Top 3 Problems with Indiana Water
Just as every region in the country has its own unique perks with their scenery and different types of weather, they also have specific concerns with their water. Each state (and really, every county in every state) has certain water quality issues to address.
Looking at Indiana Water Quality
Everyone has a right to drink clean water, and fortunately the Indianapolis water supply is safe by most standards. However, there are still a few things to keep in mind. Being aware of the potential problems with our water quality helps ensure we’re taking the necessary steps to keep our water resources safe and sustainable.
Problem 1: Lead in Drinking Water
News reports and investigations in recent years have informed the general public about the dangers of lead in drinking water. And obviously a lot of work still needs to be done. There’s no safe level of lead, and contaminated water can impair learning and cause behavioral issues in children, as well as poor kidney function.
A recent federal grant from the Environmental Protection Agency will allow Indiana to put more than $55 million toward community loans for sewer line replacements. These are vital steps to keeping our children’s school drinking water safe. The catch, though, is that school systems and child care facilities actually need to follow through on their water testing. The state won’t provide this testing automatically. Each site is responsible for collecting their own samples. It can be confusing to take those steps. But really, communities can’t afford to not do that necessary research. All you need is a trusted partner to help you take those water samples and send them in for testing!
Solution: Test for Lead in School Drinking Water
We don’t know what we don’t know. Over time, old plumbing and city pipelines can end up leaching lead into our water supply. There are certain home water filters that can eliminate those risks, but lead in school drinking water can be even more concerning because it can affect entire populations of children and staff at once. That’s why it’s so critical to test for lead.
Indy Soft Water can help schools and other public facilities arrange their lead water testing. We also install and repair point-of-use water filtration systems that are powerful enough to remove lead—and that’s useful whether your site’s drinking water has tested positive or not. Having those filters in place brings real peace of mind to your staff, students, and families. It’s just about finding the right solution to keep everyone safe.
Problem 2: Indianapolis Water Hardness
Living with hard water may not be as devastating as having lead in your drinking water, but it’s still a problem throughout Indiana. Dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals naturally show up in our source water, and it’s not really part of the municipal water treatment process to filter them out. This means our typical tap water is hard water. Or rather, extremely hard water.
By most standards, the definition for moderately hard water will have the dissolved minerals measuring somewhere between 3 and 7 grains per gallon (gpg). Indiana’s water tend to be even harder. If you look at the 2020 Water Quality Report for Carmel, the hardness average comes in at 11.5 gpg, and then the Carmel-Clay stats show 15 gpg.
It’s even worse for Indianapolis and Morgan County. Their 2020 reports shows the average system-wide water hardness level was 300 parts per million, which converts to over 17.5 gpg. So when we say that Indiana water quality is “hard,” it’s not an exaggeration!
Solution: Whole Home Water Filtration
Water samples that test between 11 to 15 gpg, like those in Carmel, are considered “very hard.” For the greater Indianapolis area, that rating jumps up to “extremely hard water.” The signs of hard water include mineral buildup on your faucets and showerheads, water spots on your dishes, scratchy and dry laundry, plus drying out your skin. Even using a “moisturizer” in the shower can’t completely erase the effects of hard water. But with a water softener, you can finally keep those hardness levels under control.
These systems remove the minerals from your water as soon as it reaches your home. Then you get soft water at the tap, which is essentially water that feels better and can rinse “cleaner.” Water softeners give you a simple fix for all kinds of nuisances around the house. Soft water helps protect your clothes, your hair and skin, and even your water-using appliances. When you live in Indiana, a softener just makes life easier.
Problem 3: Indiana Water Shortage Risks
Another component to water quality in Indiana is our availability to clean water. This isn’t a resource we can replace with an “alternative.” Our future depends on water conservation.
Indianapolis is only about 150 miles from one of the world’s largest fresh water sources. Yet the higher demand for water has proven that we need to find new water sources. The population of Indiana is growing, and we’re also having summer droughts. Indiana may not be a go-to example of a water insecure area, but we still have reasons to be concerned about where things are headed. It’s important for all of us to do our part to keep water waste to a minimum.
Solution: Water Conservation and Home Efficiency
Our local water utility experts are currently working to increase the Indianapolis area’s water capacity by 40% by the year 2070. The new and massive Citizens Reservoir is just one element of the process to meet that goal. They’re also looking to add three new groundwater treatment plants and two new surface water treatment plants for Marion County.
We can also help solve this problem on a personal level. Choosing high-efficiency water-using appliance can make a meaningful difference in our water consumption. We can also use rain barrels and watch our water usage outside. All of those little steps add up.
There may be a few downsides to the water quality in Indiana, but we’re also so lucky to live in a place that has regular access to water. Plus, it’s nice to know that there are simple fixes to make our water quality even better! If you’d like to talk about your filtration and water softener options for your home, school, or commercial site to address hard water and other drinking water contaminants, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re always happy to help!