Most people don’t know what kinds of bacteria and parasites could be lurking in their water supply. Here are four of the most common harmful microscopic invaders that infect people’s water supply.

Legionella

Legionella is the bacteria responsible for Legionnaire’s disease, a sickness that primarily affects the lungs in a manner similar to the flu. People suffering the adverse affects of Legionella in their drinking water typically experience coughing fits and shortness of breath. The primary method of contracting Legionella related illnesses is through breathing contaminated water droplets, so make sure your water is safe with a free water test from Quality Water Northwest!

Salmonella

Salmonella is an easily transmittable sickness, often going from reptile pets to their owners. However, it can also be present in your water, and infect you through your water. Once infected, people tend to experience nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. Remember: salmon are good to have in water, salmonella is not.

Giardia Lamblia

This is probably the scariest parasite on this list. Giardia Lamblia is highly contagious and can even be spread by people who are exhibiting zero signs of sickness! However, those who do show signs of sickness will likely be suffering from stomach cramps, fever, and diarrhea. The parasite is picked up by drinking unclean water.

E. Coli

You’ve heard of E. Coli before. But did you know you can get it from unclean water? E. Coli is a common form of bacteria that is found in animals digestion tracts. The bacteria makes its way into the water supply through storm runoff or insufficient treatment of waste water. Drinking water with E. Coli in it can lead to vomiting and severe stomach cramping.

As you can imagine, none of these pesky microscopic invaders are desirable to have floating around in your tap water. Quality Water Northwest recommends taking your water into a certified water testing lab if you have any reason to believe your water could be infected with these invaders. Feel free to contact us anytime for a free consultation to figure out what you need to do to have the highest quality water around!