The Truth of Water – Answers

• 01Mar

  Personal Filtration Devices

  Filtration, disinfection No Comments

  Larry from Denver writes:

  What are the least expensive yet safest types of water  filtration systems to make contaminated water drinkable? I’m interested in types that can be carried with you in an emergency or camping situation, and a larger type, say for a cabin, that works without batteries or electricity.

  In Outward Bound we used iodine drops. It had a slight aftertaste, but it apparently worked. What do you recommend?

  Hi Larry, thanks for the question.

  This is an excellent question.  Drinking water is the most important thing you need on a trip, and it has to be safe. But water is very heavy to carry, so your best option is treatment.

  Here is the issue.  When you go about treating raw water supplies to make them safe to drink, your biggest concern is the acute issues. Generally, these acute issues are microbes, bacteria, parasites, and viruses. That is why you added the iodine drops, for disinfection.

  To assure proper disinfection, you need to take two steps:

  1. Filtration
  2. Disinfection

  The dirtier the water is, the less effective your disinfectant will be.  This is because particles in your water, even colloidal particles (particles that are too small to settle out on their own) both absorb disinfectant and can shield microbes from said disinfectant.

  For the first part of your question, I’ve browsed Amazon.com and found a good product for you. It’s from a company called Katadyn. Katadyn specializes in outdoor camping type activities, and have come up with a great little product that provides filtration, disinfection and even taste and odour control within an easy to carry bottle. The first filter is a sediment filter tight enough for cyst reduction (cryptosporidium cysts are common in surface waters and make you very sick), the second is an EPA approved disinfecting stage and the final stage is a carbon filter. The second stage is an iodine type disinfectant but the carbon filter should remove any aftertaste from the disinfectant or from the water source.

  Click below to take a look. You can even purchase it from Amazon if you like. Generally Amazon.com prices are rather competitive:

  Filtering larger volumes for drinking at a camp or cabin can be a bit trickier.  I wasn’t able to find a solution to treat larger volumes of water all in one step as above. However, I did find a filter for multiple people that can be seen below:

  Simply add your iodine disinfectant afterwards to ensure any pathogens in the water are killed.

  I hope I’ve answerd you question. If you have any additional questions please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.

  

  Tags: camping filters, personal filters, portable water treatment

• 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

• 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

• 04Dec

  Storage of Distilled Water

  Drinking Water, disinfection, microorganisms 4 Comments

  Karen Writes:

  I have a home water distiller. How long is the water stored in glass bottles, safe for drinking?

  Hi Karen, thanks for writing in.

  Distillation of water is an effective way to ensure most chemical and biological contaminants are left behind.  It is an easy and fast way to treat water in your own home for drinking and cooking.

  When purchasing store bought bottled water, a reputable manufacturer will ensure that the water is completely disinfected before bottling.  Most will add a disinfectant like ozone to the process, because it is a powerful disinfectant. The bottle is then sealed and any remaining ozone quickly converts to oxygen shortly after that.  It’s this disinfection/sealing process that allows bottled water to be stored indefinately.

  The process you describe will allow for some interaction with the environment in the glass bottle.  Because there is no trace disinfectant left in your water, it could leave it open for propagation of bacteria.  In this case, you water should be consumed within the same amount of time that food can last in the fridge, within a week or two. Any longer and it could turn stagnant.

  If you would like to produce water that would last longer for storage, you could follow a pasteurization technique as you would with producing home canned goods.  Using heat on a sealed bottle in the proper technique would ensure any bacteria allowed to enter the bottle is killed, and would allow you for longer storage of your water.

  I hope this answered your question. If you would like further clarification or want to ask another question, please do not hesitate to write in again.

  

  Tags: distilled water, home water bottling

• 26Nov

  Rotten Egg Smell from Only One Tap

  disinfection, microorganisms 2 Comments

  Allan from from Chatham County, NC wrote in about a very particular rotten egg smell problem, one I have yet to encounter.  Below is the string of emails of Alan and myself communicating about this problem.  It’s an interesting one, and worth the read if you are having some localized rotten egg smell problems in your plumbing.

  My wife and I live in a small 30-year old house with well water
  and copper plumbing, a 17-year old 80-gallon hot water heater, and a pretty
  standard inline cartridge sediment filter.

  Recently, we started noticing a rotten egg smell (probably hydrogen
  sulphide?) coming from ONLY the upstairs bathroom sink COLD water tap after
  several hours of not being used.  The smell disappears quickly after 5-10
  seconds of running the water.  The taste of the water appears to be
  unaffected.

  I’ve checked all the other taps throughout the house (hot and cold
  including the toilet tanks and bowls, bathtub, shower, and clothes washer),
  and none of them have this smell, even after much longer periods of not
  being used.

  My thought on an inexpensive remedy would be to remove the sediment filter
  case and cartridge, fill the case with clorox, and temporarily reinstall the
  case without a new cartridge.  Then, I would turn on only the affected cold
  water tap upstairs until I smell chlorine.  Just as soon as I smell the
  first traces of chlorine, I would immediately turn off the tap, thus
  trapping a fair amount of chlorinated water in the affected line only.  I
  would then wait, say, overnight for the chlorine in that line to do its
  anti-bacterial duty.  Then, the following morning, I would turn on the cold
  water tap again to flush out all traces of the chlorinated water.

  Sound like a plan?  Or does it sound like a plan of someone who’s way off
  base?

  Thanks in advance for your reply.

  Hi Alan

  Usually, the rotten egg smell (hydrogen sulphide) comes from one of two places:

  1) Directly from your well.  The bacteria can usually be found deeper in overburden aquifers

  2) From sewer gas escaping through your drain pipes

  It could be that you have some biofilm accumulated in that line, and some of the bacteria are of the sulphur reducing variety.

  Your original plan is a good one, if that is indeed the problem.  The only thing I would add is to run water vigorously through the tap first, to create a scrubbing effect with the water.  Make sure no other tap or appliance that uses water is on, and open the tap full on for 5 or 10 minutes.  This might produce enough velocity to start breaking up the biofilm, making your chlorination process more effective (as chlorine is only a surface disinfectant).

  Thank you very much for writing in. I’m grateful you did as this is a problem I’ve never heard before.  Please let me know how you make out.

  Problem solved.  Here’s what I did:

  • Before bedtime on Sunday evening, I removed the 10″ cartridge from the filter case and filled the case with 100% Chlorox.
  • I reinstalled the case without a filter and reopened the shutoff valves.
  • I went upstairs and turned on only the cold water tap to the bathroom wash basin (the culprit producing the smell) and let it run until I started smelling chlorine gas.
  • I immediately turned off the cold water tap and we went to bed.
  • When we got up on Monday morning, I turned on the cold water and let it run to flush out all the Chlorox.  I also turned on all the other cold water sources in the house to hasten that process.  There was quite a large amount of ruddy brown water that flowed for quite some time, but then it gradually disappeared.
  • When the Chlorine smell and the ruddy brown water had disappeared, we began using cold water again.  I then installed a new 10″ filter.
  • We then went to work for the day at about 7:30 a.m.
  • When I returned from work at about 6:30 last evening, I immediately went upstairs and turned on the wash basin’s cold water.  No smell whatsoever.  The smell normally had reappeared after about three hours of nonuse.
  • Again this morning, no smell.

  Looks like the problem may have been somehow isolated to the cold water line to the upstairs wash basin.  But that doesn’t explain why there was no smell to the toilet water tank, the shower, or the bathtub water faucet, all of which receive their cold water from the same cold water line.  My best guess now is that somehow, the faucet assembly, which I replaced about a year ago, somehow became contaminated.

  Thanks for your help.

  Great to hear it worked.

  There very well could have been some contamination when you changed your tap.  We live in a bacteria world and contamination happens very easily without you knowing it.

  One of our standard municipal procedures is to disinfect any and all plumbing and fixtures if the system has been opened to air, to do a repair or replace a fixture, for example.  It would be a good idea for you to do the same if you do any other work like that because you have your own well supply and there is no secondary disinfectant in your water.

  

  Tags: disinfection of plumbing, plumbing, rotten egg smell

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