Though many people want water treatment for their homes in order to soften hard water, an even more important reason is to lower the risk of disease. Treatments that are especially good at doing this include reverse osmosis, ultraviolet radiation and activated charcoal filters.

Diseases Avoided by Water Treatment

Diseases and pathogens that are water-borne and can be prevented or stopped through water treatment are many. They include:

• Cryptosporidium
• Giardia
• Rotavirus
• Vibrio
• E. coli

Cryptosporidium and Giardia are protozoans, which means they are basically microscopic organisms. They are admittedly tough to eliminate from drinking water once they infiltrate it, and they are the most common causes of waterborne sickness in the United States. Both lead to gastrointestinal upsets including diarrhea.

Rotavirus can be a serious cause of disease in children. The disease sometimes leads to such intense vomiting and diarrhea that children may need to go to the hospital due to dehydration. Vibrio is a comma-shaped virus that can lead to cholera. Cholera can also cause dehydration due to massive water loss through diarrhea.

Escherichia coli, or E. coli, is a bacteria that can live harmlessly in the gut, but if it contaminates drinking water, it can lead to cramps, vomiting and blood-tinged diarrhea. Though healthy adults most often recover from a bout of E. coli, it can be dangerous for the elderly and young children.

How Water Treatment Helps

A reverse osmosis system works by allowing water to pass through semi-permeable membranes while blocking contaminants, including pathogens. It not only blocks pathogens but stops inorganic compounds, such as nitrates, and toxic metals, such as arsenic. In a carbon filter, the activated carbon or charcoal traps contaminants while allowing cleaned water to pass through. Carbon filters are especially good at trapping Cryptosporidium. Ultraviolet filters destroy pathogens through radiation.

Our plumbers at Parobek Water Solutions are highly skilled at installing water treatment systems to make sure that the water you drink and bathe in is free of disease-causing contaminants. We can install the water treatment at the point of use, such as beneath your kitchen sink or at the point of entry where fresh water enters your home. Point of entry filters remove contaminants from the water that flows through your whole house, including your shower, your faucets, toilet bowl and appliances such as your dishwasher and washing machine.

Call Parobek Water Solutions

Whether you like to kayak in the Colorado River or like to catch a movie or two at the Bastrop Film Alley, your drinking water in Austin should be clear, delicious and best of all, healthy. If you’re interested in a water treatment system, such as reverse osmosis, give our plumbers at Parobek a call today.