What is spring water?

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/spring-water-vs-purified-water#spring-water

Spring water is a popular form of bottled water. It comes from groundwater, which is water that exists underground in an aquifer that sits at or below the earth’s natural water table.

As water naturally flows to the ground’s surface, it’s collected at the opening of a spring. It can also be collected directly underground from a borehole.Trusted Source

This water is generally considered pre-purified, as it has traveled through natural filters like limestone, sandstone, and clay.

Once collected, it’s sampled and analyzed to ensure it meets strict safety standards set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Finally, it’s bottled and ready to be sold.

Nitrate and Drinking Water from Private Wells

What is nitrate?

Nitrate is a compound that is formed naturally when nitrogen combines with oxygen or ozone. Nitrogen is essential for all living things, but high levels of nitrate in drinking water can be dangerous to health, especially for infants and pregnant women. Nitrates are also made in large amounts by plants and animals, and are released in smoke and industrial or automotive exhaust.

Where and how does nitrate get into drinking water?

Nitrate can occur naturally in surface and groundwater at a level that does not generally cause health problems. High levels of nitrate in well water often result from improper well construction, well location, overuse of chemical fertilizers, or improper disposal of human and animal waste. Sources of nitrate that can enter your well include fertilizers, septic systems, animal feedlots, industrial waste, and food processing waste. Wells may be more vulnerable to such contamination after flooding, particularly if the wells are shallow, have been dug or bored, or have been submerged by floodwater for long periods of time.

How can I find out whether there is nitrate in my drinking water?

If you suspect a problem and your drinking water comes from a private well, you may contact your state certification officerexternal icon for a list of laboratories in your area that will perform tests on drinking water for a fee.

How do I remove nitrate from my drinking water?

Nitrate may be successfully removed from water using treatment processes such as ion exchange, distillation, and reverse osmosis. Contact your local health department for recommended procedures.

Heating or boiling your water will not remove nitrate. Because some of the water will evaporate during the boiling process, the nitrate levels of water can actually increase slightly in concentration if the water is boiled. Mechanical filters or chemical disinfection, such as chlorination, DO NOT remove nitrate from water.

Remember to have your well water tested regularly, at least once a year, after installing a treatment system to make sure the problem is controlled.

https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/private/wells/disease/nitrate.html

pH level in drinking water- Why do you need to be concerned?

pH measures the level of acidity and alkalinity in different kinds of liquids including water. The range of pH scale varies between 0-14 with 7.0 being the normal pH level. Anything less than 7 is considered acidic whereas anything higher than 7 is considered to be alkaline. Food items such as yogurt, cheese or fish are more acidic whereas vegetables such as beets, bell peppers and kale are alkaline. In addition to the food items, it is equally important to check the pH level in the water. Drinking acidic water can lead to a number of problems such as weight gain, slow immune response as well as susceptibility to diseases.

Relation of pH and Health

pH level and digestive system

Our digestive system produces hydrochloric acid which helps in digesting food without harming the stomach. However, the presence of excess hydrochloric acid can lead to problems such as indigestion leading to pain and irritation.

Enzymes and pH level

Enzymes play an important role in breaking down carbohydrates that we consume. Enzymes cause chemical reactions to break down protein into amino acids, carbohydrates into glucose and fats in fatty acids. If the pH level for a particular enzyme is too high or low, the normal functions of breaking down proteins and fats may take a longer time.

pH and Tooth Decay

The bacteria present in our mouths break down the foods that contain sugar into acids. These acids help in lowering the pH level in the mouth. If the pH level falls below 5.5, it can lead to tooth decay. The reason is the acids become strong enough to destroy the enamel of teeth, leading to corrosion and tooth decay.

pH level and Water

Pure water, which is rarely available, has the right pH level. Factors such as bedrock, soil composition are some of the factors that affect the pH scale of water. pH scales in drinking water need to be monitored closely to ensure that the pH level doesn’t exceed 7. Water with pH level less than 7 has a corrosive quality and metallic taste. This implies water may contain iron, copper, zinc and from the plumbing fixtures. Water with high alkaline level forms scale or precipitate on the plumbing fixture and also lead to a number of health problems.

Water mold

Water mold, (order Saprolegniales), also spelled water mould, order of about 150 species of filamentous funguslike organisms (phylum Oomycota, kingdom Chromista). Many water molds live in fresh or brackish water or wet soils. Most species are saprotrophic (i.e., they live on dead or decaying organic matter), although some cause diseases in certain fishes, plants, algae, protozoans, and marine invertebrates. Common genera include Achlya, Leptolegnia, and Saprolegnia.

Water molds are minute organisms, but the mycelium (filaments composing the body of the water mold) is often conspicuous around bits of decaying organic matter. Reproduction is commonly by motile asexual spores (zoospores), which may be of two types: pear-shaped with two apical flagella (whiplike structures) or kidney-shaped with two flagella on the concave side. Zoospores are used to classify different species of water molds. In sexual reproduction, fusion of gametes (sex cells) from differentiated sex organs takes place in an oogonium.

The SARS-Cov-2 sewage water samples of 20 August in Netherlands

Since the end of February, KWR has been monitoring concentrations of the genetic material of the coronavirus, so-called SARS-COV-2 RNA, in the sewage water in seven cities, at Schiphol Airport and in Terschelling. The concentration is a measure of the infection rate among the population that is connected to the analysed sewage system. The KWR microbiologists were one of the first research groups in the world to publish their research method, so that colleagues in other countries could also monitor sewage water in a standardised fashion. This page presents the current analysis of the sewage water samples collected on Thursday, 20 August. We do not observe any great shifts in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Amersfoort, Tilburg, Schiphol or Franeker. Rotterdam, in turn, shows an increase for the second week in a row. In Apeldoorn, a signal can again be observed for the first time after a long period, and Terschelling has again fallen below the detection limit. We did not receive any monitoring data for The Hague.

How Much Water Is on Earth?

Earth has a lot of water. It's one of the things that makes our big, blue planet so special. Learn more about Earth's water in this video! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZK2xTNzgq8&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=NASASpacePlace

Bacteria and viruses commonly found in drinking water

Both bacteria and viruses are microorganisms regulated by EPA’s Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) criteria. Viruses are the smallest form of microorganisms capable of causing disease, particularly those of a fecal origin infectious to humans by waterborne transmission; bacteria are typically single-celled microorganisms that can also cause health problems in humans, animals or plants, despite many form’s ability to aid in water pollution control.

https://www.watertechonline.com/wastewater/article/15545721/bacteria-and-viruses-commonly-found-in-drinking-water