Why You Need Clean Running Water During the Coronavirus Lockdown
Just a few weeks ago, we heard about the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in China that allegedly originated in bats. Of course, many Americans probably didn’t see it as a potential threat, perhaps because we’re thousands of miles away, or because bats aren’t a delicacy here. Yet here we are, spending our days at home trying to minimize our odds of getting sick and limit the spread of the disease.
But here’s the thing: Staying home doesn’t mean all is well and good. We still need clean running water to keep ourselves healthy and maintain our bodily functions. Besides, the only defense against the pandemic is to wash our hands thoroughly and frequently with soap and water under clean running water – 20 seconds each time.
The fact is, clean water remains the most important preventive health measure in the world and is even more crucial in the fight against this new global enemy. So today, we’ll be discussing why this precious resource will be a vital determinant for a successful outcome in this war, and what you can do to make sure that your tap water is safe for drinking and household use. But before we jump into that, let’s talk briefly about COVID-19.
What is COVID-19?
If you had asked about ‘COVID-19’ several months ago, some of us would have probably thought it was some kind of military operation or a futuristic movie. But today, the entire US population knows COVID-19 as a deadly, highly contagious disease that affects the lungs, airways, and other parts of the respiratory system.
The COVID-19 disease was first detected in China and has now found its way to the United States. Between schools and business closures, mandatory lockdowns in some areas, and the burden on under-equipped health facilities, the virus is exposing our vulnerability as humans.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.”
Unfortunately, many Americans are left to confront the virus without access to clean running water in their homes. Worse, their drinking-water supplies may be contaminated with toxic pollutants that may put them at risk of contracting other severe illnesses.
Is my drinking water supply safe from COVID-19?
WHO indicated that COVID-19 hasn’t been detected in drinking water supplies to date and would present a low risk if found. That’s probably because most water treatment plants use filtration and chlorine disinfection to eliminate pathogens, including viruses and bacteria, before transporting the water to our homes. But still, we cannot rule out the possibility of shortages of chemicals, supplies, and equipment that are vital for critical water systems to work 24/7, 365, as well as possible system failures.
The residents of Flint, Michigan, trusted in the safety of their water systems, but we all saw or heard how that went down. With that in mind, you might have to take things into your own hands to protect yourself and your family from any impending danger.
Why is clean drinking water vital during the coronavirus lockdown?
Having access to clean running water is crucial, especially in this coronavirus lockdown. Now more than ever, we need to avoid consuming anything that could negatively affect our health, so that our immune systems are functioning at their best.
Here are six reasons why having clean running water in our homes is vital in these times of crisis:
1. It helps you maintain proper hygiene
If you search the web for protective measures against the new coronavirus, one of the first results you’ll see is: wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, with soap and water to prevent the spread of the virus. If you wash your hands with contaminated tap water, the soap will still remove viruses and other pathogens from your hands. However, the problem arises when you swallow the polluted water while bathing, or any of it gets into your eyes. Some contaminated water from rivers, streams, or lakes are contaminated by floodwater and may contain sewage or toxic metals. So, your tap water must be clean and safe before using it for specific hygiene purposes.
2. It boosts your immune system and cognitive function
When we share living spaces with others or even breathe the same air, we are exposed to viral infections, diseases, and other health threats. A person could sneeze and everyone in the surrounding area is already made susceptible to infection. While we can’t always avoid exposure, boosting the system is possible.
Drinking healthy amounts of clean water helps to improve your immune system so it can fight against all kinds of health complications. It works to get rid of toxic foreign invaders from the body through the kidneys. It even prevents poisonous buildup, which, in turn, enhances immune function.
The good thing is that you don’t have to break the bank for pricey health supplements that often don’t do much. Clean water can work miracles for your body, especially your immune system. It is a natural immunity booster that promotes good health and well-being.
Drinking clean water can also improve cognitive function, which will make you more aware of your behaviors, potentially lead to healthier and safer decisions – like not leaving your home unnecessarily during the COVID-19 lockdown.
3. It keeps you hydrated
Drinking enough clean water each day during self-isolation helps to:
- Regulate body temperature
- Flush bacteria from your bladder
- Prevent constipation
- Keep joints lubricated (since we’ll mostly be sitting at home all day long)
- Deliver nutrients to cells
- Keep your organs functioning properly
Being well-hydrated also improves sleep quality, cognition, and mood, all of which are important in our current circumstances. Better yet, if you decide to start a new workout routine or continue your previous one, drinking clean, refreshing water will help you replace water from sweating and maintain a level of healthy hydration. Just make sure to drink water before, during, and after exercising.
Also, don’t wait until you are parched, else you could experience dry mouth, dizziness, headache, nausea, clammy skin, chills, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, muscle cramping and fatigue, and others. But most importantly, you should ensure that the water that you drink is free of contaminants because consuming polluted water can lead to severe illnesses that could require you to leave your house to receive medical attention.
4. No need to stockpile bottled water
Visiting the grocery store for bottled water every day isn’t practical, especially during self-isolation. There’s no need to stock up on bottled water either, according to officials. For one, bottled water can be expensive, almost 2,000 times the price of tap water. And two, it isn’t always safer than tap water.
A study by NPR found that most plastic products, including some water bottles, contain chemicals that can leach into the container’s contents. Some of these plastics are produced with bisphenol A (BPA), a compound that mimics estrogen and can impact the brain development of babies.
Further, a lot of bottled water come from the tap anyway. So, as long as your drinking water is free of contaminants, you can drink as much as you like without having to leave your home or shelling out your hard-earned cash on overpriced bottled water.
5. It reduces the effects of unhealthy, sugary foods on your body
Many people are now stuck at home with their refrigerators and pantries jam packed with snacks – many of which aren’t very healthy. After all, we’re in lockdown. It wouldn’t hurt to consume lots of sugar and keep our energy flowing, right?
Excess sugar in our diets can cause a host of life-threatening health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, kidney problems, inflammation, and others. It is also linked to decreased lifespan as it leads to the buildup of toxic biological waste products in the body.
So, if you find yourself on a sugar-heavy diet, drinking more clean water can shield you against some of its harmful effects. That doesn’t give you a free pass to consume more sugar, though. There are many more reasons to avoid eating and drinking it that we cannot cover today. So, keep a container of clean drinking water with you as you chill out at home and sip it instead of sugary drinks that contribute to the problem.
6. It gives you healthier skin and hair
During the lockdown, you may find yourself using more water for things like washing your hands, showering or bathing, and washing your hair. You may notice that your soaps and shampoos aren’t lathering well, and your skin and hair feel dry and itchy after washing them. You might also see that a nasty film forms on your skin every time you rinse it. If you are experiencing any of these issues, it’s likely because your water contains certain minerals that make it “hard.” In other words, you probably have a hard water.
Dealing with these and other hard water problems during self-isolation can be very frustrating. But thankfully, a constant supply of fresh, clean water will help you avoid these problems, since it won’t contain any hardness minerals that would otherwise wreak havoc on your home and personal grooming.
What should I do if I’m concerned about the quality of my drinking water?
Even though WHO stated that the “presence of the COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking-water supplies and based on current evidence, the risk to water supplies is low,” it’s still okay to check your water for other contaminants.
Here are the three main ways to check the quality of your water supply:
1. Use a home testing kit
A home water testing kit is probably the quickest and most inexpensive way to check your water quality. These devices allow you to detect how much of a particular unwanted chemical or object is present in your water. These pollutants may include lead, chlorine, nitrates and nitrites, pesticides, hardness, pH, alkalinity, bacteria, viruses, and many more.
Three common types of water test kits are available for purchase, namely water test strips, color disk kits, and digital testing kits. Water test kits are the most popular of the three. They are small, single-use strips that change color based on the presence of specific contaminants.
You can purchase a test kit from a local home improvement store or a reputable online merchant. Springwell offers a line of premium water test kits that can test either for specific contaminants or tell you your overall water quality and safety.
2. Send a water sample from your home to a local lab
Another way to check your water quality is to send a water sample from your tap to a local laboratory. This method usually produces more accurate results than a home water test kit, but it is more expensive and it can take longer to receive the results.
3. Check your water quality report
If you get your water through a municipal service line, you can contact your local water to provide and ask for their latest water quality report. Many of these utilities also post their reports online so that they are more easily accessible. However, some of the reports can be very technical, so you should learn how to read and understand a water quality report beforehand.
Are there any regulations to ensure that municipal drinking water remains safe?
Well, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that they’ve set regulations regarding treatment requirements for public water systems. These regulations are established to prevent pathogens such as viruses and bacteria from contaminating drinking water. Furthermore, WHO states that “conventional, centralized water treatment methods which utilize filtration and disinfection should inactivate COVID-19 virus.”
How do I remove possible viruses and other contaminants from my water supply?
If the existing EPA and WHO regulations aren’t enough to keep your mind at peace about your water quality, then you’re in luck. Whether your water comes from a public water utility or a private or public well, you can install a whole house water filtration system to filter all the water that enters your house and eliminate harmful contaminants in it!
Whole house water filters are Point-of-Entry (POE) systems that are usually installed at the main water line where the water first passes through before entering your water heater. Therefore, both cold and warm water is filtered.
Most whole house filters can filter out sediments with sizes of up to 0.35 microns. Some are designed to remove a wide range of unwanted substances in our water, including:
- Chemicals – chlorine, chloramine, PFOA, PFOS, and so on.
- Toxic heavy metals – iron, lead, mercury, cadmium, copper, chromium, barium, arsenic, etc.
- Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs) – solvents, degreasers, gasoline additives, etc.
- Microbial pathogens – disease-causing micro-organisms like bacteria, parasites, and viruses.
- Radioactive elements – radioactive contaminants that result from the decay of uranium in soils and rocks.
- Scale – hardness minerals such as calcium and magnesium can cause limescale buildup in your plumbing fixtures, pipes, water-using appliances, and on surfaces.
Okay, so what’s the best whole house filtration system to buy?
If you’re looking for a high-quality, top-tier whole house system, the Springwell CF1 Whole House Filtration System is an excellent choice. This multipurpose system uses the highest quality catalytic coconut shell carbon and KDF media to target and remove harmful pollutants in water.
The CF1 eliminates harmful chemicals and compounds such as chlorine, chloramine, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), haloacetic acids, pesticides, lead, and other toxic contaminants. It also removes chlorine and other pollutants that affect the taste and odor of your water.
If you have hard water or your water contains bacteria, you can choose to install an optional water softener to remove hardness minerals from the water or a UV light purifier to kill bacteria and other pathogens. If you’re experiencing both issues, you can install both add-ons.
With the Springwell CF1 Whole House Filtration System in your home, you can rest assured that your drinking water is contaminant-free and has a higher quality than even bottled water!
Final Thoughts
We’re in the midst of a coronavirus crisis. But we must recognize that to keep ourselves safe and healthy while self-isolating, we must have clean running water in our homes. Without it, we become more vulnerable to all kinds of illnesses, including the coronavirus disease. One of the best ways to prevent that from happening is to ensure that our tap water is clean and healthy to drink and use. If you want the best possible water protection, installing a reliable whole house filtration system from Springwell is the way to go.