaa, uchafuzi huu huondolewa na kuharibiwa kwa mafanikio kwa kutumia klorini, kloramini au matibabu ya UV. Kwa hiyo, ni wakati gani unapaswa kuwa na wasiwasi? Kuna uwezekano wa kuambukizwa na bakteria na virusi, pamoja na mifereji ya maji, mifereji ya septic, wanyama na ujenzi mbaya wa kisima. Kama hivi karibuni kununuliwa nyumba na kisima au chemchemi, kupata ni kupimwa mara moja kama hii haikuwa mahitaji juu ya kipindi cha ukaguzi. Jinsi ya Kugundua Bakteria Katika Maji Uchafu ni ufafanuzi sahihi wa maji yenye mawingu yenye vitu vilivyo imara. Ingawa maji yenyewe si hatari kwa wanadamu, vitu vilivyo na sumu vinaweza kuzuia mchakato wa kuua viini na kutoa mazingira bora kwa ajili ya ukuaji wa vimelea. Njia bora ya kujua kama kuna bakteria katika maji yako ni daima kuwa na kupimwa, ingawa kuna ishara ya kutambua kama wewe tuhuma unaweza kuwa na tatizo na maji yako: - Maji huanza kuacha staining isiyo ya kawaida au nzito karibu fixtures na mifereji ya maji, inaweza kuwa kutu rangi - Maji inachukua harufu mbaya (yai kuoza au moulded) - Maji ni cloudy au discolored - Kama maji yako inaonyesha yoyote ya dalili hizi, kuacha kunywa na kutumia mara moja. Hata kama maji yako hayana dalili za uchafuzi, fanya mazoezi ya kuchunguza maji yako angalau mara moja kwa mwaka. Ikiwa unatumia maji ya kisima, jaribu kila baada ya miaka miwili ili kuhakikisha kwamba maji yako ni salama. Pia unapaswa kupanga jaribio la maji wakati wowote unapofanya ukarabati au kuboresha septic. Ingawa baadhi ya bakteria za kawaida zinaweza kutibiwa kwa maji ya kuchemsha, kama vile Giardia na Cryptosporidium, zingine ni ngumu zaidi kuondoa kutoka kwa maji ya kunywa. Katika kesi hizo, unataka kuwa na uhakika wewe ni kutibu maji na mfumo wa filtration reverse osmosis kwa ufanisi kuondoa bakteria tatizo. Ili kujikinga na familia yako kutoka kwa bakteria zinazopatikana katika maji ya bomba, kuna chaguzi kadhaa za kuchagua - ikiwa unataka kuchuja tu kwenye sinki ya jikoni, au nyumba nzima ya maji yaliyochapishwa bila bakteria. Aina ya matibabu unayohitaji yaweza kutegemea mambo mbalimbali. Aina nyingine ya kawaida ya teknolojia ya kuua viini ni UV. Mfumo wa disinfection ya UV ya Culligan katika suluhisho lake la kusafisha maji la UV la nyumbani linaweza kuongezwa kwa kichujio chako au kiyoyozi ili kuondoa 99.99% ya bakteria, virusi, kuvu na uchafuzi mwingine wa maji kama vile protozoa. Wakati mwingine, vipimo vyenye chembechembe chenye matokeo mazuri ni matokeo ya uchafuzi wa mara moja na vinaweza kuhitaji tu matibabu ya chlorination ya mshtuko. Kwa hivyo, kwa sababu ya hali ya bakteria ya coliform, ni muhimu kufanya uchunguzi wa mara kwa mara kwa miezi miwili. Ikiwa hilo halitafaulu, suluhisho la kudumu zaidi ndilo linalofaa. Kwa chemchemi za kibinafsi, chlorination ya mshtuko haifanyi kazi mara nyingi, kwani maji hutiririka kupitia chemchemi haraka sana kuwasiliana na klorini inayohitajika kuondoa bakteria. Aina za kawaida za bakteria katika maji Coliform jumla <unk> Coliform ni bakteria ya asili na kwa kawaida ya wema ambayo ni ya kawaida sana katika mazingira. Ingawa sio dalili ya tatizo katika maji yako, inaweza kuonyesha kwamba aina nyingine za coliforms, kama vile coliforms fecal, inaweza kuwa katika usambazaji. Soma zaidi hapa chini. Fecal coliform ni aina ya maji ya ndani ambayo yanaonekana kuwa yamechafuliwa na taka za binadamu au wanyama, kwa kawaida kutokana na maji mengi yanayotiririka karibu na maeneo ya kilimo. Ugonjwa wa coliform unaweza kusababisha matatizo ya tumbo wakati wa ujauzito, kuanzia maumivu ya chini kwa vijana na watu wenye afya hadi dalili kali zaidi kwa watoto, mama wanaotarajia, wazee, na wale ambao tayari wanaweza kuwa na kinga dhaifu. E. coli <unk> Baada ya kupata habari nyingi, huenda E. coli ikawa bakteria inayojulikana zaidi katika maji. E. coli ni aina ya bakteria ya coliform ya mkojo, ambayo ina dalili sawa na kwa ujumla husababishwa kwa njia ile ile (kuvuja kwa kilimo, mfumo wa septic usiofanya kazi, kuharibika kwa kisima au miundombinu ya maji). Aina fulani za E. coli zinaweza kuwa mbaya zaidi kuliko coliforms za kawaida za matumbo, hasa kwa washiriki walio hatarini wa idadi ya watu. Legionella <unk> Legionella pia ni bakteria inayopatikana kwa kawaida. Inakuwa tatizo wakati ni aerosolized <unk> au hewa <unk> kama ingekuwa kama wewe walikuwa kutumia legionella maji kuchafuliwa kwa kitengo cha hali ya hewa, au kuoga na (ambapo legionella bakteria ingekuwa kuunda mvuke ambayo inaweza kisha kuvutwa). Kama uchafuzi wa coliform, uchafuzi wa legionella hutokea kwa kawaida kupitia kuvunjika kwa miundombinu ya maji na au wakati wa dhoruba, mafuriko, au vipindi vingine vya kuongezeka kwa maji. Giardia na Cryptosporidium <unk> Inapatikana ulimwenguni kote, giardia na cryptosporidium ni vimelea vinavyosababisha maumivu makali ya tumbo zinapomezwa. Pia zinahusiana sana na usafi duni, maji yaliyochafuliwa na taka, au maji yasiyotiwa dawa, na yanaweza kusababishwa wakati maji ya karibu karibu na maeneo ya kilimo yanapozidi uwezo wa miundombinu ya maji na matibabu. Ugonjwa wa Campylobacter ni moja ya sababu za kawaida za kuambukizwa na ugonjwa wa kuambukiza kwa watu, na huathiri karibu asilimia 1 ya watu kila mwaka. Salmonella imekuwa ikisababisha magonjwa ya maji kwa zaidi ya miaka 100. Hizi hutoka katika matumbo ya wanadamu na wanyama. Ugonjwa huu unapatikana katika visima vya kibinafsi kutokana na kutofanya kazi vizuri kwa maji machafu, maji ya maji machafu, na mafuriko katika visima ambavyo havina kina, vimechimbwa au kuchimbwa, au vimefurika kwa muda mrefu. Hakuna kichujio ambacho kimethibitishwa kuondoa campylobacter au salmonella. Wasiliana na afisa wa idhini ya serikali ya eneo lako ikiwa maji yako yanaonekana kuwa na athari nzuri kwa ajili yao, na uchemshwe maji yako. Bakteria zaweza pia kusababisha matatizo ya urembo. Bakteria zinazokula chuma hutia ndani uchafu, na hivyo kutokeza matope katika vyumba vyako vya kuogea na vyumba vya jikoni. Pia inaweza kuingiliana na sulfidi ya hidrojeni na kusababisha harufu ya mayai yaliyoharibika ambayo unaweza kuwa unaijua katika maji yako ya kunywa. Si mara zote bakteria huwa uchafuzi wa kudumu. Hii inaweza kuwa uchafuzi wa mara moja unaosababishwa na kifuniko cha kisima, ufungaji mpya wa pampu au maji ya uso kutokana na mvua kubwa. Kwa sababu ya hali ya msimu, bakteria huishi katika mazingira ya joto, na inaweza kuwa na athari kubwa katika majira ya joto. Bakteria katika Mifumo ya Manispaa Wakati bakteria za maji mara nyingi ni suala linaloathiri wale wanaotumia maji ya kisima, sio nadra kwa vifaa vya manispaa kupata masuala ya mara kwa mara na bakteria. Hii inaweza kuwa tatizo wakati wa mvua kubwa au maji ya maji, ambayo mara nyingi huathiri mabwawa na miundombinu ya matibabu ya maji. Virusi katika maji yako (Coronavirus, Hasa) Pamoja na tahadhari zote zinazochukuliwa kuzuia kuenea kwa coronavirus mpya kupitia umbali wa kijamii, wasiwasi mmoja ungeweza kuwa coronavirus katika maji yako ya bomba. Zaidi ya spishi mia moja tofauti za virusi zinaweza kuenea kupitia maji ambayo yanaweza kusababisha magonjwa kwa wanadamu - ikiwa ni pamoja na hepatitis, gastroenteritis, meningitis, homa, rash, na conjunctivitis. Virusi, pamoja na bakteria, ni moja ya vitu muhimu katika mipango ya matibabu ya maji. Hii inamaanisha bakteria na virusi vingi havina nafasi ya kufikia bomba lako. "Kwa kuongezea, CDC ilitoa taarifa kuhusu suala la coronavirus katika maji: ""Virus ya COVID-19 haijagunduliwa katika maji ya kunywa." Njia za kawaida za matibabu ya maji ambazo hutumia usafirishaji na disinfection, kama zile katika mifumo mingi ya maji ya kunywa ya manispaa, zinapaswa kuondoa au kuzima virusi vinavyosababisha COVID-19, kulingana na habari hii, CDC imeamua kuwa coronavirus haijagunduliwa katika maji ya bomba. Matibabu ya Maji kwa Virusi Haitakuwa isiyo ya kawaida kuwa na suala la maji na coronavirus <unk> ingawa matatizo haya kwa kawaida hayahusiani na maji ya kunywa. Mlipuko wa kwanza wa virusi vya corona, SARS, uligunduliwa kuwa unaishi katika maji machafu kwa siku 2 hadi 14. CDC, WHO na EPA zinataja mbinu za jadi za matibabu ya maji kama njia ya kuondoa wasiwasi wowote wa coronavirus. Hii itajumuisha: - Matibabu ya UV Kupata virusi katika vyanzo vya maji visivyo na udhibiti kama vile maji ya kisima Vyanzo vingine ambapo matibabu hufanywa na wamiliki wa kisima cha kibinafsi vina uwezekano mkubwa wa uchafuzi. Lakini hilo halimaanishi kwamba kuna virusi katika kisima chako. Ingawa maji ya kisima yanaweza kuwa chanzo cha bakteria kuishi ikiwa hayajatibiwa, kuna visa vichache vya ushahidi wa anecdotal unaounga mkono uwepo wa virusi katika maji ya kisima ya kibinafsi. "Kwa ujumla, ikiwa virusi vinaingia ndani ya kisima, ni hali ya hali ya juu, kama mafuriko", alisema Gary Falkengren, mtaalamu wa matibabu ya maji na Culligan International kwa karibu miongo mitatu. 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