For most residents, the tap water supplied to the Jacksonville area comes from the Floridan aquifer, a generally healthy source of fresh water. But that doesn't mean there aren't harmful contaminants found in it, some of which, if uncontrolled, can be cause for alarm. Here are some of the more common elements found in our water, compiled from various sources in and around the Jacksonville area.
Coliforms are bacteria present in the digestive tracts of animals, including humans. Most are generally harmless, though some strains of E. coli can cause serious illness, even death. E. coli, which comes from human and animal fecal waste, can occasionally be found in trace amounts in the Jacksonville water supply. Other types of coliforms have been known to cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea and headaches in otherwise-healthy people, and can be more serious, even life-threatening, for children, the elderly and immune-compromised people. Unfortunately, you cannot tell by the look, taste or smell of water whether disease-causing organisms are present. You can, however, get it tested, such as with our free water-quality analysis at Waterboy.
Copper can get into your drinking water as it passes through your household plumbing. Your body needs some copper to stay healthy, but too much can be harmful. Ingesting excess copper in food or water can cause vomiting, stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea, liver damage and kidney disease. It's especially dangerous for individuals with Wilson's disease, and some babies cannot get rid of extra copper easily. Drinking water with more than 1,300 micrograms of copper per liter can be a health risk.
As you may recall from the events in Flint, Michigan, exposure to lead is especially toxic to children and can cause serious, and in many cases irreversible, damage to developing brains and nervous systems. Lead exposure has also been linked to miscarriages and stillbirths, fertility issues, cardiovascular and kidney effects, cognitive dysfunction and high blood pressure in otherwise-healthy adults. A whole-home water filtration system can remove lead from your home's water supply.
Common disinfectants such as chlorine and chloramine are used to treat water and eliminate the water-borne transmission of diseases such as typhoid and paratyphoid fevers, cholera, salmonellosis and shigellosis. Chlorination and chloramination remain the most widely used methods for disinfecting water supplies in the United States, and in the Jacksonville area chlorine is the primary disinfectant. The EPA generally recommends that levels up to 4 milligrams per liter are considered safe in drinking water.
Disinfectant by-products are created as chlorine reacts with water. Common by-products include bromate and TTHM (total trihalomethanes). Overexposure to such contaminants has been linked to cancer and may also be related to reproductive impacts such as miscarriages and birth defects. TTHM, for instance, has caused other effects in laboratory animals following high exposure, including toxicity to the liver, kidneys, and the neurological and reproductive systems.
Inorganic contaminants commonly occur in nature and often end up in our surface and ground waters. Others result from man-made pollution, while still others, such as nitrates, occur because of interactions between nature and pollution. Here are a few found in water in and around Jacksonville:
According to the Centers for Disease Control, many research studies have proven the safety and benefits of fluoridated water, including better dental health. Drinking fluoridated water keeps teeth strong and reduces cavities by about 25% in children and adults, saving money for families and the health-care system. There are some risks to ingesting too much fluoride, though in general it is not considered too harmful except in extreme cases.
Mercury occurs naturally in deposits throughout the world and is the only known metal to be liquid at standard temperature and pressure. It's also very toxic. Mercury has been detected in Jacksonville water and likely comes from the erosion of natural deposits, discharge from refineries and factories, and runoff from landfills and cropland. Repeated mercury exposure in water may cause neurological and behavioral disorders, and even death.
Nitrates are compounds formed naturally when nitrogen combines with oxygen. They occur in most surface water and groundwater, and nitrogen is essential for all living things. But high levels of nitrates in drinking water can be dangerous, especially for infants and pregnant women. Exposure can lead to blue baby syndrome, developmental effects and cardiovascular disease, and in extreme cases it can be fatal. Nitrates can be successfully removed using treatment processes such as ion exchange, distillation and reverse osmosis.
We hope you found this helpful. This is by no means an exhaustive list of contaminants, just a few of the more notable ones. Want to learn more about what's really in your water? Contact us at Waterboy to get your free water-quality analysis and find out exactly what you're drinking, cooking with and bathing in. Now that's some high-quality H₂O!
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