Is Tap Water Safe For Your Family?
The majority of the homes in Lakeland, FL get their water supply through a municipal utility system or private well. Before the water comes into your home, it goes through a filtration and disinfection process to help prevent dangerous bacteria and viruses from contaminating your taps. Even though these disinfectants help eliminate harmful pollutants, some homeowners find the lingering taste and smell of chlorine make their tap water unappealing.
If you’re wondering whether your water supply is safe to drink and bathe in, you’re in the right spot. Let’s walk through the most common contaminants found in Lakeland water supplies and the best steps for improving your home’s water quality.
What Exactly Is Tap Water?
Piped water, or “tap water,” is what most people use in their homes. This water comes from one of two places: surface water or groundwater.
Dams, reservoirs, rivers, and streams all fall under the category of surface water. Oceans are also technically part of this group, but their high salt content means they can’t be used directly as drinking water. Surface water is often replenished by precipitation, regardless of its form.
In contrast, groundwater is found under the surface. As water seeps through the earth’s crust and into underground aquifers, it builds up a steady supply.
Both kinds of water are subject to extraneous factors, such as rock and organic matter composition, as well as surrounding human activities. Well water, in the absence of an individual treatment system, goes directly to your faucet, in contrast to city water, which first undergoes treatment at municipal facilities.
Is Tap Water the Same Everywhere?
Not everyone’s tap water is the same, even if it comes from the same municipal water supply. This means two people on the same street may have tap water that varies greatly in its chemical composition and mineral content. A home’s existing plumbing infrastructure plays a big role in the water quality.
What Are the Most Common Contaminants in Lakeland Water Supplies?
Although your local utility does its best to provide clean, healthy water, there’s a lengthy route that the water must travel from the treatment plant to your faucet. Calcium and magnesium—the “hard water” minerals that cause a white crust to form on taps and make it difficult to build a decent lather in the shower—are often found in high concentrations in Lakeland. Heavy metals like lead and copper can seep into your water as it passes through a home’s aging pipes, and it’s not uncommon to detect traces of chlorine, a disinfectant, in addition to minerals.
Is It Safe to Drink Tap Water?
Yes, it’s usually safe to drink water that comes from a municipal provider or a well-maintained private source. Even though the water may not be free of every contaminant, it goes through rigorous testing and stringent purification to keep it within federal safety guidelines. Still, depending on the unique water profile for your home, you may benefit from installing a whole-home filtration system.
What Happens During a Water Quality Test?
The best way to know whether you need a filtration system is to have your water quality tested. The sample collection process takes only a few minutes and the test results provide in-depth details about mineral concentrations, pH levels, and potential contaminants.
If your results fall outside safe ranges, a whole-home filtration system may be your best option for ensuring pure, worry-free drinking water. Healthy tap water should have a pH between 6.5 and 8.5. For heavy metals, lead should stay below 0.015 mg/L (the EPA’s action level), copper below 1.3 mg/L, iron under 0.3 mg/L, and manganese under 0.05 mg/L.
Arsenic should not exceed 0.010 mg/L. Nitrate levels ought to remain below 10 mg/L, while chloride should stay under 250 mg/L and fluoride under 4.0 mg/L. Finally, total dissolved solids, a broad measure of everything dissolved in your water should not surpass 500 mg/L.
How Does a Whole-Home Water Filtration System Work?
This type of filtration system connects straight to your main water line, where it enters your property. All of the water coming into your home goes through a filtering process to remove sediment, chlorine, and other pollutants. Certain specialized types can even remove heavy metals and bacteria.
Here are the main contaminants that a whole-home filtration system can help reduce:
- Iron
- Manganese
- Chlorine or chemical taste/odor
- Sediment
- Some organic compounds
- Total dissolved solids (partially, depending on system)
Contaminants that usually require specialized treatment:
- Lead
- Arsenic
- Nitrates
- Certain heavy metals
Understanding the Different Types of Filtration
There are three main types of filtration. Your home’s water profile determines the best type for your plumbing setup. Some households benefit from a system that uses multiple layers of filtration:
- Reverse osmosis (RO): Uses pressure and membranes to remove contaminants.
- Activated carbon: Absorbs chlorine, odors, and chemicals affecting taste.
- Sediment: Captures sand, dirt, rust, and other visible debris.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lakeland tap water safe to drink?
Yes, in most cases. Municipal water in Lakeland goes through rigorous testing and purification to meet federal safety standards. However, water quality can vary from home to home depending on your plumbing, so testing your water is the best way to know for sure.
What contaminants are most common in Lakeland water?
The most frequently detected issues include hard water minerals like calcium and magnesium, traces of chlorine, and heavy metals like lead and copper that can leach from aging pipes.
What does a whole-home filtration system actually filter out?
Most systems effectively reduce iron, manganese, chlorine, sediment, and some organic compounds. Contaminants like lead, arsenic, and nitrates typically require specialized treatment beyond a standard system.
Will a filtration system improve the taste and smell of my water?
Absolutely. Activated carbon filtration is especially effective at eliminating the chlorine taste and odor that many homeowners find unpleasant in their tap water.
Modernize Your Drinking Water With Whole-Home Filtration
Are you ready to take the next step toward cleaner drinking water? Here at Lakeland Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, we combine 30 years of industry expertise with advanced water filtration technology and innovative problem-solving to deliver exceptional results on every service call. Our in-depth knowledge of water quality issues and local groundwater conditions makes us a top-tier choice for homeowners who refuse to settle for anything less than pure, clean water. All of our services come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Contact Lakeland Benjamin Franklin Plumbing now to learn all about whole-home water filtration and how it can provide crisp, bottled-quality water from every tap. If there’s any delay, it’s YOU we pay! We’re proud to be your local neighbors, serving families all across Lakeland and beyond.
