Water Issues

Understanding the types and sources of water contamination.

Do You Trust Your Water Quality?

“Water issues” is the common way to describe the presence of foreign substances or contamination in water. The contamination can come from a variety of natural or synthetically produced sources that are found in both municipal water and well water systems. Some of the most common water issues are easily treated with whole-home or building water treatment and reverse osmosis systems, while others, such as radon, may require more extensive treatment.

What Are the Most Common Water Issues?

Contaminants can be classified as biological, chemical, or radiological, and can range in severity from benign to posing serious health risks. It is important to be aware of the potential contaminants in your drinking water to reduce or remove them. Whether it’s everyone in your home, communities of residents, or employees in business it’s important to be informed on how you can ensure you have safe, clean water.

What's In Your Water?

We’re committed to providing you with the safest and highest quality of water. Our water experts use quality testing measures so we can confidently identify any issues in your drinking water – even the contaminants too small for you to see or smell. Request a Free Water Test >>

What Are the Top Ways to Detect Water Issues?

Trusting your water source is essential and it’s the reason our customers ask us, “What can I do to ensure clean and safe water?” There are certain water contaminants that can go undetected and unnoticed by the average person, however, there are some indicators you can be aware of so you can request a water test to confirm if you have a water issue. Carroll Water expert water consultants will work with you to identify water contamination type and help you understand how it may be entering your water supply as well as the risks involved. Working together with you, they design a remediation plan to overcome the drinking water risks or address the impact of the contaminated water.

Reasons to Test for Water Contamination

Recurrent gastrointestinal illness
Household plumbing contains lead
Radon in indoor air or region is radon rich
Scaly residues, soaps don’t lather
Water softener needed to treat hardness
Stained plumbing or laundry fixtures
Objectionable taste or smell
Water appears cloudy, frothy or colored
Corrosion of pipes or plumbing
Rapid wear of water treatment equipment

Nearby areas of intensive agriculture
Coal or other mining operation nearby
Gas drilling operation nearby
Odor of gasoline or fuel oil, and near a gas station or buried fuel tank(s)
If your home is located near a dump, junkyard, landfill, factory or dry-cleaning business
If your water tastes salty

How frequently should I test?

We recommend testing the water every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH levels, especially if you have a new well, or have replaced or repaired pipes, pumps, or the well casing. There are also other special circumstances that may prompt you to test immediately too:

Is anyone in your home pregnant or nursing a newborn?
Are there any unexplained illnesses in your family?
Have you experienced changes in your water taste, smell, color or clarity?
Has a chemical or fuel spill leaked near your water supply?
Did your neighbor have a septic tank issue that caused waste contamination in the soil?
Has your public water supply been contaminated or not properly disinfected?
Do you live near a firehouse, military base, or other business that uses cleaning or fire agents?