Water Quality Problem
(i) Manganese (Mn) – Effect On Drinking Water
Manganese is an essential element for humans. If plays an important role in many enzyme systems. Chronic toxicity has not been reported. With surface water averaging less that 0.05 mg/L of manganese in several surveys, the potential harm from this source is virtually nonexistent. The main problem with manganese in drinking water is associated with undesirable taste and discoloration (black) of the water. The usual drinking water standard for manganese in drinking water is 0.05 mg/L to avoid these problems.
(ii) Iron (Fe) – Effect On Drinking Water
Iron is an objectionable constituent in water supplies for domestic use because it may adversely affect the taste of water, beverages and stain laundered clothes and plumbing fixtures. According to the USEPA National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations the maximum contamination level of iron for public water systems is 0.3 mg/L.
(iii) Hardness – Effect on Drinking Water
Excessive hardness of water for domestic use is objectionable because it causes incrustations on cooking utensils, water heaters and increased soap or detergent consumption.
(iv) Sabotage of a water supply is highly unlikely for the following reasons:-
a) Treatment Plant is staffed around the clock.
b) A large volume of contaminant would have to be added to pollute a reservoir of treated water.
(v) What should I do to help to improve my drinking water quality?
You can do several things:-
• Call your local drinking water supplier and ask what the major needs are and how you can help.
• Support governmental efforts, such as increases in water rates from your water supplier to improve service and local taxation to improve drinking water quality, and similar efforts.
• Bring about the awareness of the important of having better raw water quality and river conservation.
(vi) My drinking water is not acceptable. To whom should I complain?
Call Hotline No. 084-216311 and discuss your problem. The CSLO shall explain to the customer and if required, Sibu Water Board shall send a representative to your home to investigate and follow up.
(vii) How can I help prevent pollution of drinking water sources?
Properly dispose off the chemicals you use in your home. Every chemical you buy has the potential of polluting the environment if disposed of improperly. Try to buy environmentally acceptable alternative products and, to minimize waste, buy only what you can use. Check with the Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) whether there is any hazardous waste disposal department. Bring out your disposal problem. If you change the oil in your car yourself, find out from the National Resource & Environment (NREB) or Department of Environment (DOE) how to dispose the used oil.
Remember, your drain is an entrance to your wastewater disposal system and eventually to a drinking water source. Discharges from septic tank may pollute the river water and the groundwater. Treat your wastewater system with respect.
(viii) I read about the problem of oil spills. Do they pollute drinking water resources?
Although oil spills is bad for the environment, it is not a danger to drinking water sources. However, ship and barge accidents can contaminate surface water sources. Many highways and railroad tracks pass over drinking water sources, creating a potential for contamination if a truck or freight-train accident occurs. A motor vehicle accident or poor disposal of oil from your car can cause oil pollution. Drinking water contaminated with even a little bit of oil has such a bad taste that most people regard it as undrinkable.
In Treatment Plant, oil presented in the raw water will choke up the filters and interrupt the operation of the plant.
(ix) In towns and cities, what is the major source of pollution of drinking water sources?
The major source of pollution is rainwater that flows into street catch basins (called urban runoff or storm water runoff). While this rainwater alone is not necessarily harmful, it frequently carries untreated waste products from our streets and yards directly into rivers, streams, and lakes (drinking water sources). Dumped motor oil can find its way into drinking water sources.
(x) Should I install home water treatment equipment?
This is a personal decision but with some constraints as the equipment may cause water quality problem due to bacterial growth if not properly maintained.
(xi) How long can I store drinking water?
Drinking water that is thoroughly disinfected can be stored for a long period of time in capped plastic or glass containers that may not rust as metal containers may. Be careful to use plastic that may make the water taste bad – trial and error is best here. Because the disinfectant that was in the water when you stored it will slowly go away. Replacing the water every six months is recommended. The taste will become “flat” after extended storage, so periodic replacement will help control bacterial (not germ) growth.
(xii) My drinking water is dark in color, nearly black. What causes this?
When manganese, a chemical currently thought to be nontoxic that frequently occurs in nature, dissolves in groundwater, it is colorless. When it combines with the chlorine in the water as it comes to your home, it turns black. To prevent ‘black water’ problems, a recommended limit for manganese in drinking water is not to exceed 0.10 ppm. If you have blackish water, you should dial the Hotline No. 084-216311 to report your problem.
(xiii) My drinking water is reddish or brown or blackish. What causes this?
This reddish-brown color is nontoxic, but it is not harmless. However, it can stain clothing in the wash, and it looks bad.
The causes are as follows:
a) Iron/manganese, which sometimes occurs in nature, may be dissolved in your drinking water.
When iron/manganese is dissolved in groundwater, it is colorless, but when it combines with air as you take water from your faucet or elsewhere in the system, the iron turns reddish-brown/blackish.
b) Internal plumbing pipes may be corroded.
Check whether your internal communication pipeline is of corrosive material such as G.I. Replace the communication pipe with PE/CU/ABS pipe for internal plumbing system.
c) If you have a roof tank, the dirty water may be due to the poorly maintained water tank.
Any water storage tank should be cleaned regularly to remove sediments deposited and slime formed.
(xiv) Drinking water often looks cloudy when first taken from a faucet and then it clears up. Why is that?
The cloudy water is caused by tiny air bubbles in the water similar to the gas bubbles in beer and carbonated soft drinks. After a while, the bubbles rise to the top and are gone. This type of cloudiness occurs more often when the drinking water is cold.
(xv) What can I do if my drinking water tastes “unusual”?
Four suggestions are:
• Storing some drinking water in a closed glass container in the refrigerator (warm drinking water has more taste than cold drinking water).
• Boiling tap water for five minutes should remove most of the disinfectant, if not all of it. After the water cools, refrigerate it. Remember that once the disinfectant is removed, the water must be treated like any other food. Keep it covered and use it as quickly as possible.
• Adding 1 or 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to refrigerated drinking water may result in a pleasant-tasting drink. You should report any unusual taste or odor to the water authority.
(xvi) Why does my drinking water taste or smell “unusual”? Will this smelly water make me sick?
The two most common reasons for bad tasting or smelling water are:
a) A funny taste can come from the chlorine that is added to the water to kill germs.
b) As algae and tiny fungi grow in surface water sources, they give off nontoxic, smelly chemicals that can cause unpleasant tastes in drinking water. Different algae cause different tastes and odors – grassy, swampy, and pigpen, as examples – and the little fungi can cause an earthy – musty taste.
c) None of the contaminants that could affect your health can be tasted in drinking water. You should report any sudden change in taste or smell in your drinking water to the water authority.
(xvii) Is chlorinated water safe for drinking?
Yes. Many tests have shown that the amount of chlorine found in treated water is safe to drink, although some people object to the taste.
(xviii) Will I lose the benefits of fluoride in my drinking water if I install a home treatment device answered?
Certain types of home treatment devices will remove 85 to more than 95 percent of all the minerals in water, including fluoride. These are reverse osmosis, distillation units, and deionization units (not water softeners – they leave fluoride in the water). If you use one of these types of devices, consult with your dentist about fluoride and possibly your doctor about iodine supplements.
(xix) Is the fluoride in my drinking water safe?
a) Yes. When added or naturally present in the correct amounts, fluoride in drinking water has greatly improved the dental health. Early studies suggesting that fluoride was a possible cancer-causing chemical proved to be incorrect. A 1993 report by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, Health Risk of Ingested Fluoride, stated that, “Currently allowed fluoride levels in drinking water do not pose a risk of health problems such as cancer, kidney failure, or bone disease.
b) When present even in correct amounts, fluoride and the disinfectant chloramines do make water unsuitable for use in kidney dialysis machines. Dialysis patients should check with their water supplier or dialysis center about their water source.
(xx) Could my drinking water transmit the AIDS virus?
There is absolutely no evidence that AIDS can be transmitted through drinking water. There is no danger from drinking water for three reasons. First and most important, you can’t get AIDS by drinking the virus; it must get into the blood directly. Secondly, the virus is very weak outside the body and rapidly becomes noninfectious. Finally, even if present in water sources, the virus is easily killed during the disinfection step of drinking water treatment.
(xxi) Is tap water suitable for use in a home kidney dialysis machine?
No, not without further treatment. In a kidney dialysis machine, the water used is brought into close contact with the patient’s blood. Thus, the quality requirements are far stricter than those for ordinary drinking water. Aluminum, fluoride, and chloramines are examples of substances that are okay if found in drinking water but are not acceptable in water used for kidney dialysis. Water suppliers cannot be expected to meet these strict requirements, so the water is further treated immediately prior to use in the dialysis machine. Kidney dialysis centers are kept informed about water quality by water suppliers and are able to give advice on this matter.
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