Indy Soft Water is proud to service the Greenwood area! Questions about the kind of water system that might be best for your home? We’ve got you covered. The water quality in Greenwood has a few key concerns. Knowing which contaminants are in your tap water will help you figure out the best way to keep your drinking water clean, safe, and delicious.
First off, know where your water is from! Water in the Johnson County District is drawn from six different well fields sprinkled throughout the area. The Johnson County Wellhead Protection
Local Planning Team has worked to guard our local water sources and educate the public. But these well fields are still at high risk of contamination.
Even our state website says that the
water sources in Greenwood are “highly vulnerable.” Surface contamination is a constant threat to sand aquifers because they aren’t as deep underground as other water sources. Some
aquifers in Hamilton County are up to 85 feet deep and are protected by clay deposits with block out contaminants. Sand outwash aquifers (like in Johnson County) are more susceptible to pollutants because they’re usually only 30 feet thick at most.
Next, if you don’t already have a home water filtration system, you need to know who treats your water. Greenwood’s tap water is managed by
Indiana American Water of Johnson County. They treat the local source water with chemicals and filtration processes before distributing it through the pipes to our homes. Unfortunately, municipal water treatment can’t always produce the highest quality of water.
Chlorine is left in our tap water from the treatment plants, but other contaminants can remain even after the water is disinfected. (Not to mention the
lead that can leach through the pipes.) That’s why a lot of families and individuals choose to use their own water filtration systems in-home.
A recent
water quality report from Indiana American Water describes the various substances that we might find in our regular tap water. Microbial contaminants like viruses and bacteria are found in source water, as well as pesticides and herbicides. You can also find metals, and other organic chemical contaminants (often the by-products of petroleum factories and other production facilities).
- Barium—typically a discharge from metal refineries
- Fluoride—usually added to the water supply by government mandate, but also comes from an fertilizer and aluminum factories
- Nitrate—often comes from fertilizer runoff or sewage/septic tanks
- Uranium—evidentially from “natural deposits”
- M,p-Xylene—something from petroleum factories
All of contaminants in the 2014 Water Quality Report were technically “compliant” with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
treatment standards, but none of this sounds like healthy water to us! If there are still measurable levels leaving the treatment plant, additional filtration at home is often the only way to get true peace of mind.
The report has other categories as well, but none fared much better for our area. Water hardness levels are high and
chlorine levels are also near the top. Hard water is naturally occurring in Indiana, but using hard tap water in your home can have really damaging effects on your appliances, showerheads, and
faucets—not to mention it’s tougher to clean with!
Chlorine, on the other hand, is often added to our municipal water supply. It works as a disinfectant to keep bacteria away while water is traveling through the pipes. It’s meant to help water safety, but it’s not without its flaws. Chlorinated water can make our homes’ tap water smell like a swimming pool and it comes with a bad taste.
Home water filtration systems help get your water up to your high standards—not the minimum compliance rankings. If you’re concerned about the contaminants in your tap water supply, you might find comfort in getting your own drinking water filter. The surest way to combat whatever water quality issues are in your area is to filter your water in your own home. And with local water concerns rising in Greenwood, there’s no better time to look at better filtration options.
Reverse osmosis systems are powerful enough to take on
fluoride and even dissolved metals like lead in your drinking water. Other water systems like softeners and chlorine removal units tackle individual issues with your water. Often these kinds of systems work together to give you the best water in every room of your home.
