Low water levels, Mercury and Trihalomethane notices, and hard water (so hard that you can see your dishes and faucets change appearance before your very eyes). Does your water smell musty or rotten? And last, but not least, is your water safe to drink? These are just a few of the questions being raised by many residents in the Hill Country area.

As the water tables are dropping, the organic levels are becoming more concentrated and the water just “doesn’t taste or smell as great as it used to.” Higher concentrations of organics have greater potential of creating THMs (Trihalomethane) gasses in the water when combined with chlorine. These gasses have been reported above safe levels mandated through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) in several local municipalities.

Do you remember the old adage that “what you can’t see won’t hurt you”? Is it really true when we’re dealing with water? Four pathogenic strains of bacteria have been identified between Blanco, Comal and Hays counties. These four are all pseudomonas bacteria and cause a variety of health diseases and problems. These bacteria are common inhabitants of soil and water. According to Dr. Kenneth Todar, author of Textbook of Bacteriology, and TJ Clark Inc, three of the pseudomonis species are pathogens in humans. Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes “urinary tract infections, respiratory system infections, dermatitus, soft tissue infections, bacteremia and systemic infections.” Due to the algae or biofilm production of these bacteria, they are resistant to many antibiotics and lower levels of chlorine. Heavy salt anesthetics are no match for these bacteria. Saline contact solutions will not affect these particular bacteria. Local testing for just coliform bacteria will not show the presence of these bacteria because they are all non-coliform.

Washing dishes, bathing, teeth brushing and drinking water are all possible sources of bacterial transfer. Guarding the health of your family against the things you can’t see may be more important than what you can see. At Clean Water Technologies, we are just as concerned about the bacterial quality of your water as we are the physical quality of the water.

Please give us a call if you are having a problem with water hardness, scale build-up on plumbing fixtures, foul smelling water, or if you are concerned about the safety of your water. We’re here to help our Hill Country neighbors.

Laurie Cordero is the co-owner of Clean Water Technologies in Blanco. She is a licensed water treatment specialist with the Texas Water Quality Association. For more information, call 830-833-2074.