What’s in Your Tank Tap Water?
Water collected from your roof may get contaminated by:
- Chemicals from paint or wood fire smoke from the chimney
- Micro-organisms from bird and animal droppings on your roof
- Decaying leaves that have collected in the gutters
- Dead wildlife which have fallen into the tank.
Severe gastrointestinal illnesses such as gastroenteritis and infections caused by the protozoan parasites Cryptosporidium and Giardia have been found in tank water. The risk is higher for people with lower immune response, such as very young children, older people, and people with a chronic illness.
Untreated water poses an elevated health risk.
Some rural properties also use bore water as their primary tank water source. The list of possible contaminants in tank water are overwhelming….
- Animal faeces – such as bird or possum droppings on the roof or from farm run-off into rivers and creeks
- Human faeces – leaking from septic systems or wastewater drainage
- Pesticides – in run-off from farms or blown on to roofs or from aerial spraying
- Arsenic and heavy metals – in soil from old industrial and mining sites or in some bore water supplies
- Dust – containing chemicals blown on to your roof
- Air pollution – run-off from roofs in urban and industrial areas that may contain chemicals
- Lead – from old paint or flashing on roofs that can flake and end up in tanks
- Algae – including toxic blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), which are not destroyed by boiling or disinfection
- Nitrates – in some bore water supplies are particularly dangerous to babies
- Ash and debris – bushfires produce large amounts of smoke and ash, which can contaminate your water supply
- Fire retardants – chemicals used to slow the spread of fire can contaminate water with ammonia and sulphate, making it unsuitable for humans and animals to drink.
The definitive answer to ensuring your tank water is pure and clean for you to drink and bathe in is the Aqua Mountain Whole House UV filtration system.
This system first runs your tank water through a Sediment Cartridge Filter taking out any solids present in the water. The water is then filtered through a Carbon Filter where odours, discolouration, and most chemicals, pesticides, herbicides and other man made chemicals are removed. The water then passes through the UV Filter where it is sterilized.
At every point in your home your water is now safe to use. Combine this water with Aqua Mountain’s 6 Step Alkalizing Fountain and your Tank Water is now safe and healthy to drink.