Bacteria Can Grow In Wells and Pipes
Bacteria in tap water can thrive in pipes and wells.
If you live in a rural area and get your water from a private well, bacteria can enter the groundwater as fecal contaminants from farming and nearby septic systems.
And if you live in the city and get your water from a treatment plant, bacteria can still grow in distribution pipes and household plumbing.
Even tap water from the treatment plant is not technically sterile, and it could still have germs in it.
If you haven’t run your water for awhile, the stagnant water in pipes can grow biofilm and breed bacteria in your faucets, showerheads and water heater.
Worst of all, this biofilm is usually a mix of bacteria, fungi, amebas, and all sorts of other nasties. Yuck!
This slimy substance protects germs from chlorine treatments and makes them harder to kill.
Who Is Most At Risk of Getting Sick from Waterborne Bacteria?
The truth is you’re exposed to potentially dangerous bacteria all the time.
Luckily, most immune systems can handle it and stay healthy.
- People with weakened immune systems
- Folks with underlying illnesses, like diabetes and kidney failure
- Current and former smokers
- People over 50 years old
- Infants under 6 months old
- People who use contact lenses
Common Dangerous Bacteria In Tap Water
Waterborne bacteria isn’t just a threat when you drink it…
Some strains of bacteria can make your sick by:
- Getting in your eyes
- Going up your nose
- Inhaling it as a mist
- Infecting and open wound
Let’s take a closer look at the most common dangerous bacteria in tap water:
1. Nontuberculous mycobacteria
Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are types of mycobacteria that do not cause tuberculosis or leprosy.
They’re found in natural water sources like lakes, rivers and streams, and can form hard-to-remove biofilms that easily stick to the insides of household plumbing.
Although NTM won’t cause tuberculosis, it can still make you quite sick...
NTM can cause infections in the lungs, skin, soft tissues, bloodstream, and lymph nodes (mostly in children).
- Fever
- Low energy
- Decreased appetite
- Weight loss
- Night sweats
If you inhale water particles of NTM, it can also cause coughing and shortness of breath.
Legionella bacteria can cause a serious type of lung infection called Legionnaires’ disease and a less serious condition called Pontiac fever.
Although outbreaks are more common in larger buildings, like hotels and hospitals, they can occur in private homes too.
People can catch Legionella by breathing or aspirating small droplets of water.
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Fever
- Muscle aches
- Headaches}
In general, Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever are not contagious from person-to-person.
3. Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Most people get Pseudomonas in healthcare settings after surgery while their immune system is compromised.
Resistant strains of the bacteria are also becoming more common and can spread through contact with contaminated hands, equipment, and surfaces.
Campylobacter spreads when the poop of infected people and animals contaminates water supplies.
This is more common in the countryside where polluted groundwater from sewage and agricultural runoff enters private wells.
Symptoms of drinking campylobacter-infected water include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Diarrhea
- Stomach cramps
In severe cases, infections can also cause complications like irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis and even temporary paralysis.
Salmonella bacteria spreads through drinking water contaminated with feces.
Several nationwide Salmonella outbreaks have happened from produce that wasn’t washed properly.
Symptoms can include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps that last four to seven days.
Fortunately, most people recover without special treatments or antibiotics.
Shigella bacteria is yet another poop-based waterborne bacteria.
It can cause an infection called shigellosis with symptoms like diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps that last up to seven days.
Although most people recover on their own, people with underlying medical conditions should consider antibiotics.
Antibiotics can also shorten the length of the illness by about two days.
E. coli O157 is the strain of E. coli that’s responsible for the majority of E. coli poisoning cases.
Although most strains of E. coli are harmless, E. coli O157 can cause stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever and vomiting.
Most people with E. coli poisoning can start to feel sick three to four days after drinking contaminated water and the illness can last up to ten days.
Contact your doctor if you have a fever above 102˚F or have bloody diarrhea.
Testing for Dangerous Bacteria In Tap Water
At the very least, you should get your tap water professionally tested for contaminants at least once a year.
Private well owners should test even more often, especially if there’s been recent flooding or nearby farming projects that may have distrubed the groundwater.
Testing for all pathogens and pollutants is a complex process, but the first step is to test for coliform bacteria.
Coliform bacteria are organisms that live in the feces of mammals.
Although they do not usually cause illness, they’re a good sign that other more dangerous pathogens might be lurking around.
There are three main groups of coliform bacteria:
- Total coliform bacteria is common in soil and vegetation and is generally harmless. If only total coliform tests positive, then the source is probably environmental and chances of fecal contamination are low.
- Fecal coliform bacteria is a subgroup of total coliform bacteria that’s spread through animal poop. If you test positive for fecal bacteria, chances are you have a recent fecal contamination on your hands.
- E. coli is a subgroup of fecal coliform bacteria. Although most strains of E. coli are harmless, some (like E. coli O157) can make you sick. The presence of E .coli almost always means recent fecal contamination.
When you send a test sample to a lab, they first test for total coliform first — if they find it, they’ll test for either fecal coliform or E. coli next.
How to Remove Bacteria from Your Tap Water Once and For All
So you found bacteria in your drinking water…
If you have a private well, the first step will be to treat it with chlorine.
Contact a professional to do this because they’ll know how to dose it correctly.
Next, install a water treatment system to disinfect your water all day long.
Whole-house ultraviolet (UV) systems are great for this.
They blast bacteria and other pathogens with a spectrum of ultraviolet light to destroy the bacteria’s DNA.
However, UV systems do not remove other pollutants, like arsenic, pesticides and nuclear waste.
To protect your family from up to 99.9% of all contaminants, reverse osmosis (RO) filters are the cream of the crop.
Cloud Water RO filters combine several stages of filtration to cleanse and purify your water, including:
- Sediment filters to trap large dirt and debris
- Activated carbon filters to trap organic chemicals like chlorine
- Ion exchange resins to remove “hard” minerals, like calcium and magnesium
- RO membrane to remove difficult contaminants like arsenic, lead and nuclear waste
- Polishing filter to remove any pollutants not caught by the RO membrane
- Remineralization stage to alkalize and balance pH with healthy minerals
By the time the water reaches your tap, contaminants don’t stand a chance!
Cloud Water Filters also sync to an app on your phone so you can monitor your water quality 24/7.
It’s time for bacteria to take a hike!
