Hazards of Stagnant Water

Stagnant water is not simply water that’s been sitting so it tastes musty and stale. Stagnant water is a term used for water that has become putrid, contaminated, and unsafe. When water sits in your plumbing for long periods of time without being used, it becomes an incubator for bacteria and parasites. Why bring up this unpleasant topic? It’s important to know the health risks of having stagnant water. The problem of stagnant water can affect large homes and small homes alike. Sections of any home may sit unused for days or weeks at a time. Bathrooms, second kitchens, on-site guesthouses, and sometimes whole floors sit unused. The water waiting in the plumbing is just crawling with bugs. Literally.

The disinfectant (chlorine, etc.) in your water supply has a shelf life. As it does its job of controlling bacteria, it gets used up in as little as 3 hours. After that, there’s nothing keeping bacteria growth in check. Most bacteria double every 20 minutes! These bacteria can cause a wide variety of issues. Biofilm and aggressive corrosion of plumbing and appliances is a common occurrence. Problems also range from severe skin irritation to nasty pathogens that can cause serious illness.

BUGS in your Water

If this is the first you’ve heard of these problems, you’re not alone. In industrial settings, this kind of problem is well known and action plans to avoid water stagnation are in place. Some kind of attention and planning is critical. The special training and certification required in industrial settings is rare among residential plumbers and softener suppliers.

The good news is that there are ways to deal with these problems. It involves more than simply flushing the toilets every couple of days or running the water for a few minutes to replace the old water, but it’s not difficult to implement. Water flow and use is different in every home. The data collected in our testing and evaluation is used to custom tailor a plan for each home. Water chemistry changes from location to location, but they all share common attributes. No matter how good your water source is, if it sits for long periods of time it will stagnate. However, with proper testing, planning, and attention these problems can be handled, and clean, fresh, healthy, and hydrating water is possible. Click HERE to set up an in-home consultation with our experts.