Water’s Journey: How the Water in Your Faucets Gets There

Water coming from the faucets in our homes is so common, we rarely give it any thought. But you might be interested to know that local water companies and water planning agencies put quite a lot of effort into collecting water from its various natural sources and transporting it to our homes.

Tri-Florida Water Treatment of Auburndale, FL, would like to share a little about the journey of water.

In the Beginning . . .

Water starts in oceans and the sky. From there, rain falls across an area and moves into reservoirs, dams, underground aquifers and basins, and other “storage” areas.

The big job is then getting the water from these areas to your home. But before that can happen, water utility companies have to treat the water and make it safe.

Treating the Water

If your tap water comes from a local water company, it has been treated and processed by the time you get it. Water treatment is highly regulated; providers must follow a number of federal guidelines that dictate the maximum allowable levels of specific contaminants that can remain in delivered water.

Elements often found in pre-treated groundwater and water from other original sources include magnesium, chlorine, lead, iron, phosphates, arsenic and other substances that, in approved amounts, are not considered harmful to people and animals.

Depending on what happens to water before it reaches the treatment plant, it could also contain pesticides, pharmaceuticals and other poisons that can harm people and animals, even in small quantities.

Water Delivery To Your Home

After treatment, water becomes “potable,” which means federal regulations deem it safe to drink and use in the home. It’s then delivered, usually through a series of underground pipes, or water mains, laid parallel to the streets or between housing rows, which makes it easier for workers to get to them when necessary. Certain regions may use pumping systems to help move the water along.

Each locality and jurisdiction has its own unique method of collecting, treating and delivering water to homes and businesses. Wells are often used as the water source when municipal service isn’t available.

The Purity and Safety of Water

While the FDA and other regulatory bodies control how water is processed and treated, not all consumers are satisfied with the result. The truth is, very few consumers are aware of exactly what is allowed to be in the water that’s distributed in their region and to their homes.

An option for significantly cleaner, healthier and better-tasting water is a home water purification system. These systems work by reverse osmosis (RO), which takes incoming water and pushes it through a semi-permeable membrane that traps a huge number of pollutants and contaminants.

Among the impurities a good RO system traps are:

• Chloride and chlorine
• Sulfate
• Magnesium and calcium (which make “hard” water)
• Viruses and parasites
• Lead and copper
• Fluoride
• Radionuclides

and a lot of other substances with long and complicated names.

Water treatment systems can be set up to clean some or all of the water entering a home or business. The result is water that tastes great, has no chemical odor, doesn’t leave spots and sediment on dishes, and is safe for consumption by people and pets.

If you’d like to know more about home water purification systems, Tri-Florida Water Treatment is here to help. We install and service top-line water systems throughout the Auburndale, FL, area.

Give us a call, or reach out with our contact form.