We rely on water for countless everyday activities, from drinking and cooking to bathing and cleaning. However, not all water is as pure as it looks. Even seemingly clean water can harbor dangerous, invisible contaminants like viruses and bacteria. One famous waterborne illness is Legionnaire’s disease, caused by the bacteria Legionella. But this bacteria is…
It’s probably been a while since you learned about water in science class. And if you don’t deal with chemistry every day, you may not have a clear idea of what’s really going on with the water in your home. For starters, what’s in water, and why do we call it H2O? Is it always…
If you live in a developed country, like the United States, it can be easy to assume that resources like your drinking water are always safe and well-managed. But the truth is that water contamination can affect anyone, anywhere. And not only can impure water have an unpleasant taste or smell — it can also…
Is your tap water as safe as it appears? Many hard-to-detect contaminants can infiltrate your water supply. One of the most concerning is radon, an invisible, colorless, and odorless gas that can have serious health effects. But don’t worry! There are a few simple steps you can take to reduce radon in your water. Here’s…
We all want to care for ourselves and our families with fresh, pure water. But contrary to what you may have assumed, the water in our homes is host to a wide range of chemicals, minerals, and other common contaminants. Most of these are benign (or even healthy), but when higher concentrations of potentially harmful…
How well do you know your local water sources? Do you feel confident they’re clean and purified? More than half of the US population relies on groundwater as drinking water, but contaminants in that supply are a serious concern. In fact, groundwater contamination affects millions of Americans each year. So what impact might groundwater contamination…