Can You Drink Tap Water in San Antonio?

9/26/2018

Each year, varying organizations commit to research studies regarding the quality of tap water in major cities throughout Texas. In San Antonio tap water, the Environmental Working Group discovered countless contaminants. This reported data means that the drinking water for over 1 million people in the city may include a variety of potentially harmful chemicals and contaminants. According to the report, 3,513 water utilities serving over 22.5 million people in Texas have trace amounts of radium in the drinking supply. Over 170 million Americans across the U.S. drink water contaminated with radium. Radium puts everyone at risk for cancer.

Now, that sounds horrendous. The thought of drinking contaminated water and putting yourself and your family at risk is not an ideal situation. Thankfully, great strides have been made in the past year especially. San Antonio, specifically, has zero violations on its drinking water report. That’s incredible!

Still, you may wish to consider a whole-home water filtration system for better-tasting and looking drinking water from the tap!

Drinking Water Contaminants

A 2017 report by the San Antonio Water System dives into the topic a little further. In the report, the organization detailed the most common contaminants present in our water supply. Such contaminants include:

• Microbial Contaminants – These contaminants include viruses and bacteria, which often stem from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, and agricultural operations in the region.
• Inorganic Contaminants – Inorganic materials include salts and metals, which are often naturally occurring, or result from stormwater runoff, industrial wastewater, oil and gas production, mining, and farming.
• Pesticides and Herbicides – Another common contaminant stemming from agriculture and stormwater runoff, pesticides and herbicides are commonly found in drinking water in trace amounts.
• Organic Chemicals – These include both synthetic and volatile organic chemicals – often a by-product of industrial and petroleum productions. Some stem from gas stations, septic systems, and water runoff.
• Radioactive Contaminants – Often the result of gas and oil production or mining, radioactive contaminants, including radium, are found in the water supply.

Benefits of Water Filtration

The solution to such waterborne contaminants is a water filtration system. You can schedule a professional installation with a trusted plumber. The benefits of such a system include:

• Your water will taste and smell better, thanks to reducing chlorine and bacterial contaminants in the supply.
• Water filters significantly reduce the risk of various cancers, including rectal, colon, and bladder, by removing chlorine and byproducts from the water supply.
• Drinking filtered water protects the body from various diseases.
• Drinking filtered water helps a child’s developing immune system.
• Water filtration provides protection for the body against over 2,100 known contaminants and toxins in today’s drinking supply.

Now is the time to consider a whole-home water filtration system. At bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of San Antonio, we provide professional installation of such systems. We even test the unit to ensure it works properly. Your home and family will enjoy clean water. Just give us a call today at 210-876-1629!