Clean Water & Protection From Disease Is a Job For Superhero Plumbers
When you grab that midnight glass of water in the middle of the night to quench your mid-snooze thirst, you have a reasonable expectation that the water isn't going to make you ill or otherwise be detrimental to your health.
But this expectation only exists because hard-working tradespeople like your local plumber care diligently for the pipes and plumbing systems that transport water to your home, and this is just another reason to give thanks to your plumbing superheroes.
How Plumbers Are Responsible for Disease-Free Water
Most of the drinking water that you get from the taps in Guelph, Ontario, Canada comes from groundwater that’s accessed through wells.
But what would happen if, say, the pipes that carried the water were made of lead, or had leaks, or were dirty, or contained dangerous pathogens?
Your perfectly safe drinking water would become contaminated or be lost along the way, and any water that did reach you might no longer be suitable for consumption. Luckily, the city also has a number of skilled plumbers who are experts at maintaining and managing the piping systems that carry water throughout the city, and they make sure this doesn’t happen.
By replacing lead pipes, repairing old pipes, and keeping the system clean, plumbers ensure that you, your family, your friends, and your neighbors all have access to clean water, on-demand, with the simple turn of a tap.
Diseases and Health Problems from Drinking Contaminated Water
The list of symptoms from drinking contaminated water is seemingly endless, and the effects the water will have on you will depend on a variety of factors, including:
1. Your age (babies, young children, and the elderly are more at risk).
2. Whether or not you're pregnant (pregnant people are more at risk).
3. The type of contaminant you're exposed to.
4. The strength of your immune system (things like chemotherapy and AIDS can make you more susceptible).
The most common types of contaminants include heavy metals (mercury, arsenic, lead, etc.), agricultural run-off (pesticides, herbicides, and nitrates), and pathogens (viruses, bacteria, and microorganisms). The symptoms range from mild to severe (they can even be fatal), and they include:
1. Nausea and vomiting.
2. Cramping and diarrhea.
3. Joint and muscle pain.
4. Weakness and fatigue.
5. Appetite and weight loss.
6. Reproductive problems.
7. Neurological disorders.
8. Respiratory distress.
9. Loss of oxygen flow in the body.
Taking Steps to Conserve Precious Clean Water
Knowing the dangers of drinking contaminated water is just another reason to inspire you to preserve and save the clean water that is available.
Not only will you be helping out your local plumber by doing this, but you'll also save money, chip in for the planet, and help to ensure that there's clean water for more people.
There are steps you can take in every room of your house to conserve water, including the bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, garden shed, boiler room, and more. Some of the easiest ways to get started include upgrading to low-flow and water-saving appliances, faucets, and toilets, regularly checking for leaks, running appliances only when you have a full load, reusing water whenever possible.
Things such as flushing the toilet less, turning off the taps when you're not using the water, and taking shorter showers. Water conservation is an important task in the modern world, and each of us has a responsibility to use water more wisely.
Local plumbing superstars work hard every day to make sure that you and everybody else has access to water that’s clean and free from disease, and you can show appreciation for these heroes by helping out with conservation too.
