It’s always concerning when a city in our area doesn’t come up to snuff, and we were concerned when we read that the city of Vacaville hadn’t met standards for drinking water this year.[1. https://www.kcra.com/news/Vacaville-residents-concerned-about-chromium-levels-in-water/34667120] Levels of chromium 6, a naturally-occurring potential carcinogen, were higher than allowable. The city is downplaying the failed testing, saying the levels aren’t dangerous. They’re also promising to fix it ASAP. We hope they do; while it may not be an emergency, it’s always scary when a city doesn’t deliver pure water to its citizens.

Vacaville’s Chromium 6 Problem

Many people in Vacaville and elsewhere in the Valley are wondering how serious of an issue this really is. Certainly, having contaminants in the water supply is a bad thing, even naturally-occurring contaminants. Chromium 6 can cause issues including cancer if consumed in high enough doses for a long enough time. If you’re concerned about levels of contaminants in your drinking water, have the water at your house tested by a plumber. They’ll be able to tell you whether anything is abnormally high, and also formulate a plan for dealing with it. In most cases, a high level of one substance or another isn’t the end of the world, but very high contaminant levels present an issue that needs to be remedied.

There’s no question that it’s the job of the city to address contamination issues, and we wouldn’t argue otherwise. But unfortunately that process can take years, and while it’s occurring, your water continues to be affected. Certainly, we encourage anyone affected by these issues to get involved in their local politics, letting their water supplier know that failure to meet standards is not acceptable. But there are others steps that can be taken as well—steps that put the control of your home water quality squarely in your hands.

Different Filters for Different Jobs

Just as you can soften or filter out hard water, you can also buy water filters specifically designed for contaminants and taste. The first step is to get your water tested so you know what you need to filter out. If you have Bell Brothers test your water, we’ll come up with a plan that’s tailored to your unique water needs, ensuring that if you have any issues they get resolved effectively.

You may already have a water filter (like a Brita filter) or a water softener in your system. While these will filter out some elements from your drinking water, they may not work on other contaminants (like chromium 6). If you know what kind of systems you already have in place, you can give us a call and ask what they do and don’t protect you from. Often “water filters” that connect to your faucet really only filter water for taste; that’s a good thing, but it’s not helping make your water safer from contaminants.

A good measure in any situation is a reverse-osmosis filter, which specifically removes chromium 6 and other contaminants from your system. If you live in Vacaville, we’d recommend at least reverse-osmosis filtration to ensure your drinking water is safe and continues to be so. Hopefully the city will soon fix the problem, but a reverse-osmosis filter is good insurance against future contamination.

Bell Brothers offers many kinds of filter installations, and we determine which one is a fit for you based on your budget and water quality in your home. Once we have performed a FREE water quality test we will review our findings with you and make a recommendation for the best solution. We can guarantee that we’ll find a way to make your drinking water safe—all while offering you our no surprise guys guarantee.