The Truth of Water – Answers

• 28Jan

  Sulphur burps from water.

  Drinking Water, disinfection, microorganisms, softening 3 Comments

  Rachael from Alaska writes:

  Hi! I was reading some answers on your website, and have a question. We recently purchased a home on a well. We have a water softner with salt, but do not know the last time it was filled. My family has been experiencing “sulfur burps” since we moved in. Our water smells fine, but I am worried that we are drinking something that is not agreeing with our stomachs. Could there be a way that we can fix this by getting a water purifier on our sink for drinking water?

  Hi Rachel, thanks for writing in.

  Water softener resin is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria.  This is especially true if left to sit or run without salt, or proper maintenance.  If using a water softener, it is a good idea to have a kitchen tap as non softened water for drinking and cooking with.  This will prevent excess salt from the softening process potentially harming you, and prevent contamination from bacteria.

  Ground water commonly has sulphur reducing bacteria.  This usually departs a ‘rotten egg’ smell in the water when they are in the ground. It is possible that these bacteria are growing in your water softener and you are ingesting them.  Sulphur reducing bacteria reduce minute quantities of sulphur compounds to create hydrogen sulphide, which they may be doing in your guts. This is however consistent with the processes of the bacteria, as the hydrogen sulphide they produce is a gas, which may be why you’re getting these “sulphur burps”.

  I wish I could give you more information on the particular processes of these bacteria or if this is even the case, but I am not a health care professional. I do know that sulphur reducing bacteria are not considered a health problem and hydrogen sulphide is considered only a nuisance.

  I would be careful of counter top water purifiers like Brita or other carbon filter based products. Most of these products are only for improving the aesthetic quality of already potable water, and in fact could foster further bacteria growth (carbon, like softener resin, is considered ‘housing’ for bacteria).

  To protect your water supply it needs to be disinfected.  My advice is to ensure that you do have at least one kitchen tap free of softened water for drinking and cooking.  You may want to invest in a sediment filter and a whole house U.V. system.  I currently operate twenty small systems with U.V., and use the U.V. Pure product. I feel it is an excellent product and a top notch company, and has served me well for the 5 years I’ve had their product installed. This particular product has built in alarms that assures proper does for inactivating micro organisms, and if the proper U.V. dose drops too low, it will shut down your water and issue and alarm. You can visit them at http://www.uvpure.com.  They should be able to point you to a distributor in the area.

  If you continue to have these ‘sulphur burps’, I would encourage you to visit your local health care professional for a diagnosis.

  I hope I’ve helped. Please do not hesitate to write in again for further clarification or to ask another question.

  

  Tags: hydrogen sulphide, sulfur, sulfur burps, sulphur, water softener

• 19Jan

  A Viable Solution to Water Shortages

  Conservation, Drinking Water 3 Comments

  I live in Southern Ontario.  It’s hard for me to imagine a water shortage.  The nearby river is full, our ground is full of water, and I’ve had to shovel so much snow so far this year I’m plain sick of it.  I buy water for mere pennies a cubic meter and couldn’t imagine ever going thirsty.

  You may be like me, living in an environment of plenty.  You turn on the tap and the water is there. You may have to live with the slight annoyance of having vague lawn watering restrictions in the summer time, but that’s all you have to endure.

  Yet for millions of people worldwide, water is extremely difficult to come by.  Water shortages are so severe that many people scrounge just to get enough water to drink.

  In my last post, I wrote about how it’s not economically viable to transport large amounts of water over long distances.  With conventional technologies, it’s not.

  My perceptions changed when Mr. Terry Spragg contacted me regarding this issue.  Mr. Spragg is the inventor of the Spragg Bag and this technology promises to help quench the thirst of millions around the world.  The Spragg Bag is the first technology that makes it viable to transport water from places that have a lot to places that don’t have so much, quickly and economically.  Please, watch the following video. It shows the system better than I could describe it.

  If you care at all about the current water crisis, I ask you to help Mr. Spragg by spreading the word.  Bookmark both this post and Terry’s website on your favorite social networks to help gain more internet popularity.  If you own a blog, write a post about the Spragg bag, bookmark that post too, and help spread the word.

  Let’s make the Spragg Bag public knowlege.  The more people are in the know, the faster this technology can be put into mainstream use, and the sooner that parched people can forget what thirst is about.

  

  Tags: long distance water transport, Spragg Bag, water shortages

• 14Jan

  Shipping Water Across Long Distances

  Conservation, Drinking Water 2 Comments

  Jessica from Australia asks:

  I remember… it would have been about 2001. Queensland was suffering with massive floods while the rest of the country was parched. I remember asking my Grade 5 teacher why they didn’t just ship all that water further down the continent. He seemed to think it wasn’t feasible.  Is that true?

  Thanks for the question, Jessica.

  Because of geology, terrain, the hydrological cycle, and many other factors, it is true that there are some geographic locals that have more water than others.  Typically, human civilization has sprung up around vast sources of fresh water.  Farming, drinking, shipping – these are but some of the uses of a local and large fresh water supply, and most cities that are near one tend to be better off than those who’s water supplies are short.

  Water supplies are in high demand, and there’s no doubt as our supplies dwindle wars will be fought over them, as they are now over fossil fuels.

  It may not seem like it, but water is a very heavy substance.  It may surprise you to learn that on average, a full ten percent of all electricity used by any particular city is consumed just to move potable water around water mains.  That is a lot of electricity.

  The average person in a first world nation, considering the high and low, uses about four hundred liters of water a day.  This includes bathing, cooking, drinking, cleaning, laundry, gardening and other miscellaneous activities.

  Then a typical family of four would use 1,600 liters a day, and 11,200 liters a week.  The typical water truck carries 6,000 liters, so for just one family it would cost two water trucks to make a round trip to wherever it is that has the water.

  Consider then a city of 100,000 people.  In one week, a city of that size would require a visit by the equivalent of 46,666 water trucks just to keep the reservoirs full of water.

  Considering the needs of the rest of the cities that may be low on water, and you can see that the task of hauling or piping water from long distances is just not feasible. There aren’t enough trucks, diesel fuel, pipeline, or electricity to meet the demand of today’s water consumer.

  This would, however be feasible for a short duration of emergency, say after war or natural disaster, when water would be used only for drinking and medical purposes.

  The above model also does not take into consideration industrial water use, water wastage during the treatment process, and the inefficiencies of infrastructure (small losses from water mains are typical).

  As you can see, your teacher is correct. It is indeed not feasible to transport water over large distances at the current rate of consumption and at the current population.

  Better alternatives would be desalination if you live near an ocean. However, because of the current technologies available to remove salt from water, producing a liter of drinkable ocean water costs thousands of times more than a liter of fresh water.

  A more realistic approach would be to drastically change the way we as a society uses and wastes water in general.  This combined with proper recycling techniques, rain water collection and more efficient treatment practices would solve many problems.

  I hope I’ve answered your question. If you would like further clarification, don’t hesitate to ask.

  

  Tags: pipeline, shipping water, water, water consumption, water trucks

• 08Jan

  A basic guide to home water treatment

  Drinking Water, disinfection, health 4 Comments

  Many people are not on municipal water systems.  They rely on wells or other sources to supply their homes with water.  Some people are lucky enough to have good drinking water treatment systems, or have or know those who have the knowledge to put one together.  For others, searching for an appropriate water treatment system can be a nightmare, with the myriad of choices, technologies and companies to choose from.

  The following is a basic guide to help you understand what to do and your first steps when selecting treatment from your home.

  1.It all starts from the source

  The first rule for water treatment is having the best and cleanest possible source.  Choosing the best source will mean it will be less likely contaminants are in your supply, or are able to contaminate your supply. This means less treatment and it will be much easier on the treatment system that you have.

  If you have an older well, it may be time to upgrade.  Older dug wells are shallow and susceptible to microbiological contamination and surface water run off (which can carry E.Coli, pesticides, sodium, VOC’s and a whole host of other contaminants from the surface).

  Newer, drilled wells are the best solution.  Your well driller will know the optimum depth for your area to get the most and cleanest water.  As well, new drilled wells combine elements such as stainless steel screens, submersible pumps, well casings and an annular seal to ensure that surface water does not contaminate your ground water.

  If you’re unsure of the viability of your well, call your local well driller for a consultation.

  2. What’s in your water?

  Many companies that sell home water treatment will have you believe that anything and everything is in your well water, just to sell you equipment you may not need.  This is untrue.  It all depends on the type of well you have, the type of overburden (or bedrock) it’s in, how far down it goes, how close you are to possible sources of contamination and the geographical area you are in.

  Contact the local branch of the USEPA, a Ministry of the Environment if you’re in Canada, or your local municipality.  They will have an idea what to look for based on your local, and can point you towards the appropriate accredited drinking water laboratory. From there, most laboratories have water testing packages tailored to your locality and can give you a snapshot of what may be in your water that’s harmful and how much is there.  From there, you can go about selecting the appropriate treatment equipment.

  3. Health risks first, aesthetic problems second

  When you size up and design your treatment system, your first priority should be health risks.  Take care of aesthetic problems second.  Your treatment system should provide appropriate filtration for any sediment that might be in your water.  This can be simple or complex, depending on how dirty your water is.  After making the water clear, that’s when your disinfection processes can work. Both chemical and other (ultraviolet light) depend on clean clear water to work effectively.  A disinfection barrier is imperative to ensure you screen out any virus’s, bacteria, or protozoa that may be in your water or may find their way into your water supply.

  Any other issues your laboratory detects, such as chemical, can be dealt with as well. Once the safety issues are considered, then things such as hardness or taste and odour should be dealt with, as long as it does not interfere with the safety aspects of treatment.

  4. Don’t buy cheap crap.

  Just like anything else, you get what you pay for. If what they are selling seems too cheap, looks flimsy, and doesn’t give you a good feeling, don’t buy it. This equipment is meant to protect your drinking water, and needs to be of good quality and effective at it’s job.

  5. Don’t get complacent with Maintenance

  If you have a treatment system, it needs maintenance just like any other mechanical machine.  Many home treatment systems are designed to be low on maintenance, but it’s important you don’t skimp.  If you don’t know how or don’t have time to learn it, hire somebody on a service contract. Performing the necessary preventative maintenance will go a long way to ensuring your system protects your drinking water at all times, and lasts a long time.

  6. Ask around

  Your neighbors and friends in the area are in the same boat as you.  Find out what they have done and listen to them. They will have similar water quality to you and may have had experience with what treatment equipment to get and what not to get.

  When it comes to home treatment, knowing what to do can be a daunting task. But with a little foresight and seeking the right knowledge, getting the best system for you can be easier than you think.

  

  Tags: choosing systems, home water treatment, U.V., ultraviolet, water filter, well, well water

• 03Jan

  Hardness in a Steam Washing Machine

  softening No Comments

  James from England writes:

  I am about to purchase a LG Steam Washing Machine which has
  recently been exibited and tested on UK television. I am concerned that as
  we live in a “hard water area” that the scale build up could become a
  problem especially due to the heat required to produce the steam. What are
  the best solutions to ensuring the treatment of the water is sufficient to
  minimise the scaling of the internal heaters etc. Ranging from the cheapest
  and most effective, either chemical or mechanical.

  Hi Tony, thank you for the question.

  It is my understanding that many appliances like this one have a minimum and maximum recommended hardness range for the water they use. Your first move should be to read the manual or speak to a company representative for this product. Find out the hardness ranges. The company may have incorporated some sort of internal cleaning mechanism for this issue, or other.

  Once you have determined the exact range that the machine can tolerate, you want to find out how hard your water is. If you are on municipal water, you may call your municipality. They will have the hardness there for you. If you are on your own well water, then hardness is a simple and inexpensive test that any drinking water laboratory can do. Look in your phone book for a laboratory.

  There are two common measurements for hardness.  The older, and most common measurement is grains per gallon, or GPG.  The newer measurement is mg/L as CaCO3.   When comparing your hardness results to the machine specifications, you can get mg/L CaCO3 from GPG by multiplying by 17.1, and dividing by the same number to get back to GPG.

  LG may tell you that the best method for dealing with this is to clean the machine at intervals with CLR, vinegar, citric acid or some other effective de-scaling chemical. That would certainly be your most inexpensive option.

  LG may also have a system for adding a chemical to sequester the hardness.  Again, LG would be the best place to go to ask about a sequestering agent, both for the method of adding it and the most appropriate chemical so that it does not damage the machine.

  You could certainly plumb in an ion exchange water softener to the water lines that go to the machine.  You can get a smaller unit if you don’t want to soften the whole house.  Kinetico has a good under the counter softener for sale, and you can read more about it here.  I believe they have representatives in the UK.

  Lastly, reverse osmosis filtration removes everything, including hardness. However, to get the flows you need it is very expensive and requires a large amount of maintenance, much more than de scaling your machine.

  I hope this has helped point you in the right direction.  Please do not hesitate to write in again if you need further clarifications or have another question.

  

  Tags: de-scaling, hardness, kinetico, LG steam washing machine, softener

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