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After a Tropical storm or a hurricane, the water quality for the city and private well-water sources can become contaminated. Now this may not be the first thing on your mind after a storm given that you are probably focused on making sure you and your family are safe, but the effects of contaminated water systems can last for years and cause numerous health issues that can be impossible to reverse.
It all can happen very quickly. When a tropical storm or hurricane hits a specific area, the water surge can cause a drastic rise of contamination levels. When these storms hit, they push a tremendous amount of toxins and contaminants from the earth directly into our water supply. When a storm is extremely powerful, municipal water treatment plants may not be running at their regular capacity and this can result in significant contamination. Flood waters can also mix with the contents from the water treatment plants, escape the facility and enter surrounding lakes, streams and well water supply.
You often hear of notices not to use water after a major hurricane. Since these toxin and contamination increases can be incredibly vast, the local water plants may just be unable to handle the level of contamination that is coming in. By consuming this toxic water, you are putting you and your family at risk for numerous diseases and illnesses.
When there is a massive water surge from a hurricane, the sewage systems can be impacted. The potential for the overgrowth of bacteria is high and those on private well water systems can be impacted the greatest. The reason for this is because the majority of well water systems are inter-connected, so even if your well was not impacted, the neighboring well contaminants can make their way into your supply.
Hurricanes also create larger issues that are out of the hands of the local municipality plants. During a large hurricane, chemicals, toxins and debris can actually make their way into the public water system and bypass water treatment plants. When this happens, the contamination can actually affect the water mains and lines in individual households. These flood water related dangers can put you at risk long after the visible signs of a flood or hurricane.
It is recommended against using your well water after a powerful hurricane or flood hits your area. It is important to get your water tested after a major storm to ensure you are consuming safe water. However, water tests only provide a snapshot of water quality at a given specific time. Water quality can change as quickly as water flows. The safest approach to protect you and your family is to have a POE (point of entry) or POU (point of use) water purification system installed. These filtration systems, installed either for the whole house or the kitchen sink, will provide you with the quality water that is safe and pure before use. To learn more about the right type of filtration you can contact us or visit our website at www.tristatewater.net