Laguna Niguel Water Filtration Systems

All of the water from Laguna Niguel comes from the Metropolitan Water District. When it comes to contaminants in water, the water districts are only required to meet legal federal standards. However, environmental scientists will be the first to tell you that regulating harmful contaminants is a difficult task. Therefore, harmful contaminants can remain in your drinking water for years or even decades before they are regulated. A contaminant must first be proven as harmful before there are regulations limiting their quantities in water. There are a number of different harmful contaminants that have appeared in Orange County water supplies. The following is a list of some, but not all, of the contaminants that have been discovered.

Lead – Lead is a heavy metal that can be found in water and can lead to kidney and brain damage. Making matters even worse, lead can cross what is called the placental barrier meaning pregnant women who have consumed lead also pass it along to their child. According the CDC, the most common outcome for babies exposed to lead is nervous system damage. Lead also competes with what are called calcium transporters. Lead can actually replace calcium leading to bone deficiencies, neural issues, and kidney function. The biggest challenge associated with testing for lead is the fact that it must be tested for at the home or building where the water will be consumed. Due to the fact lead leaches from old pipes into our water, the source of the lead contamination could be anywhere from the water municipality to your home. Water municipalities only test a small number of homes each year for lead, usually only a couple of dozen each year. Ultimately it is up to the end-user to test their water to ensure it is lead free. Additionally, it is important to keep in mind that as pipe ages it will be more prone to leaching lead into your water. Therefore, just because you do not have lead in your water today, does not mean you will not have lead in your water a year from now.

Hexavalent Chromium (Chromium-6) – If the name Hexavalent Chromium sounds familiar to you, it may be because you have heard it mentioned in a well known movie regarding toxic contaminants in water. Hexavalent Chromium is a contaminant that can be found in some paints, dyes inks, plastics, and during the manufacturing process of a large number of materials. This is an emerging contaminant that we can all expect to find a lot more frequently in water sources. Just over the last several years companies in our local area have been found to be releasing 350 times the amount allowed by EPA standards into the air. Hexavalent Chromium will continue to make its way into our water supply due to improper regulations. Exposure to this highly toxic contaminant can cause liver and kidney damage, sinus cancers, and a whole host of other health issues. High quality carbon filters can help filter our contaminants such as Hexavalent Chromium.

PFAS – Other emerging contaminants found in our water due to manufacturing include Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS). These cancer causing contaminants have been found in some Orange County water sources and have even forced some water wells to be shut down. PFAS have been linked directly to thyroid disease, kidney cancer, and testicular cancer. Currently sewage treatment plants have no way of filtering out PFAS contaminants. I think we can all expect some sort of regulatory changes in the future to deal the PFAS contaminants. However, in the interim, PFAS can still be in our water. Once these cancer causing toxins enter the body, they have no way of being flushed from our systems. It is important for all Laguna Niguel residents to drink the highest quality of water possible. Water filtration systems with carbon filters have the ability to remove some harmful contaminants which we would otherwise consume.

Minerals – Naturally occurring minerals like calcium and magnesium can cause your hair and skin to suffer. These minerals may not necessarily be harmful to you internally, but they can cause skin conditions like acne and eczema to be exacerbated. They can also cause your skin to dry out and accelerate the aging process. Those same minerals can dry your hair out causing breakage and accelerated hair loss. Water filtration systems can filter out these minerals which have a less than desirable impact on your appearance.