You have a new home on well water. Now what?

We are asked this question every day by homeowners that lived with city water their entire lives and purchased a new home that has either a private well or community well water supply.  No need to panic! 

It will be OK.  I always joke with them that all they need is a water treatment 101 class and they will be ready for living with well water.  Maybe I am a little biased, being in the water treatment industry, but I have always believed we have a lot more control of the quality of our water with well water than you ever would with city water.  

With every home, that has a well, water testing is done as part of the real estate transaction to determine several things regarding the water.

1. Bacteria testing is done to determine if there are any harmful bacteria present in the well water which could be a health concern, such as Coli-form and E-Coli.  If present the well must be sanitized, flushed and re-tested until it is determined to be free of bacteria (potable water)

2.      Testing for Arsenic, Nitrate and Nitrite is also done. If any of these are over their limits (10ppm for Nitrate and Nitrites), (10ppb for Arsenic). Some form of water treatment needs to be done to bring the drinking water to acceptable levels before the real estate closing.  Other testing for low PH, Radium, Radon, Chlorides and Sodium may also be necessary depending on the state and area the home is in.

3.      A well inspection is performed to assure the well is sealed properly and there are no potential problems such as a cracked cap. Along with a visual inspection of the water itself. Is the water cloudy, dirty, sediment in the water, does it smell, is it rusty, etc.  Water chemistry from every well can vary greatly.  One well may have a high iron content, hydrogen sulfide and be extremely high in hardness while the well next door may be the same depth but the water may have very little iron but high hardness. 

This chart shows hardness levels and the levels which it can cause problems.

Most of the well water we test in Livingston, Oakland and Washtenaw County, MI will have hard water levels (calcium and magnesium) from 10 to 30 plus grains per gallon of hardness along with iron, manganese and more frequently hydrogen sulfide (smelly water).

Recently we installed a water treatment system for a customer in Brighton Michigan that purchased a new home with a private well supply.  They had never been on well water before so part of the water evaluation is showing them the problems hard water can cause over the short term and long term if left untreated. Although they mentioned the water problems were very evident even though they had only been in the home for one month. Water spots on the showers, sinks along with cloudy glassware and dishes out of the dishwasher. They also mentioned the bad effect the water had on their clothes after washing.  

Water analysis:                                                                                                                               Hardness 26 gpg, Iron 0ppm, PH 7.4, Manganese 0ppm, Hydrogen sulfide 0ppm, Arsenic 0ppb.           

3 people in the home with one more on the way!

When sizing water treatment systems for a home there are many parameters that need to be taken into consideration for the system to work properly and provide twenty plus years of reliable service.

1.       What is the water chemistry?  Iron, Manganese, Hydrogen sulfide, Hardness?  A thorough water analysis needs to be done and many times a sample may be sent to a third party lab if there are any signs of iron bacteria or possible arsenic issues.

2.       Does this water warrant a filtration system along with a softener or will just a water softener work fine on this water.

3.       The system needs be efficient for the household, be able to handle a growing family and busy household.  Undersized equipment saves money up front but costs a lot more in the long run with high salt usage, service issues and decreased lifespan of equipment.

4.       The flow rates (GPM) necessary to efficiently operate today’s household need to be taken into account for the proper water treatment system application also.  Too low flow rates in the house and someone could get scalded in the shower or when more than one person is using water some parts of the home may have very little water.  Such as when the dishwasher is running and someone wants to take a shower or running another sink causes a drastic loss of water volume and pressure in the house.

There are many different options for water treatment equipment but only ONE is the best, most efficient option.  For this household it was an Evolve Series EVRS 45k capacity water softener. These homeowners also chose to have a Reverse Osmosis drinking water system installed for quality drinking water.

There is a common misconception that water softeners (water treatment equipment) only lasts 10 years or so.  If the proper water treatment system is installed the first time it should last 20-30 years.

No need to fear your water! It can be the best water you will ever have, with very little maintenance and provide you the quality of water your family deserves and expects for many years.

Below is more information regarding topics discussed in this blog:

Where does your water come from:

http://www.watersystemscouncil.org/download/wellcare_information_sheets/basic_well_information_sheets/Where_Your_Water_Comes_From_2014.pdf

Water Testing:

http://www.watersystemscouncil.org/download/wellcare_information_sheets/for_healthcare_professionals/Testing.pdf

Water Treatment options:

http://www.awtworks.com/

Good day and good water to you!

Ray McConnell

Certified Water Treatment Specialist

Water and Our Health, What’s In Our Water? Howell

An Analysis of City Water and Community Water Supplies

In this continuing series of Blogs we are discussing water, water quality and various treatment methods that city and community water supplies use to treat their water before it is delivered to your home.  Today we are looking at the city of Howell, MI and the community wells that supply water to its 9400 residents.

Communities that use well water as their primary source of water have many different issues to address as it relates to their water.  As discussed in previous blog posts, the water chemistry from every well can vary widely.  Most of these community well supplies will have several different water wells in which their water is drawn from. The number of wells needed is dependent on the size of the community and water volume needed to service that community. This takes into account average daily usage per household and also peak periods of water usage along with the potential usage for fire fighting.  

The city of Howell has six different wells from which water is drawn.  These wells are up to 400 feet underground.  This is done to protect the water supply, to assure adequate water supply for future use and to assure some stability in the water chemistry.  IE: Hardness, Iron, Manganese, Arsenic, Radium, Etc.  The Howell water treatment facility has a 620,000 gallon ground storage reservoir along with a 300,000 elevated storage tank to service its 9400 residents and fire fighting needs.

The Howell water treatment plant employs a method of “Lime Softening” to treat the water.  Lime water (Calcium Hydroxide) is introduced into the water supply at the treatment plant which reacts with the Calcium and Magnesium (Hardness) in the water causing it to “floc” or fall out of the water.  The hardness falls out as scale and then is filtered out of the water.  This method of water treatment has actually been used since the 1800,s and was originally used in London, England to treat water drawn from the Thames River. Some of the primary reasons this method is used by community water supplies today are to control Arsenic, Iron, Manganese and Radium that may be present in the water supply as it is drawn from the ground.  Sulfuric Acid and Polyphosphates are added, after initial treatment, to control the PH and stabilize the water. Chlorine is added, as a disinfectant, as the water is sent to the reservoir tanks.  

All community and municipal water supplies have to abide by the National Drinking Water Standards set forth by the federal government. Arsenic is one of many contaminants regulated by these standards as are chemicals used to treat the water supply along with the by-products created when using disinfecting additives like chlorine.  Fluoride additives such as Hydrofluosilicic Acid have become an increasing topic of discussion and concern as many current studies have shown negative long term effects from these additives. Many cities across the US are now choosing to not add fluoride supplements to their water supplies.  

The Howell water treatment plant adds calcium (hardness) back into the water supply before it leaves the treatment plant. This brings the hard water levels back up to 6-7 grains per gallon. Six to seven grains per gallon of hardness is low compared to the 15 to 30+ gpg of hard water most homeowners have that live on a private well in Livingston County. Although 6-7 gpg of hardness may seem relatively low on the hardness scale, with a family of three people, on water that is 6gpg of hardness, in one year that family will have nearly 94 Lbs of rock through their household! 

How is this?  In one year 657,000 grains of dissolved rock (Hardness) will have gone through the home, leaving scale buildup behind. 7000 grains per gallon of hardness is equivalent to 1 lb of rock in the water. Therefore 93.86 lbs of rock will have gone through all the appliances, water heater, plumbing and fixtures in one year!  So it is easy to see that even at relatively low hardness levels there are still major concerns with hard water problems along with chlorine and other things added to the water supply. 

Community wells and city water suppliers go to great lengths to protect our water and provide better water for its customers. It can still be better and that is up to the individual households. There are many practical water treatment options to improve the quality of water and quality of life for you and your family such as whole house filtration for chlorine and hardness removal and point of use options for drinking water such as reverse osmosis drinking water systems.  The Evolve Series water treatment systems have many options to treat your specific water treatment problems and concerns.
Better Water, Better Life for you and your loved ones!

     

Information regarding topics discussed in this article is available in the links below.

City of Howell, MI 2013 Water Report:
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Advanced%20Water/My%20Documents/Downloads/WaterReport%20(1).pdf

National Primary Drinking Water Standards:

http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/#Primary

Fluoride Information:

http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/fluoride.cfm
http://www.livescience.com/37123-fluoridation.html

http://www.watersystemscouncil.org/download/wellcare_information_sheets/for_healthcare_professionals/Fluoride_WellWater.pdf

Disinfectants in drinking water:

http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/disinfectants.cfm

Water Treatment Solutions:

Whole house treatment :  http://www.awtworks.com/products/water-softeners/evrcs/

Drinking water treatment:  http://www.awtworks.com/products/reverse-osmosis/ultrowater/

Good days and good water to you!

Ray McConnell

Certified Water Treatment Specialist

Hard, Rusty, Smelly Water Problems?

All of us have hard water, to one degree or another, whether we live in a home with a private well, community well or city water.  The problem is each one of these water supplies has their own particular water quality issues. 

The water chemistry from a private well supply can vary greatly even during the course of one year. The change of seasons at times brings heavy rains, spring runoff from winter snows and drought conditions.  Any and all of these conditions will have an impact on the water chemistry and water quality of your well water supply.  Typically the shallower the well supply the more susceptible it is to these changing water conditions but all wells experience changing water tables and consequently a change in the water chemistry, usually for the worse, unfortunately.

This year (2014) has been a perfect example of this occurring in many wells throughout southeast Michigan.  With the drought conditions we experienced two years ago the water table dropped significantly causing many people to put in new wells.  Last winter we had a heavier snow fall then recent winters past and spring brought almost daily rain showers well into the summer bringing the water tables up to levels we have not seen in many years.  This "Water Cycle" brought a significant change to our water tables and in many cases a drastic change in the quality of the water from private and community well supplies.  All city water suppliers in southeast Michigan, such as the city of Detroit, MI and in particular the city of Ann Arbor, MI, deal with these same issues of changing water quality.  Ann Arbor draws their water from the Huron River and this spring the Huron River was at one of the highest levels it has seen in many years.  All the runoff that feeds the river brought a lot of sediment into the system.  The same can be said for the City of Detroit’s water source (Lake St Clair). Sediment, Silt, Turbidity, the potential for Algae blooms as the city of Toledo saw this year are all problems that these municipal water supplies have to contend with to supply potable / safe water to every customers home.

When such Water Cycles occur it is common to have higher Iron, Manganese, Hydrogen Sulfide and even harder water (Calcium/Magnesium) coming from your well water supply. Because of the natural cycle of water it is recommended to have your well water supply tested every few years to see if the water chemistry has changed. If so, what, if any, steps need to be taken to address new water problems that may be found. Private well supplies are also susceptible to bacterial contamination from many sources so it is also recommended to do a Bacteria test on your well supply every few years to assure no bacterial contaminants have entered the well.  If a positive test for Bacteria occurs the well can usually be treated to eliminate the problem.

The BIG picture of all this water stuff? Is it over blown at times? Yes.

Are there genuine concerns about what is in our water and how it affects us? Yes!

But reassuring ourselves we have good water and it is safe for our families brings us piece of mind, makes our lives easier and healthier. That we can all use a lot more of!

Here are several links related to topics discussed in this article and very useful information for every homeowner.

Where your water comes from:

http://www.watersystemscouncil.org/download/wellcare_information_sheets/basic_well_information_sheets/Where_Your_Water_Comes_From_2014.pdf

Testing well water:

http://www.watersystemscouncil.org/download/wellcare_information_sheets/for_healthcare_professionals/Testing.pdf

Homeowners guide to your well:

http://www.watersystemscouncil.org/well-owners/wellcare-info-sheets/

http://www.awtworks.com/

Good days and Good water to you.

Ray McConnell,

Certified Water Treatment Specialist

The Challenges and Rewards of Treating Well Water!

Water quality and water chemistry from private wells varies greatly from one region to the next and from one well to another even when they may only be sixty feet apart.  Some of the many challenges, as water treatment professionals, we face when treating well water supplies are high iron content, ferric iron, iron bacteria, manganese, hydrogen sulfide, bacteria, arsenic, low ph, the list goes on and on.  Point being the water chemistry from a private well can vary a great deal from one house to the next. 

While it is true there are areas in that are notorious for bad water, White Lake, MI (Oakland County) comes to mind, and certain neighborhoods throughout Livingston, Washtenaw and Oakland counties that are known for having “BAD” water problems.  But we can never go by the rule of thumb or our personal experience treating water in these areas. Every well has to be tested to find the specific problems and the correct methods to treat specific water treatment problems.

Livingston County is a perfect example of this, particularly in Whitmore Lake, as we frequently treat private wells with iron bacteria.  Iron Bacteria is not a health hazard but it certainly causes a big problem in the home.  It really is exactly as it sounds. Bacteria in the water feeds off the iron present in the water supply and multiply causing a buildup in the well itself.  You commonly notice Iron Bacteria in the back of toilet tanks where, if the problem is extreme, a thick mat of bacterial growth will build up in the toilet tank at the water line.  It can be difficult to diagnose iron bacteria in a water supply.  That is why Advanced Water Treatment recommends having the water tested by a certified water lab.  As mentioned above there are signs and symptoms in the home that will indicate the presence of iron bacteria, slimy growth in the toilet tank, bits of what looks like algae streaming off parts in the toilet tank and air bubbles on top of the water, which the algae give off as they die.  There are several schools of thought on how to treat for this.  “Shocking” the well with high amounts of chlorine will help for a period of time but these little bacteria, as most bacteria are, are very hardy and always manage to re-colonize the well in time.  The Evolve Series EV2 Water Conditioner is designed to treat wells with iron bacteria, hardness, manganese, iron and hard water with one system without having to shock, which could potentially cause a number of problems.

High Iron content is becoming more and more of an issue in all of southeast Michigan.  It only takes trace amounts of iron to cause problems in the home and the iron from wells in Livingston County alone can vary from 0ppm (parts per million) to over 15ppm.  Even relatively low amounts of iron (1-2ppm) can have, and frequently do have, combinations of different types of iron such as Iron Bacteria, Ferric Iron (Oxidized iron) and Tannins (Iron bound up by organics in the water).  It really can be quite fascinating to see all these water problems that occur. We take a lot of pride in the fact we can fix these problems and give homeowners the quality of water they are looking for. That is why the water business never gets boring! 

Here are several links related to topics discussed in this article.

Iron Bacteria in Drinking Water:
 http://des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pip/factsheets/dwgb/documents/dwgb-3-21.pdf

Water Treatment Solutions for Iron Bacteria:

http://www.awtworks.com/products/water-conditioners/ev1-ev2/

Water Testing Lab:
 http://www.watertech-inc.com/info.html

Good days and Good water to you!

Ray McConnell

Certified Water Treatment Specialist

Angst, Arrhythmia and Troubled Waters!

In a past blog post (Who, What, When, Where, Why and How) we talked about how it takes the right investigator to properly diagnose water problems, find the best solutions to treat the water, provide the customer the quality of water they are expecting and have a permanent solution to their water problem.  We have had two such problems recently that we helped homeowners resolve.

Here are the scenarios with each customer:

Customer #1:  They have been living in their home in Hartland, MI for 18 years, 2 adults, 2 teenagers (now).  When they moved into the home eighteen years ago they had a new water softener installed with a pre-filter and a new well tank at the same time.  Their water was always discolored and rusty, causing many problems in the home, laundry staining, rusty toilets, hated the taste of the water, etc.  They were told by many water treatment companies that they had “Tannins” (dissolved organic matter) in their water and there was nothing that could be done about it.  Meanwhile they are changing the pre-filter every month for 18 years because it gets so plugged up with gunk the water pressure in the house drops dramatically.

Customer #2:  Long time customers of ours.  They just bought a home on a lake in Chelsea, MI and had well issues (positive test for Coli-form bacteria) before they closed on the house so the well was chlorinated by a well contractor, the water was re-tested and passed inspection.  In the process of moving into the home they discover the water is really bad, hard, rusty, very discolored and even smells weird.  They have the company come out who installed the water treatment equipment seven years ago to look it all over and see what needs to be done to rectify the problem.  As it turns out they have “Tannins” in their water (which is not uncommon living on a lake). They also have high iron content and hard water.  The service tech explains the softener is not working properly and the head needs to be rebuilt and the tannin unit needs new tannin resin also.  The homeowner was rather suspect at this diagnosis because he said the tech hardly spent any time at all diagnosing the problem before suggesting a solution.  By the way I forgot to mention the well tank was bad (waterlogged) and needed to be replaced, the homeowner new that.  So they called us out to look at the system and give our opinion as to the solution.

Now we are going to tie both of these water problems together and figure out the proper solutions. The MOST important thing and FIRST THING done when diagnosing a water treatment problem is to “Listen to the Customer” before you do anything!  Let them describe the problems (as they see it) and ASK questions relating to the problems they have described. This can many times point us in the right direction from the beginning.  At the very least it will help us address the problem as the customer sees it and provide them the answers to their questions and concerns.

In neither of these situations were questions asked of the homeowners by the other water treatment companies, nor was a proper water analysis done to determine the water chemistry or look for potential water problems.  With the proper investigation both of these problems were diagnosed correctly, a complete water analysis/evaluation was done on-site and proper / permanent solutions were presented within a half hour of our visit with each homeowner.  Water samples were also sent out to independent labs for validation of the water analysis of both homes.

Water Evaluation Diagnosis:

Customer #1: No Tannins. 5 parts per million of iron and a series of well tanks going bad (5 in 18 years) the bladders kept going out in them (cheap well tanks), causing them to get water logged and in the process oxidizing most of the iron in the well tank. So the iron falls out of solution (Ferric iron/ Rust), plugs up the filter and rusty discolored water passes through the water softener causing many problems in the home. The water was extremely discolored every morning after it set in the well tank all night!

Solution:  New well tank, switch and gauge (The proper well tank) and an Evolve Series EVFE iron filtration system  

Customer #2: Tannins, 9 parts per million of iron, softener and tannin unit not working.  When the well was shock chlorinated none of the water treatment equipment was by-passed and the resin in both units was ruined by the high chlorine.  Also with the 9ppm of iron about 2ppm of the iron was ferric iron (oxidized) so it had already fouled out the tannin resin with iron.

Solution:  New well tank, Evolve EVFE iron filter, Evolve EVRS softener and re-bed of the tannin system.

Results:  Happy customers! Great water! The proper solutions to their water treatment problems and feeling great that we could help solve their water problems and give them the quality of water they were looking for!  Previous Angst over their water problems (gone), the wives love us, hence the Arrhythmia and we have solved their Troubled Waters problem.

So the next time you are experiencing Angst and Arrhythmia over your Troubled Waters.  Remember it takes the right investigator to properly diagnose the perceived, potential and actual water treatment problems along with the proper solutions to give you great water!

Below are some links regarding issues discussed in this article:

http://www.evolveseries.com/

http://www.awtworks.com/

http://www.watersystemscouncil.org/VAiWebDocs/WSCDocs/96111501_Tannins.pdf

http://www.livestrong.com/article/549859-is-tannic-acid-in-water-harmful/

                       

Good Days and Good Water to You!

Ray McConnell

Certified Water Treatment Specialist

Water and Our Health, What’s In Our Water?

An Analysis of City Water and Community Water Supplies

In this series of Blogs we will be discussing water quality for city and community water supplies in southeast Michigan, particularly in Livingston, Washtenaw, Oakland and Genesee counties. 

From city water to community water supplies all have their own water quality issues, concerns and methods to treat particular water problems.  These city and community water supplies are heavily regulated by the state and federal government for the disinfectants used, how much is used, the processes used, along with an ever evolving list of drinking water standards that have to be met.

First of all let’s clarify exactly what is meant by the terms City Water and Community Water Supply.  Municipal /City water supplies typically get their water from a surface supply such as a Lake, Reservoir or River.  Community water supplies are generally from a private water source which usually is a ground water well.  Depending on the number of people a community well has to service there may be one to several wells in use to supply enough water to service that community and usually there is a “back up” well to supply water in case of well issues or in an emergency.

With this first Water and Our Health blog we will be discussing the city of South Lyon, Michigan and its community well water supply.  The South Lyon, Michigan community well water system services approximately 11,000 residents and has three groundwater wells that supply the community. The first concern when delivering customers water from either a city water supply or community water supply is for it to be protected, free of bacteria and assure every customer has “Potable Water”.  To assure the water delivered to every home is free of bacteria treatment plants inject chlorine into the water as it leaves the plant.  The chlorine reacts with organics and bacteria in the water to sanitize the water system helping to prevent bacterial growth and protect against any outside intrusion such as a broken water main.  

There is one issue with chlorine and its many forms that treatment plants use. Chlorine is very unstable and tends to break down fairly rapidly in the water treatment system depending on the size of the water system and how much reaction chlorine has with possible contaminants in the water supply.  The more contaminants the faster chlorine residuals are used and the weaker the protection becomes as it reaches further out into the community.  To counteract this problem the chlorine levels are constantly monitored to assure there is enough residual at the end user. 

Because Community Water supplies are drawn from groundwater sources the water tends to be very high in calcium and magnesium (hardness). Many wells also have high iron levels (which causes staining and rust buildup).  Hard water scale and iron can cause many problems in the household, ruining appliances, water heaters, staining plumbing fixtures and clothes.  As chlorine, from the water system, enters the home it has served its purpose and needs to be removed at the point of entry.  The byproducts created as chlorine reacts with organics and bacteria in the water (trihalomethanes) are known carcinogens so the household water should have the chlorine removed at the point of entry for water along with a conditioning system to remove hardness (scale) and iron (rust) to assure your home is operating as efficiently as possible.  Advanced Water Treatment Inc. has several water treatment options to help you achieve the quality of water your family requires.

Below are several links regarding the topics discussed in this article and water treatment options.

http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.abstractDetail/abstract/22

http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/ndwc/articles/QandA/OTsp99_Q_A.pdf

http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/disinfectionbyproducts.cfm

http://www.awtworks.com/products/water-softeners/evrcs/

http://www.awtworks.com/products/reverse-osmosis/ultrowater/

Good Days and Good Water to you!

Ray McConnell

Certified Water Treatment Specialist

Hydraulic Fracking and our Water Resources, What are the Consequences?

What are the consequences of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas on our well water sources?  The debate will continue for many years but the facts show that hydraulic fracturing can have dangerous consequences on our well water supplies. 

 

When a water well is drilled for residential use the well may be anywhere from 60ft in depth to several hundred feet in depth, it all depends upon the water table in the area. Commonly the water from a residential well is drawn from a small pocket of water that is re-hydrated through cracks and fissures in the earth as water percolates down through the layers of earth and rock strata. Occasionally residential wells may actually tap into an extensive aquifer with a vast supply of water. The quality of water from every well can vary greatly from one well to the next, even where water wells may be a minimum 60ft apart.

Hydraulic Fracturing for purposes of releasing natural gas is typically done at depths far greater than any residential water well is drilled.  Fracturing wells can be several thousand feet in the ground and past the water tables used for residential use.  Hydraulic Fracking typically incorporates water as the main source to inject in the wells to initiate the “Fracturing” process and release natural gas deposits inside the shale rock. The issues with this process are several fold.

1.   It can take several “MILLION” gallons of water injected into the shale rock deposits to achieve the results expected. 

2. Water is mixed with sand and chemicals and injected at high pressure into the shale rock to create the fracturing of the shale and release natural gas to be recovered.

3.   Where is the water being used for fracking being drawn from?  Water is brought in from offsite and on-site. Frequently it is waste water that has been re-captured during the fracking process. That water gets treated to help remove impurities and repurposed for injection. 

4. There have been many instances where water drawn onsite for fracking purposes has drawn the water table down to a point where residential wells have been affected. 

5.   The “Fracturing” process itself can release many unwanted gases such as methane gas.  Methane gas then travels up through the rock strata and can contaminate the water table residential water wells are drilled in.  Turning your kitchen faucet on and being able to light the water on fire is obviously very serious and potentially dangerous. 

6. The potential for well contamination depends on the vicinity of the hydraulic fracturing to the residential wells.  The possibility of the release of unwanted gases from the fracking process and contamination of residential water supplies depends on many factors including the age, condition, installation, depth and source of the residential water well.  All wells are sealed around the drop pipe to prevent migration of outside sources into the water supply, but the “fracking” process can potentially cause damage to an improperly installed well casing or well that has a casing that has been compromised allowing migration of outside material into the well. Even if the residential water well itself has a casing that has not been compromised there is still the potential for gases and byproducts released by the fracking process to enter the water supply at the water source.

7. Currently there are 500,000 active gas wells in the US. Each well has the potential to be “Fracked” as many as 18 times.  Each fracking process can use up to 8 million gallons of water. That adds up to the potential use of 72 Trillion gallons of water usage for the currents wells and billions of gallons of chemicals injected also.

Water is our most precious and important resource and needs to be protected.

Every drop of water on earth has been here since the beginning of time. It is NOT a renewable resource. We have what we have and only 1% of it is available to us as fresh water. So we need to protect it, appreciate it and not take it for granted. 

Recently there has been an application for drilling a gas well in Brighton, MI that will incorporate this fracking process. Hence our discussion has begun. I for one hope it is not allowed, particularly since it will be so close to a residential area.

These are only my opinions from personal experience, observations and opinions formed from reading numerous articles pro and con on the hydraulic fracturing process for natural gas. 

Here is a link to the Michigan DEQ regarding well water changing during Oil and Gas Exploration: 
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/Hydraulic_Fracturing_brochure_GWP
C_399757_7.pdf

WQA.ORG Fracking and our water resources:
http://www.wqa.org/Portals/0/Technical/Technical%20Fact%20Sheets/2014_Fracking.pdf

Good days and Good water to you!

Ray McConnell

Certified Water Treatment Specialist

ARSENIC: What is it and what can I do about it?

Arsenic has been in the news a lot since the fact the drinking water regulations for Arsenic were changed in 2001. The regulation was lowered from 50 parts per billion to 10 parts per billion.  Due to the fact there were instances in which individuals and families were having health related issues with arsenic levels at the 50 parts per billion standard. The new level was "negotiated" to 10 parts per billion by municipalities because it would have been too costly and impractical to abide by the standard the federal government wanted for Arsenic in drinking water, "0" PPB.

All real estate transactions, that have a private well for their water supply, must now have their water tested for Arsenic along with Nitrates and Bacteria (Coli-form and E-Coli). We frequently work with realtors in Brighton, Pinckney, Howell, Ann Arbor, South Lyon and throughout Livingston, Oakland and Washtenaw Counties to help solve arsenic issues during real estate transactions.  Community well supplies must also comply with this new standard and are required to post an annual "Water Report" that states the water results as mentioned above from their testing regimens along with many other drinking water

standards they are required to test for.  You can find your communities "water report" on their website.  Wells drilled for new homes must have the water tested for Arsenic, Nitrates and Bacteria for an occupancy permit. Replacement wells must also have the same testing regimens.

Where does Arsenic come from? Arsenic is naturally occurring in Michigan although there are instances where arsenic has been introduced into the water supply by outside means.  

How BAD is it really?  Arsenic is a genuine concern for our health.  But let’s put this in a little perspective first. 1 part per billion is equivalent to 1 drop of water in a swimming pool. So the arsenic levels we typically see in Michigan are relatively low compared to Arsenic problems around the world, such as India, which has levels of Arsenic exceeding 500ppb in many parts of the country.  At those levels long term contact with the skin can cause issues.  Drinking the water is NOT recommended because of documented health problems from Arsenic exposure.  So at a level of 14 ppb in your private well these levels are significantly lower then what can cause any problems with Arsenic contacting the skin over many years.  The concern is the prolonged exposure with drinking water. 

I happen to have known the family that this Arsenic issue originally came to light over in Michigan many years ago. They had been living in their new home, in Oakland County, for three years and their entire family was experiencing many different health problems, primarily gastrointestinal problems. The family ranged in age from 3 years to 27 years old. They were all tested over the course of a year for every possible cause of their health problems. The last thing tested was their private well water supply.  The water test results came back with 43 ppb of Arsenic. All the family members were tested and everyone came back with varying levels of Arsenic present in their body.  They immediately began drinking purified water and chelation therapy to help remove metals from their body, by the suggestion of their doctor.  They no longer live in that home. Another well was drilled, the Arsenic levels were lower but with what they experienced they decided to move to a city water supply.  This was the first documented case in Michigan of a well with levels below the then standard of 50 ppb that was causing health related issues with the drinking water.

So, you have Arsenic and it is above the level of 10 ppb.  What to do? There are several approaches available to reduce or remove the arsenic levels below the acceptable level of 

10 ppb.  Arsenic comes in two forms Arsenic 5 and Arsenic 3. These are called "Valances". Basically AS-5 is oxidized and more readily removed by standard filtration methods (reverse osmosis and media filtration).  AS-3 is basically in solution and much harder to remove by conventional means. AS-3 is much more of a health concern.  AS-3 needs to be converted to AS-5 by some means of oxidation (Aeration, Chlorination, Chemical Aeration and others) to remove/reduce it. By converting the "Valance" to AS-5 many different methods can be applied to greatly reduce and even remove Arsenic from private wells.  Testing for Arsenic is a very simple procedure however testing for the "valance" is not. Typically if arsenic is found, depending on the levels of arsenic, recommendations to treat it usually include oxidation as a first step to assure its reduction / removal.

Arsenic can be removed for the whole house or just for drinking water.  For drinking water an NSF approved Reverse Osmosis system is generally recommended at the Kitchen sink where most of our drinking water is consumed and can be tied into the refrigerator also.

Reverse Osmosis information:  http://www.evolveseries.com/products/ultrowater-35/

Whole house removal will include some type of oxidation system, like an iron filtration system or chlorine injection (with a contact tank and carbon tank) after the well tank and before a water softener. Frequently another tank after the softener is applied which has Arsenic specific media and will treat all the water in the home.  We have had great success with Arsenic removal using an aeration/oxidation method and a polishing tank with Arsenic specific media after the water softener to treat the whole house for arsenic removal.

So is Arsenic a genuine concern? YES!  Should we run away from it? No.
There are many options available now for Arsenic removal/reduction to keep your family healthy and give your family piece of mind the next time you raise that glass of water for a refreshing drink of water.

Here are several links with information regarding arsenic in Michigan.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/deq-wd-gws-wcu-arsenicwellwater_270592_7.pdf

USGS Michigan Arsenic Maps by County

http://search.usa.gov/search?affiliate=usgs&utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=michigan+arsenic+maps&commit=Search

Naturally occurring Arsenic in groundwater in Southeast Michigan http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3307_4131_4155---,00.html

EPA Information sheet regarding the new arsenic rule

http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/arsenic/basic-information.cfm

Good days and Good water to you!

Ray McConnell, Certified Water Treatment Specialist

Advanced Water Treatment Inc.

Private Water Wells and Your Health

In light of the problems recently with the city of Toledo’s and city of Flint's municipal water supply I thought it might be prudent to address some potential problems that can occur with private wells.

Recently we had a customer in Brighton in the process of selling their home. With the potential sale of the home a home inspection was done and water testing revealed the well was contaminated with Coli-Form bacteria.  This is actually a rather common problem with private wells. Having Coli-Form bacteria in the water supply is a genuine concern for your health. It is also an indicator that E-Coli may be present in the water supply, which is a serious health concern.  When a positive test for Coli-Form bacteria occurs this prompts the lab to test for E-Coli also. Whenever Coli-Form bacteria is found in the well supply the well needs to be shocked with high levels of chlorine to sanitize it and the home also needs to be sanitized during the well shocking process to sanitize the plumbing and assure no re-contamination or cross contamination from the household plumbing afterword.  If any water treatment equipment is present in the home it must be by-passed and sanitized separately to remove any bacteria.

    A number of issues arose in the process of sanitizing this particular well.  The well had the wrong cap on it allowing bugs and other debris into the well. The well cap had no seal (to keep out bugs and debris) and it was not vented properly either.  All these things contributed to this well testing positive for bacteria.

                  

 Improperly installed well cap      

You can see the cobwebs inside the well casing and the cap was full of earwigs when it was removed because there was no seal on the cap. It was simply held in place by an allen screw.

        

Properly installed well cap

Submersible Well Diagram

     After sanitizing the well, and letting it sit for 24 hours, we began flushing the well of chlorine through the outside hose bibs.  The switch for the well stopped working and we had no water.  The cap needed to be replaced so a well company came out to replace the switch and well cap and in the process “blew out the well” with compressed air to flush any debris out because they suspected the screen on the submersible pump may be plugged also.  This created a sludge which promptly plugged everything up including the household plumbing.  #1 rule “NEVER” turn the water back on to the house after blowing out the well until the well has been completely flushed, the water is running clear and is free of chlorine.  This created a whole new batch of problems when it was discovered the household copper plumbing was corroded and pitted, causing many pinhole leaks throughout the house. This home may need to be totally re-plumbed!

     The well needs to be free of chlorine before drawing another sample for bacteria testing.  Flushing the well before it is free of chlorine can take from eight to twenty four hours depending on the flow rate from the well and how much chlorine was added.  If you would like to have your well water tested the Livingston County Health department can provide sample bottles for testing. There are also several local labs that can help you through the process of gathering the sample for them to test.  I would also suggest doing nitrate and arsenic testing at the same time. 

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has many helpful tip and fact sheets regarding all these issues, the care and maintenance of your homes water well and hiring a well contractor. Here are several DEQ links related to the issues addressed in this article.

Coli-Form Bacteria –

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/deq-wd-gws-wcu-coliformbactiwellwatersampling_270604_7.pdf

Your water well –

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/deq-wd-gws-wcu-yourwaterwellpumpsystem_270643_7.pdf

Insects in your well –

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/deq-wd-gws-wcu-insectsyourwaterwell_270615_7.pdf

Hiring a well contractor –

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/A_Consumers_Guide_to_Hiring_a_Well_Contractor_441741

_7.pdf

Water Sampling Instructions and Sample Bottles from state of Michigan
http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3307_4131_4155---,00.html

Good days and good water to you!

Ray McConnell,  Certified Water Treatment Specialist
Advanced Water Treatment Inc.

Who, What, When, Where, Why and How?

Sherlock Holmes mysteries have always been one of my favorite reads. Recently I received a set of DVD’s of the newest British television series of Sherlock Holmes. I immediately sat down and watched the whole series in one weekend.  Who, What, When, Where, Why and How?  The seven major questions every journalist asks when developing a new story.  That’s really what Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson do with every investigation!

The other night I was half asleep, mind racing as usual. When I realized these seven questions are exactly what I have to ask myself every single day when I am in a customers home helping them solve their water treatment problems, answer their water treatment concerns, design a water treatment system that will solve these problems and give them the water quality they are looking for.

Who initiated the call?

What are their concerns with their water, what is the water chemistry, what is it going to take to fix it, and what does it cost?  There are many What’s.

When did they start noticing the problems?

Where is the problem most evident?

Why? There are many Why’s.

How can it be corrected, How many people in the home? 

There are many questions to each that need to be taken into consideration.

All these questions need to be addressed.  A proper water analysis needs to be done in the home and at times third party lab testing may be necessary for a more comprehensive water analysis if any other water problems may be suspected.  Such as Arsenic, Iron bacteria, Coli-form bacteria and so forth.  

When all these questions have been addressed and the puzzle of the water problems solved, only then can we figure out what it takes to correct the water, how much it will cost and the options available.

So the next time you have a bad, rusty, smelly water problem remember it takes the right investigator to properly diagnose the situation and come to a conclusion that others may not have seen. Or may not have even thought to look for!

Good Days and Good Water to you!

Ray McConnell, Certified Water Treatment Specialist
Advanced water Treatment Inc.