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.