Steve's Affordable Sewer & Drain Cleaning

Water & You: A Plumber’s Look At the Wet Stuff
By Steve G. Breeding, Owner
Steve's Affordable Sewer & Drain Cleaning

We as plumbers deal with water every day, whether it is a faucet that leaks, a drain that is clogged or a toilet that just won’t flush right. They all involve water and we deal with fixing these types of problems everyday.

Most of us take water for granted! Water is there when we shower or flush a toilet. It’s there to wash the car or water our garden. Oh, almost forgot, it’s also there for us to drink!

A lot of us drink bottled water today, which for the most part is sold by companies that used to set up water filtration systems, and decided to go into the business of selling water. But bottled water can be a little pricey, at almost $1.00 a bottle. In our experience we found that, for home use, the most economical option was to install an under-the-sink water filtration system. It is a Dual Stage Filtration System, which is designed to remove 99.8% of lead, chlorine and water borne cysts, in addition to bits of rock and gravel from a nearby water main break.

In a nation where abundant, clear and cheap drinking water has been taken for granted for generations, it is hard to imagine residents of a major city without it. Across the country, long neglected water mains and pipes (many more than a century old) are reaching the end of their lifespan. When pipes fail, the pressure drops and dirt, debris and often bacteria and other pathogens get sucked into the huge underground arteries that deliver water. Officials handle each isolated incident by flushing out contaminants and upping the chlorine dose because of an impeding health risk if nothing is done.

Today, water mains break an estimated 237,000 times each year in the United States. An industry study recently found pathogens and “fecal indicator” bacteria at significant levels in soil and trench water at repair sites. Of the 619 waterborne disease outbreaks that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracked between 1971 and 1998, 18% were due to germs in the distribution system. Researchers also question whether Americans are getting sick from their drinking water far more often than is recognized. As a result, filtered and bottled water seems like the way to go.

We can all do our part by not throwing pesticides, used oil, etc. in the trash or down the drain. Please dispose of them properly and take them to recovery sites located around town or call your local city hall for information on recycling these items.

We all need clean water to live! Even plumbers!

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