06/05/2026
What Happens to Your Body When You Drink Unfiltered Tap Water?
Quality Service Company | Florence, SC
Most people don't think twice about filling up a glass from the kitchen faucet. It looks clear. It seems fine. But what's actually in your tap water — and what is it doing to your body over time?
The truth is, tap water across the country contains contaminants that you can't see, smell, or taste. And in Florence, SC, the problem is worse than most people realize.
Here's what's really in unfiltered tap water — and why it matters for your family's health.
Your Water Passes a "Legal" Test — Not a Health Test
Here's something most people don't know: the city tests your water to make sure it meets legal limits set by the government. That means it's technically allowed to have certain amounts of chlorine, lead, and other chemicals — as long as it stays below the legal maximum.
But "legal" doesn't always mean "safe."
Many of those legal limits were set decades ago. Scientists now know that even small amounts of certain chemicals — like lead or PFAS — can cause real harm, especially in children. In fact, the EPA concluded in 2024 that there is no safe level of the two most common PFAS chemicals in drinking water.
So even if your city says your water is "in compliance," that doesn't mean it's as clean as it could be.
What's Actually in Your Unfiltered Tap Water
1. Chlorine and Chlorine Byproducts
Cities add chlorine to kill bacteria in the water supply. That part is important and necessary. The problem is what happens next.
When chlorine mixes with natural materials in the water, it creates chemical byproducts called trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). These byproducts have been linked to:
Increased risk of certain cancers with long-term exposure
Digestive problems and stomach irritation
Dry, irritated skin and brittle hair — especially in the shower
Disruption of healthy gut bacteria
You're not just drinking these chemicals — you're absorbing them through your skin every time you shower or bathe.
2. Lead
Lead gets into water mainly through old pipes. Florence, like most older cities, has neighborhoods with aging plumbing infrastructure. When water sits in or travels through old lead pipes, it picks up lead particles along the way.
Lead is especially dangerous for children. Even low levels of lead exposure can:
Slow brain development and lower IQ
Cause behavioral problems and learning disabilities
Damage kidneys over time
Affect fetal development during pregnancy
There is no safe level of lead for children. None.
3. PFAS — "Forever Chemicals"
This is one of the biggest water safety stories in the country right now.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are man-made chemicals used in things like nonstick pans, food packaging, and firefighting foam. They're called "forever chemicals" because they never fully break down — not in the environment, and not in the human body.
As of July 2025, EPA data indicates that 158 million people are at risk of drinking PFAS-contaminated water. That's nearly half the country.
Scientists increasingly agree there is no safe level for PFAS in water, and that the entire class of PFAS may be harmful to human health even in small amounts.
Long-term PFAS exposure has been linked to:
Certain cancers, including kidney and testicular cancer
Thyroid disease and hormone disruption
High cholesterol
Weakened immune system — including reduced vaccine effectiveness in children
Developmental problems in babies and young children
The EPA set new limits for six PFAS chemicals in 2024, but water systems have until 2029 to fully comply. That means PFAS could still be in your water for years to come.
4. Heavy Metals
Beyond lead, tap water can also carry:
Arsenic — a naturally occurring element linked to cancer, heart disease, and skin problems
Mercury — affects the nervous system and brain development
Copper — at high levels, causes nausea, vomiting, and liver damage
Chromium-6 — made famous by the Erin Brockovich case, linked to cancer
These metals enter the water supply through old pipes, industrial runoff, and natural deposits in the ground — like the iron-rich aquifer right here in Florence.
5. Microplastics
Microplastics are tiny plastic fragments that come from plastic bottles, packaging, clothing fibers, and pipes. They've been found in rivers, tap water, and now in human bodies.
Scientists have detected microplastics in human blood, lung tissue, and even breast milk. While research on long-term effects is still developing, early studies suggest microplastics may cause inflammation, disrupt hormones, and carry other toxic chemicals into the body.
Most municipal water treatment plants are not equipped to remove microplastics.
6. Pesticides and Herbicides
Agricultural chemicals from farms and lawns make their way into rivers, groundwater, and your water supply through runoff. Florence is surrounded by farmland, and the P*e Dee River — one of the city's main water sources — runs through it.
Pesticide and herbicide residues in drinking water have been linked to:
Hormone disruption
Increased cancer risk with long-term exposure
Neurological effects, especially in children
Reproductive health problems
The Effects Build Up Over Time
Here's the thing about most water contaminants — they don't make you sick overnight. The risks are about long-term, daily exposure.
Every glass of unfiltered water. Every shower. Every pot of pasta boiled with tap water. Every time your child fills up a cup at the sink.
Over months and years, small exposures add up. And for certain groups — children, pregnant women, elderly people, and anyone with a weakened immune system — even small amounts of these contaminants can cause real harm.
Think about it this way: you wouldn't let your family eat a tiny bit of lead every day just because the amount is technically "under the legal limit." So why let them drink it?
Florence Has an Extra Problem
On top of everything above, Florence homeowners deal with a water quality challenge that most other cities don't have: high iron levels in the local groundwater.
The underground aquifer that supplies part of Florence's water naturally contains elevated iron. That iron causes the brown, rusty water that many residents have experienced. It stains laundry, ruins appliances, and makes tap water look and smell unappealing.
On top of that, Florence has issued multiple boil water advisories in recent years — including a system-wide alert during Tropical Storm Debby in 2024. When the city's treatment plant goes offline or gets overwhelmed, unfiltered water can flow directly into homes.
What You Can Do About It
The city works hard to treat your water, but they can only do so much. The most reliable protection you can give your family is a filter that works at the point water enters your home.
The HALO 5 whole-home system connects to your main water line and filters every drop of water in your house — drinking water, shower water, cooking water, and laundry water — before it reaches you. It removes chlorine, chlorine byproducts, heavy metals, iron, sediment, microplastics, pesticides, VOCs, and more. And it runs with zero electricity and zero maintenance for up to 10 years.
The HALO RO under-sink system gives you NSF-certified pure drinking and cooking water right from your kitchen faucet — no whole-home installation needed. It removes PFAS, lead, arsenic, fluoride, nitrates, and bacteria, and has been independently tested and certified to the highest drinking water safety standards in the country.
You don't have to choose between drinking what comes out of your tap and spending a hundred dollars a month on bottled water. There's a better answer — and it's a one-time fix.
The Bottom Line
Your tap water might look clean. It might even meet the legal standards. But "legal" and "healthy" are not the same thing.
Chlorine byproducts, PFAS, lead, heavy metals, microplastics, and pesticides are all found in unfiltered tap water across the country — including right here in Florence. The health risks from long-term exposure are real, and they are especially serious for children and pregnant women.
The good news is that protecting your family is easier than you think. One installation. One system. Clean water from every tap in your home.
Ready to protect your family?
📞 (843) 268-2753
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📍 2208 National Ave, Florence, SC 29501
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