Access to clean drinking water is critical. In the Capital Region of New York, numerous contaminants can affect your water supply. Understanding these contaminants and how to address them is especially important if you use well water.
Capital Region Contaminants
While amounts may vary from community to community, typical contaminants in the Capital Region include:
- Chloride and sodium from road salt
- Fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides from farms
- Barium from drilling and mining operations
- Nitrates from leaking septic tanks and fertilizer use
Exposure to specific contaminants depends on where you are. If you don’t live near any farms, it’s less likely that your water will be affected by fertilizers or pesticides, for example. However, since the regional water supply is interconnected, these various contaminants may impact the whole area.
Health Implications of Water Contamination
When water carries foreign contaminants, those substances enter our bodies and exist perpetually in our homes. Prolonged exposure can have a profound health impact, and even a small amount can have dire consequences.
Chloride and Sodium
High sodium and chloride levels in your water can contribute to elevated blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure is especially problematic for individuals who have clinical hypertension (high blood pressure), and can raise their blood pressure to dangerous levels.
Nitrates
Nitrates from fertilizer runoff are known to cause a critical issue called “blue baby syndrome.” Since infants are so much smaller than other children or adults, even a small amount of nitrates can lead to oxygen deprivation, shortness of breath, and a blue tinge to the skin.
Other long-term issues potentially caused by nitrates and fertilizer contamination include an increased risk of:
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular problems
- Compromised reproductive health
- Stomach cramps, nausea, and headache issues
Barium
Barium exposure can cause myriad health issues. The longer you’re exposed to this contaminant, the more dangerous it becomes. Barium-related health problems include:
- Kidney damage
- Muscle weakness or paralysis
- Changes in heart rhythm and blood pressure
- Difficulty breathing
- Skin, eyes, nose, and throat irritation
- Vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps
Water Testing and Treatment
Reducing exposure to these and other water contaminants is critical to protecting your health and your family. The best way to do this is through professional water testing and treatment.
The most thorough water testing option is to have your well contractor take a water sample for analysis. Using specialized equipment and processes, they can test for different contaminants and measure the concentration of each one.
Once you know what’s in your water, your well contractor can help you determine the best treatment options. There are a range of filters and systems to treat contaminated water, and you may need a combination of these to address your water specifically.
Some typical treatment and filtration systems are:
- Ultraviolet light treatment
- Chlorination
- Sediment filters
- Carbon filters
- Reverse osmosis systems
Depending on what contaminants are present in your water, your well contractor can work with you to design a custom system to ensure that your water is safe to drink and use.
Choose Goold Wells & Pumps to Protect Your Water
Goold Wells & Pumps offers comprehensive water testing, treatment, and filtration options throughout the Capital Region. We’ve been in business for over 90 years, and for good reason—we are committed to ensuring every customer has safe, reliable well water.
When you work with Goold Wells & Pumps, you can rest assured that you’ll get timely, accurate water testing results and industry-leading solutions. Goold Wells & Pumps has you covered from UV treatment to remove bacteria, viruses, and parasites to reverse osmosis filters that can remove up to 99% of contaminants.
We also offer water treatments to address high mineral contents and water pH, such as:
- Water softeners
- Water conditions
- Water neutralizers
At Goold Wells & Pumps, having safe water is just the first step. We also want your water to be pleasant to use.
For water testing and treatment in Albany and the Capital Region, call Goold Wells & Pumps today. We offer free estimates, and we’ll be happy to talk with you about our testing process and water treatment options. Goold Wells & Pumps—Trusted Name Since 1928.