Unfortunately, despite the advancements made in the way of water filtering and water decontamination systems, water contamination remains a significant problem throughout the world. Even some of the most developed parts of the world lack the proper infrastructure necessary to decontaminate sources of drinking water that are used by countless families. The result? A seemingly endless supply of different viruses, bacteria and parasites can invade nearby rivers, lakes and streams. These bodies of water then feed into the sources of water that we use on a regular basis and can result in serious harm to families.

It’s for this reason that it’s so imperative to continue the research and development of water purification practices and technology. With proper technology everywhere, the safety of every family can be ensured each time we’re using water from the faucet. Failure to be aware of these contaminants can result in illness, sometimes leading to death in the most extreme cases.

The worst part is, in most instances, it’s not even within our control to stop the contamination. Take this common contamination example: imagine you live in a more rural area in the United States. The surrounding areas are farmland and large bodies of water not very separated from one another. A rainy day could result in the fecal matter from the animals on these nearby farms to be washed into these nearby bodies of water. The combination of the two could lead to a festering of E. coli production that could then seep into local water supplies. Those that came into contact with this E. coli infected water could face severe symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.

This is just one way in which the nearby environment can become contaminated. Contamination is also possible within the home, believe it or not. Most commonly, contamination is found within air condition and sprinkler systems in the home that are not adequately maintained. As these systems are the most ideal breeding grounds for countless amounts of bacteria, namely Legionella, without regular monitoring these systems could cause serious infection in your family. Legionnaires disease, for example, as a result of the Legionella bacteria has been known to cause serious breathing issues.

Your home’s water systems are also at risk of countless other bacteria invading them as well. Salmonella being one of these. This bacteria has been known to cause severely unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and even severe stomach cramps in rare cases. Your reptilian pets are also capable of passing on this bacteria to you if you’re not careful. One of the other most common household bacteria is known as Pseudomonas. This pathogen is widely contagious and has been cited to cause illness ranging from pneumonia all the way to sepsis. Nearly 50,000 people per year are infected by this pathogen in the United States. This goes to show just how common contamination of a home’s water systems can truly be if not properly maintained.

Unfortunately, there are plenty more contaminants that families have to be worried about. However, with proper care and due diligence, these contaminants can be avoided. For more information on how to properly maintain your home’s water systems and the bacteria that can infect them, be sure to review the infographic coupled alongside this post.

Author bio: Chris Ebener is a mechanical engineer for LiquiTech, with a proven track record of diagnosing and remediating public water system issues of various sizes and complexity. Ebener is an expert on the biochemical makeup of facility water systems, system architecture and various methodologies of public drinking water treatment.