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Surprisingly, many people don’t realize that water from the tap can contain microbial activity. This could be due to a breakdown of the sewage lines or drain lines. Or it could be due to the plumbing within their home. Once bacteria have started to breed vigorously within the home, they can be very difficult to get rid of.

Your best bet is to call the plumbing service for help. This is definitely not something that you want to tackle on your own. A plumber will be able to narrow down where the cause of the contamination may be located in order to get rid of the microbial activity for good.

In this article, we will look at some of the most common types of harmful bacteria that can be found in residential homes. These bacteria are able to cause a lot of trouble. Many plumbing services will test the water quality within residential homes for them. We will also look at some of the things you can do in order to prevent these bacteria from thriving. It’s important that your drinking water is clean.

Types of Harmful Bacteria That Can Be Found in Water

One of the main reasons why you shouldn’t just drink tap water without checking the water quality is because it could be filled with bad bacteria that is not obvious at first glance. This actually is a lot more common than you think. Water systems will eventually degrade with time and older plumbing can eventually become a breeding ground for bacteria. Some of the most common harmful bacteria that can be found in tap water in Saginaw, TX include:

• Escherichia coli, also known as E. coli. This type of bacteria can cause some very serious symptoms to merge. It’s also one of the most common types of bacteria. You can find these bacteria in some raw ingredients as well. Once you consume the bacteria, symptoms will usually begin to appear within 1 to 8 days and can last for 5 to 7 days.

• Campylobacter Jejuni. This type of bacteria can cause symptoms that are also similar to other bacteria. Some of the most common symptoms include diarrhea, fever, cramping, and pain. Once the bacteria is consumed, the symptoms will usually appear 2 to 10 days later.

• Cryptosporidium. This is a type of protozoan that actually works very similarly to parasites. It can cause very severe diarrhea, and it’s usually spread through contaminated drinking water. This type of bacteria can be found in water that has been deemed clean by the city. Usually, additional testing services are required in order to test for this type of bacteria.

If you’re concerned about the quality of the water in your home, you can always call a plumbing service in Saginaw, TX. The plumbing service can check the water quality to determine if there are any pathogens within the water supply. They can also clean the pipes, the drains, and other areas of the plumbing in order to ensure that everything is as clean as possible.

5 Things That Can Be Done

In order to ensure that you do not consume any harmful bacteria, there are several types of plumbing services that you can rely on. If you’re unsure of which plumbing service will be of the most help, you should definitely talk to a professional. A licensed plumber will be able to inspect the setup in your home in order to determine what is most appropriate and necessary.

Below, we will take a look at five things that can be done in order to prevent microbiological activity within your water supply. You can speak with a plumbing company to see what type of solution may be best suited for your needs. It’s also a good idea to take a look at whether you have done any maintenance services in the past. Plumbing that has not been properly maintained is more likely to contain bacteria in the future.

#1. Check the Source

This mainly involves looking at the well where the water is coming from. It’s easy for microorganisms to enter the water from the soil and other places in the environment. Due to this reason, you’ll need to look for a plumbing service that understands the hydrogeology of the well. They should be able to understand and decipher any geological survey and existing well log information. If the hydrogeological environment of the well has not been investigated, the plumbing service should do so.

The construction of the well will also need to be investigated and inspected. The main goal is to ensure that the well is not compromised in any type of way. In particular, the plumbing service should look at the structural integrity of the well and its outer casing.

Once these aspects have been thoroughly investigated, the well should also be cleaned periodically. This is because it’s easy for microorganisms to form biofilms and attach to the piping, the casings, and other areas. In general, most wells are cleaned with high concentrations of chlorine solution. The solution will destroy any biofilm that may be present. A thorough cleaning can clean up contaminated water and get rid of harmful bacteria for good.

#2. Physically Clean the Pipes

Another way to remove biofilm and get rid of bacteria is to physically clean the pipes. This can take a lot of time and can involve many different types of techniques. The main goal is that it will remove any biofilm that has formed from stagnated water. Some of the most common ways to physically clean the pipes include:

• Flushing. You might be able to get rid of biofilms that are clinging onto the plumbing by flushing the pipes with a high velocity of the water. With that said, it could be impossible to reach cleansing velocities if the pipe diameter or the tank volume is too large. The plumbing service will need to inspect your plumbing layout in order to get a better idea of whether this is doable.

• Pipe pigging. Basically, this involves pushing some type of rough object, also known as the pig, in the pipes in order to clean the walls. In general, this technique is more effective than flushing. However, it’s not practical in situations where there are a lot of turns or branches in the pipe lines.

There may be other ways to clean the pipes. However, it will depend on the type of system and layout that you have. Due to this reason, you would need to hire a plumbing service to inspect your home. The Saginaw, TX plumbing service should be able to identify any vulnerabilities and also identify areas where bacteria is most likely to accumulate. They’ll be able to suggest several solutions for you to choose from.

#3. Clean the Tanks Regularly

One of the reasons why regular plumbing services are so important is because they will know exactly what needs to be cleaned. Another thing that the plumbing service should clean is water handling and treatment equipment. This includes pressure tanks, holding tanks as well as other treatment equipment. Essentially, any type of equipment that comes in contact with the water should be cleaned.

Eventually, some type of bacteria will make their way into these types of equipment. If the water is stagnant or at the right temperature, the bacteria can thrive and begin to multiply exponentially. After some time, the bacteria will form a biofilm and cling onto various structures. This makes it incredibly difficult for you to get rid of the bacteria in the future. It’s definitely not something that you can do by yourself, which is why most homeowners will call a plumbing service for help.

These structures need to be taken offline periodically and cleaned with some type of disinfectant. They can also be cleaned with a chlorine solution, as this type of solution can easily destroy biofilms.

#4. Using a Chlorine-Based Disinfectant

One of the most common solutions is to use a chlorine-based disinfectant. Chlorine-based disinfectant or some of the most inexpensive and easiest to use solutions. They’re usually made by adding sodium hypochlorite, otherwise known as bleach, to water.

Although this sounds easy enough, if you do not have any experience with mixing bleach and water to clean your pipes, you shouldn’t try it at all. This is definitely something that you want to leave to the plumbing service. You definitely do not want to leave any of the bleach inside your pipes because you might end up consuming it. It’s also very important that you use the right dosage. If you use the wrong dosage, you could end up creating more problems.

In general, both municipal and community water supply systems will disinfect the drinking water with a chlorine-based disinfectant before allowing it to enter the distribution system. You only need to disinfect the pipes in your home if there is something wrong with your own plumbing. It’s important to note that chlorine-based disinfectants can break down plastic components that are often used in modern plumbing systems. Due to this reason, it’s vital that you look at the chemical compatibility of the material in your plumbing with chlorine.

#5. Using Ultraviolet (UV) Light

One of the best things about the plumbing industry is that they’re always coming out with new solutions that revolutionize different aspects of plumbing. One of the latest solutions for cleaning piping and getting rid of bacteria in the water supply is to clean it with ultraviolet (UV) light. UV light can be used to kill microorganisms as the water flows. Different types of devices will emit UV light at different areas of the plumbing or water supply.

This is one of the simplest solutions. It’s also very long-lasting. Once the UV light-emitting device has been installed, you can rest assured that your water supply is clean for quite some time.

With that said, there are some downsides to this solution. For one, there isn’t a lot of research on the facts of UV light on different types of bacteria. Although we know that UV light will kill bacteria, this type of technology is still fairly new, which means that there are still things that we do not know about it. Another thing to note is that the water that’s flowing through these devices must be free of chemicals, like iron and manganese. Both of these minerals can interfere with the UV surfaces. Unfortunately, iron and manganese removal can be very costly. It can also result in additional work for the plumbing company.

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth Can Help

If you suspect that there’s something wrong with the tap water inside your home, give Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth a call. We are one of the most reputable plumbing services in Saginaw, TX, and can tackle just about any plumbing problem that you’ve encountered with ease. Our licensed and insured plumbers have been offering plumbing services in the area for a long time.

We are able to offer a wide range of plumbing services, from drain cleaning services to whole house repiping services. We can also install water filtration systems in your home in Saginaw, TX in order to make sure that you stop drinking contaminated water. By drinking filtered water, you can improve your health and also save money on skin care lotions. Filtered water can also be more beneficial for your plumbing.

You can give us a call at 817-983-7876 if you’re in the Fort Worth area and 817-478-4119 if you’re in the Arlington area. If calling us at Benjamin Franklin of Fort Worth is not convenient at all, you can also contact us online by filling out this form. One of our representatives will get back to you right away, and we can also send someone out to inspect your plumbing in order to give you a better idea of what you can expect and what you need. No matter what, we’ll help you find a feasible solution.