There is no doubt that water greatly influences both human health and overall well-being. It is also true that the quality of the water we consume also has a crucial role. If the quality is not up to the mark, no matter how much amount you drink on a regular, it will cause harm to the body instead of providing health benefits.
That’s the reason why, it has become highly essential for everyone to understand water quality. For this, you just need to pay attention to three things, flavor, smell, and color. Continue reading this blog till the end to know how this can be effectively done.
3 Major Sensory Indicators That Can Help Determine Water Quality
Below are the three major indicators that can be taken into consideration to determine water quality.
First Indicator: Flavor
Clean and safe often has a neutral or light taste. However, if the water is polluted with any sort of contaminants or minerals, it will definitely have an unusual taste.
For example, chlorine is a common disinfectant used to treat regular tap water by municipal committees. However, due to the presence of chlorine, many consumers find water off-putting. Some other impurities that are mostly likely to be found in normal water, and impact its flavor include:
- Viruses
- Heavy metals
- Sediment
It is obvious, that the unpleasant flavor of water will deter people from drinking water, leading to the chances of dehydration and many more health-related issues.
Second Indicator: Smell
We often use our smelling senses to check the quality of food-related things…right? So, this also implies testing water quality. Many contaminants and impurities emit different smells as an indication of contamination.
If the water has a musty-like smell, it will indicate the decomposition of organic material or potential algae growth. On the other hand, if it smells like rotten eggs, this means the water is toxic and polluted by hydrogen sulfide. If ingested, it can lead to serious health concerns or diseases.
It is important to note that, the odor of the water will serve as an early warning system. So, if you notice anything, immediately stop drinking and take the necessary steps.
Third Indicator: Color
Finally, the color of water can also help you provide valuable information about its overall quality. similar to odor, the color of the contaminated also varies depending on the impurities it contains.
If your tap water has a brownish color, this is a clear indication that it contains sediment particles, iron, or organized matter. Whereas, if the color is green, then this is an indication of algal bloom which can produce harmful toxins that can cause issues to both human health as well aquatic life.
Cloudy watercolor is an indication of suspended particles such as bacteria, and other pollutants.
Just remember this: the inappropriate color of water means the water is highly contaminated and completely unsafe to consume.
So, if you notice any unusual thing either in water flavor, smell, or color, don’t just ignore it. Instead, it is crucial for you to take the necessary steps to address water contamination issues for better health and well-being.
How to Improve Water Flavor, Smell & Taste
There are numerous steps that can be taken in order to enhance the flavor, smell, and taste of the water, some of the most common ones are discussed as follows:
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Use Filtration System:
This is the most widely known and used way of treating contaminated water. They effectively remove a wide range of impurities and contaminants and provide highly purified water that has a better taste and odor.
There are types of filtration systems that you can consider going with according to your specific needs and preferences.
- Reverse Osmosis: The RO filters make use of a semipermeable membrane for up to 99% of contaminants and impurities from the water. Due to this reason, they are rated as the most advanced systems.
- Undersink filters: These filtration systems sit beneath the kitchen sink and are connected to the main faucet to filter the water that is coming out of it. These are relatively inexpensive as compared to reverse osmosis filters.
- Activated carbon filters: Finally, these filters are considered highly effective at removing chlorine, sediment, and other commonly found contaminants from the water.
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Apply Water Treatment Techniques:
Apart from filtration systems, you can also consider using different techniques to treat water, these include:
- Chlorination Adjustments: Although chlorine is good for making water safe, but its overdose can cause troubles with flavor, odor, and taste. So, you should also carefully make adjustments to the chlorine levels of your water according to the recommended limit.
- Aeration: Most of you may not be aware of this way of treating water. It involves introducing air into the water to any volatile compounds, which will ultimately lead to enhancing the overall
- pH level adjustments: By effectively maintaining the pH levels can prove really beneficial in preventing the metallic tastes and odor that are often associated with acidic or alkaline water.
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Regular Maintenance:
Do you know? water flavor, smell, and taste often get damaged due to the bad management of infrastructure such as pipes, storage tanks, etc.
So, it is always recommended that water storage tanks and pipes through which water flows are regularly cleaned and maintained. Doing so will prevent the growth of microbiological bacteria, and impurities.
These are a few of the most effective steps that you can take to address the flavor, odor, and taste issues of water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it appropriate to rely solely on flavor, smell, and taste?
No, these are the most common sensory indicators for determining water quality. So, avoid solely relying on them, instead perform a water test through a certified laboratory.
How often it is recommended to test water quality?
Although, this is not a standard timeframe, but it is generally recommended to test water quality at least once a year.
Wrapping Up
Exposure to bad-quality water can be deadly for human health and well-being. Due to this, it is necessary for everyone to get some basic knowledge about how to determine water quality by paying attention to flavor, smell, and taste. We hope this blog will contribute to increasing your knowledge.
