Despite water filtration being at the highest level it’s ever been, more and more contaminants are finding a way to crack through the seams of a home and pose unique threats to families in every area of the world. Even families with these filtration technologies and systems implemented into their homes are reporting that their homes are being contaminated, leading to a number of symptoms depending on the bacteria or pathogen. Unfortunately, there is a number of these microscopic contaminants that are dangerous to families and tracing them as they travel through the home is extremely difficult. This post will detail one of the most common ways in which homes in rural areas can be impacted in addition to the contaminants impacting them in length.

Many families in rural areas of the United States see their homes being contaminated through uniform ways. Of the most popular, here’s a situation that leads to water contamination frequently. Seasonal rainfall, whether light or heavy, can collect in surrounding rural areas such as local farmland and mix with fecal matter. Within a few hours of this mixing, the mixture feeds into nearby bodies of water. Once this mixture is collected, with enough fecal matter, the water becomes infected with E. coli, a bacteria known to cause pain-staking gastrointestinal symptoms. This newly infected water, which is required to ensure that nearby homes’ and their internal systems such as their air conditioning and sprinkler systems remain operational, becomes integrated into these systems. In the case of air conditioning, this mixture of water can feed Legionella bacteria throughout the air and spread Legionnaires disease to your family.

While the hypothetical above seems extreme, it happens more often than many families would like to accept. It often causes them fear as they feel unprepared for these types of situations. Which is why it’s so important for these families to become more prepared to defend their homes against them. An additional list of two contaminants has been included below for every families’ safety:

Salmonella: While most families assume this bacteria is strictly associated with food, it is also commonly spread through a number of cold-blooded pets that some families keep in the home. Never neglect disinfecting after coming into contact with these animals

Pseudomonas: more unknown pathogens, pseudomonas as an example, can infiltrate the home. Most commonly this pathogen will fester itself in untreated water sources, so families may have a tough time tracing it. Symptoms from infection of pseudomonas will include pneumonia, urinary tract infections and sometimes even sepsis. Avoiding this pathogen is done through regular maintenance on a home’s plumbing systems.

Unfortunately the two contaminants above only begin the list of contaminants that a family has to worry about infiltrating their homes. For a more concise list of these contaminants, in addition to their symptoms and treatment plans, be sure to continue reading on to the infographic coupled alongside this post.

Chris Ebener is a mechanical engineer for LiquiTech, with a proven track record of diagnosing and remediating public water system issues of various sizes and complexity. Ebener is an expert on the biochemical makeup of facility water systems, system architecture and various methodologies of public drinking water treatment.