Common Portland Water Problems

Water Problems Found in Southern Maine

Hard Water

Hard water is a condition where your potable water contains high levels of dissolved minerals, including calcium and magnesium. Inherently, these minerals aren’t bad for you (and some believe that they are an important part of our diet). However, in excessive quantities these minerals can be bad for your plumbing system. Hard water is known to cause all sorts of issues, ranging from a chalky grime buildup on your faucets and fixtures to mineral blockages inside water lines. Hard water can also reduce the lifespan of water-based appliances, such as your dishwasher, washing machine, and water heater. Hard water does impact the taste of your water, and can lead to issues like strange food textures, dry skin, brittle hair, and scratchy-feeling laundry.

Strange Odors or Tastes

Does your water have a strange taste to it? Is it unnaturally sweet, salty, bitter, or even sour? This is more than likely the result of one or more contaminants that might be present. You can also tell by following your nose—water with a number of different substances will take on a very distinct odor. For example, water that has a high concentration of sulfur will often smell of rotten eggs.

If your water has astrange odor or taste, you may have one or more of the following problems:

Corrosive Water

Water will always naturally dissolve some materials that it comes in contact with. However, corrosive water will do this far more aggressively than pure water will. Also known as “aggressive water,” corrosive water is water with characteristics that make it particularly corrosive to a number of different materials. In your home, corrosive water can eat away at both metal and plastic plumbing lines, resulting in costly leaks and extra traces of metal in your drinking water. It’s these metals or plastics that can make corrosive water dangerous to drink, particularly in older homes that may still depend on lead-based water lines. (If you do have lead-based water lines, you should talk to a plumber about having them replaced as soon as possible.)

Find out if your water is impacted by any of these common problems by scheduling a water test with FONTUS Water Treatment. Contact us and book yours today.