– why doesn’t the water in our pipes get bacteria/viruses in it?

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It seems like you would get pretty nasty germs happily living in our plumbing (especially untreated well water).

I think about the water that can sit for prolonged periods in hot water tanks, stagnant water in dead end sections of the plumbing system (unused outside faucet etc), and the wet oxygen rich environment inside the faucet ends.

Yet you almost never hear about people getting sick from their water🤷🏽‍♂️

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Anonymous 0 Comments

*”Why doesn’t water in our pipes get bacteria…”*

Well, it does have bacteria. Coliform and heterotrophic are somewhat common. But usually not in high enough quantities or the harmful type.

The water in water supply pipes is almost always on the move. So it is diluting, and discouraging growth, these bacterial colonies. If water in pipes stagnates for long enough, bacterial colonies and viruses will grow more.

Ever seen a sprinkler pipe burst? It’s pretty nasty and smelly.

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