Don't
Be Afraid of the Water |
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Water
plays a huge role in our everyday lives. We can live for weeks without
food but only days without water. As a matter of fact, there's a little
water in just about everything. Since water is such an important part
of our lives, many people are becoming more and more concerned about its
quality.
According to the 2001 National Consumer Water Quality Survey commissioned by the Water Quality Association (WQA), 86 percent of respondents have concerns about their home water supply and nearly half believe federal laws governing the quality of drinking water are not strict enough. Reports from the media have done much to heighten awareness about water quality issues. Even Hollywood has contributed by producing movies such as Erin Brockovich and A Civil Action, both of which dramatically detail real-life results of water contamination. It's no wonder that many savvy consumers are choosing drinking water alternatives, such as bottled water and home water filtration systems.
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DRINKING
WATER Water treatment professionals can have your water tested by certified laboratories and help you decipher the results. If you are supplied with water by a local water utility, you will receive an annual Consumer Confidence Report that shows the levels of various contaminants found in your water supply. Some people judge the quality of their water by its taste or appearance. Unfortunately, our senses aren't the best contaminant detection devices. While bad odors, unusual colors or metallic tastes usually indicate a drinking water problem, some go undetected. Lead is tasteless, odorless, and colorless and can find its way into your water via soldered pipe connections. Lead-based solder was used in homes built as recently as the late 1980's. And even though cities generally use chlorine to disinfect water to prevent illness and disease, chlorination is not a foolproof disinfection method. Unexpected outbreaks of certain microorganisms can still occur. Cryptosporidium, a waterborne parasite, caused several hundred thousand people to become ill in Milwaukee in April 1993. Although it's disinfected, city water may encounter contaminants once it leaves the treatment plant and travels through miles of distribution lines before it reaches your home. What You
Can Find in Your Drinking Water • Chlorine Taste/Odor - generally caused by chlorine used by municipalities to disinfect their water supplies. • Musty, Earthy, Fishy Tastes/Odors - caused by algae, molds and bacteria that live in water and can multiply within a home's plumbing system. • Cloudiness/Turbidity - results from suspended particles of sediment. • "Rotten Egg" Smell - comes from hydrogen sulfide in water. • Color - linked to decaying organic matter (tannins) and metals such as iron. • Metallic Taste or Odor – caused by elevated levels of iron and other metals. • "Lighter Fluid" Taste or Odor – can be caused by methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), a gasoline additive that's recently come under public scrutiny may be phased out
• Toxic Elements - such as hexavalent chromium, arsenic and lead. • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - include commercial chemicals and pesticides. • Microorganisms - include cysts, bacteria and viruses that can live in water. The above contaminants are not necessarily in your water. The only way to be certain is to have your water tested. Options for Improving
Your Water Bottled Water Carbon Filters |
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Reverse
osmosis systems are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and
the EPA as one of the most effective ways of protecting residential drinking
water. These very popular, professionally-installed systems utilize a
semipermeable membrane to reduce contaminants. When water is forced against
the membrane, a portion of it passes through, while impurities are left
behind to be carried away.
Reverse osmosis is effective against dissolved salts, suspended solids, dissolved chemicals and a wide variety of other contaminants that cannot be seen by the naked eye. When choosing an RO system, look for a unit with a high efficiency rating. Certain systems also employ a membrane rinse feature that cleans the membrane with the high quality water produced by the system to prolong its life and ensure that it continues to produce only the best quality water. Systems that do not clean themselves or that only clean themselves with untreated water are not as effective. |
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One of the most important considerations and one of the best indicators of overall system quality is the RO membrane warranty. Look for a system that offers a full membrane replacement warranty (not just a pro-rated warranty) that covers membrane performance for several years. Look for certified products.
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What is Hard Water? | ||
Results from the U.S. Geological Survey indicate that 85 percent of American homes are supplied with hard water. Hard water contains dissolved calcium and magnesium ions. Commonly referred to as "hardness minerals," dissolved calcium and magnesium can cause numerous problems when present in a water supply. Whether it's from a well or a municipal water utility, water usually contains these troublesome elements. Water hardness is typically measured in "grains per gallon," an indication of the quantity of dissolved calcium and magnesium the water contains. In amounts as small as one grain per gallon, water is classified as hard to a certain degree. Most homes use water that is considerably harder. Many families choose to soften their water by removing the calcium and magnesium with home water treatment equipment. |
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How
to Recognize Hard Water Probably the most recognizable symptoms of hard water are soap scum in the tub and shower, and hard water spots on faucets and fixtures. According to an Ohio State University study, the average person cleaning the home spends more than six hours a month cleaning up tap water spots, streaks and scum alone. That's because hardness minerals react with soaps and detergents to form an insoluble, sticky residue that's difficult to rinse from bathtubs, sinks, faucets and fixtures. This soap residue is often left on hair, skin and clothing as well. Although not highly visible in these instances, the substance can cause drying and itching of skin, and premature fading and wearing of clothing. |
Hard water causes other problems, as well. Over time, scale formed from continuous contact with dissolved minerals in water can collect inside plumbing and on the internal parts of water using appliances. Service calls to plumbers and repair persons may become necessary as water pressure drops and mechanical parts stop working. Hard water scale can also coat the inside
of a water heater and drastically reduce its heating efficiency. Greater
fuel consumption and higher utility bills result when the appliance has
to heat a layer of rock as well as the water. According to a study commissioned
by the Water Quality Research Council and conducted at New Mexico State
University, water heaters work 22-30 percent less efficiently with hard
water, driving up utility bills unnecessarily. |
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What
is Soft Water? Soap usage can be dramatically reduced with soft water. Since the water is already soft, the cleaning agents have no hardness minerals to react with and overcome, lather more readily and work more effectively. Since less is needed, households can experience considerable savings on laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, bath soap, hand soap, shampoo and many other cleaning products. Since soft water contains no scale forming minerals, it leaves the inside of plumbing and water using appliances free of solidified rock. Appliances operate more efficiently and last longer when using soft water. Leading appliance manufacturers including Maytag have recognized the problems that hard water causes and recommend the use of home water conditioners to help their own products operate more efficiently. How Water
Is Softened Water enters a water softener where it comes in contact with a bed of tiny beads that hold sodium chloride or potassium chloride ions. Since the beads are chemically more attracted to calcium and magnesium ions, ion exchange occurs. The calcium and magnesium ions "stick" to the surface of the beads, dislodging the sodium or potassium. After the beads are completely exhausted (i.e. covered with calcium and magnesium), a solution is introduced to the system to wash away the calcium and magnesium, and replace the sodium or potassium (a process known as regeneration). After the extra solution is rinsed from the resin bed, the entire ion exchange cycle begins again. Beware of performance claims from companies selling magnetic water conditioners or descalers. A leading consumer magazine determined such devices are "ineffective at reducing scale" and recommends buying an ion exchange system instead (Consumer Reports, Feb. '96). A study commissioned by the Water Quality Association supports this conclusion (American How-To, Sept./Oct. '96). A home water softener treats water that is distributed throughout the entire home, although it does not treat it to the high drinking water quality from a home drinking water filter. The following systems are among the most common types of water softeners available: Single Tank,
Electric Timer Water Conditioners Single Tank,
Electric Demand Water Conditioners |
Twin Tank, Non-Electric Demand Water Conditioners | ||
Twin tank systems measure water usage and regenerate only when the system has been used to capacity for optimum efficiency. Because twin tank systems automatically switch from tank to tank as they exhaust, they are able to provide a continuous supply of conditioned water, 24 hours a day. Some systems even use soft water to clean themselves to improve efficiency. Countercurrent regeneration also improves the systems' effectiveness. This process, which is recommended by most resin manufacturers, regenerates the resin beads more efficiently by reversing the flow through the system during the cleaning process. Additionally, leading consumer publications including Consumers Digest have recognized that non-electric, twin tank DIR water conditioners have distinct advantages over those that operate with electricity. Electronic components are the most frequent things to malfunction on electric systems and can be expensive to repair. Non-electric systems do not suffer from such problems and are not susceptible to power outages. |
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Water conditioners may be designed to help with other water problems, too, including the reduction of radium, barium and excess iron. In severe cases, however, a separate system may be required for proper performance. PROBLEM WATER Iron Solving Iron Problems Water Conditioners Multi-Stage Iron Removal Systems Chlorine Chlorine can be easily removed by installing a carbon filtration system where the water enters the home. Combination systems that soften and dechlorinate water are also available and eliminate the need to purchase separate softening and filtration systems. Hydrogen Sulfide Luckily, hydrogen sulfide can be removed using specially-designed sulfur system that employs sulfur removal media. Such systems typically eliminate the need for expensive, multi-stage configurations that require several pieces of equipment. An excessive amount of hydrogen sulfide can be removed by first using aeration or chlorination to convert it into elemental sulfur, a yellowish powder that can be removed with filters. The process works similarly to that which is used to filter iron from water. Acid Water A Final Note The availability of water treatment products makes it easy for you to make your water your next home improvement project. |
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Copyright Sudprasert Engineering (C)2002
10 February, 2003