The Truth of Water – Answers

• 16Dec

  Water Filter System – Needed or Not?

  Uncategorized 1 Comment

  Kelly from Iowa writes:

  The Ben Franklin plumber came by to do my annual water heater check. His company offers a Nature’s Miracle water filtration system. Information can be found at www.betterwaternow.com

  Is this one of those snake oil water filtration systems that I shouldn’t watch out for?

  Hi Kelly, thanks for writing in.

  I had a look at the website for the Natures Miracle water filtration system. But before I get to that, there are some questions to ask yourself first.

  Are you not satisfied with your current tap water?  Is there a smell/odour that’s bothering you?  Do you feel it’s unsafe for any reasons?

  If you don’t have any issues with hard water when washing or doing laundry, don’t notice any bad odours or tastes from your municipal tap water, and drink it and cook with it without any second thoughts, then you don’t need any home water treatment.

  It’s as simple as that.

  What you should understand is that the USEPA, the American Water Works Association, the National Sanitation Foundation, the Ten States Standards and various governing bodies and other agencies work hard to ensure municipal tap water is safe.

  Regulations are strict, and regular inspections by regulatory agencies ensure compliance.

  The bottom line is that your tap water is safe. ANY home water system only improves the aesthetics of your tap water.

  This natures miracle filtration system uses activated carbon, quartz (sand) and some sort of ion exchange resin.  It’s some pretty basic technology packaged up nicely and probably priced much too high because of the clever marketing packaging.

  I would watch out for any product that uses fear mongering tactics. Claims that municipal tap water is chalk full of all sorts of bad things that will make your body break out in more cancer cells than regular cells is much too hard a sell and is not true at all.

  Most of the things they claim are in your tap water (if they were even there in the first place) would be removed by your treatment plant before getting to your house.  Treatment plants use things like advanced oxidation techniques and activated carbon filters to ensure there are no volatile organics, pesticides, things of that nature in your water.

  If there’s any lead in your water, this actually comes from the plumbing in your house. Old plumbing, old fixtures and old solder contain lead that can leach out into the water over a prolonged period of contact. This can be remedied by running your water for a minute or two to draw a fresh supply into your house.  And that’s only if your plumbing is sufficiently old.

  Chlorine is indeed an issue, but not at the 0.5 to 1.o part per million concentrations carried in most distribution systems.  Even if this were an issue, when drinking your water your stomach acid neutralizes the chlorine. If you think it’s a problem, your cheapest solution is to keep water in a jug in the fridge.  It won’t take long with air exposure for the chlorine to evaporate.

  To wrap this up, your plumber is trying to sell you something you don’t really need. If there are any specific issues you are having with your water, I’d be happy to discuss them with you and point you in the direction of something that would fulfill your specific needs.

  I hope I’ve answered your question. If you have any other questions or would like further clarification, please do not hesitate to write in again.

  

  Tags: natures miracle, treatment needs, water treatment

• 22Nov

  Mercury and Fluoride in Drinking Water

  Drinking Water, health No Comments

  Pat from San Diego, California writes:

  I am fearful of drinking our tap water, as I have been hearing of the dangers of mercury in our water and its proliferation due to the Bush policies that have encouraged polluters to increase its concentration. But the last straw was when our local county boards started adding fluoride to our water. It was then that I started buying bottled water for all of our drinking needs.

  Could you please tell me where I could take my drinking water for testing of these 2 pollutants?
  Could you discuss what type of water treatment could be relied upon to remove mercury and fluoride?
  I was very hopeful about buying a steam-condensing system and then I read your comments about distilled water (I presume that’s what such a system produces) and now I am fearful of distilled water too.

  Hi Pat, thank you for your question.

  I’d like to address fluoride first.  Fluoride is an interesting chemical and has been the source of much debate among water purveyors and health professionals. While it is considered a toxic chemical in it’s concentrated forms, in trace amounts it is actually beneficial for the health and strength of teeth.  Typically, water supplies that do not have a high enough naturally occurring fluoride concentration have been fluoridated to compensate for this.  The argument is whether this is needed or not, as some feel there is enough fluoride in tooth paste and food items to provide for the bodies need for trace amounts of fluoride.  The trace amounts of fluoride in your water will not harm you. In fact, you should check the label of the bottled water you have been using. Often, bottled water will contain as much or more fluoride as your tap waters.

  I understand your concern of mercury. This contaminant is a dangerous one, and no doubt you have heard of Minimata Japan, where Minimata disease was first found, which is mercury poisoning.  While mercury in your water supply is something to be concerned about, you should be much more concerned about mercury poisoning in fish.

  When mercury enters a water supply, microbes can convert it to an organic form of mercury.  Larger animals eat these microbes, and so on and so forth up the food chain in a process called biological magnification. This biological magnification causes a significant amount of mercury to be bound up in the muscle tissue of fish, who do not have the same capacity to remove trace mercury from their systems as mammals do.

  Under the United States EPA, municipal water purveyors are required to test for mercury at a regular basis.  If they detect a level above 2 parts per billion, they are then required to impliment measures to remove it as well.

  Just to let you know, bottled water retailers are under no such regulation and can bottle anything they want.

  Tap water is your safest alternative.  Most people do not realize just how regulated municipal water is. In addition, those who sell home water products use fear mongering techniques to instill the unwarranted fear that tap water is not safe.

  The municipality I work in has a policy of full disclosure.  We provide detailed records of all water tests on our website, and will provide them upon request.  Please do not hesitate to contact your municipality, they will be most likely be more than happy to provide test results on concentrations of mercury and fluoride.

  If you still would like to test your water for contaminants at your own expense, contact the USEPA. They will be able to guide you to the closest licensed laboratory for drinking water testing. It is important to use a licensed lab, as they have met minimum quality guidelines.

  Finally, please refer to this article on about.com:chemistry. It gives some useful tips about reducing fluoride from your diet from water as well as sources that are not from drinking water.

  I hope I’ve answered your question to your satisfaction.  If you have any other questions, or need further clarification, please do not hesitate to write in again.

  

  Tags: bottled water, fluoride, mercury, tap water, water treatment

• 03Nov

  Water treatment for dry skin – is this for real?

  Other, health 1 Comment

  Patty from Syracuse, New York writes:

  I have seen commercials for “water treatment” that promises the end of dry skin & eczema & skin related issues…I have a salesman scheduled to come “test” our water & suggest what treatment is necessary. Any tips???

  Hi Patty. Thanks for writing in and excellent question!

  The best tip I can offer you is proceed with caution, remain skeptical, and take everything he says with a grain of salt.

  Salesmen testing water in private homes is not a new phenomenon.  I’ve taken calls at the municipality I work at by people – some almost in hysterics – who are convinced their municipally treated water will harm them by these salespeople, which is simply not true.

  What is new to me is water treatment for dry skin and other skin related problems.  I do not have any experience in these health related matters, so I consulted Web MD.  I came up with this article listing the causes of dry skin and skin related problems.  The only water related issue with dry skin and other problems referenced in this article has to do with the temperature of water, and the length of contact with water.  It does not refer anywhere as to the chemistry of potable drinking water affecting your skin in that way.

  Based on that article, I would say that this device you have seen advertised is nothing more than a flash in the pan trick to get you to spend your money.  If you do have skin problems, the only advice you should listen to is that of your qualified medical practitioner.

  The salesman who visits has only one goal: To sell you one or more of these machines.  He may do legitimate tests such as dropper tests for hardness or alkalinity.  He may even do a chlorine test with DPD reagent (which turns the water pink).  In my experience with other door to door salesmen, some have used testing bottles with some sort of reagent that turns the water black followed by an exclamation such as “look at that! I knew that would happen. That’s bad” with no explaination of what exactly happened.

  You may want to ask the salesman the science behind his claim.  Ask him which third party company (ies) has validated the machines effectiveness. Ask him what the patent number of the machine is.  A reputable salesperson will be able to answer these questions.  If he doesn’t know, don’t let him sell you a machine without adequate evidence it does work.  If he references a University study, a call to that university is not out of place, if it saves you hundreds of dollars that you don’t need to spend.

  You should also ask him for references.  If he’s going door to door and this truly is a mirical machine, he should have a stack of references in your area.

  I suspect all of his documentation will be internal to the company and all of the information will come in the form of glossy brochures featuring pictures of attractive people with perfect skin, with little or no hard scientific data this machine actually works.

  To wrap this up, I don’t believe that this machine is for real.  If you are having problems with your skin, the best person to see is your doctor or other medical practitioner.  He/she will be able to diagnose the true root of your problem and offer the most effective treatment.

  I hope this helped you. Don’t hesitate to write in again if you need further clarification or have other questions.

  

  Tags: salesmen, skin problems, water treatment

• 28Oct

  Water Treatment For a Well in Michigan

  Drinking Water, Filtration, disinfection 1 Comment

  Recently, Anna from Michigan wrote into The Truth of Water asking several questions.  She has recently moved from Poland to Michigan, and purchased a house with well water.  Our correspondence is long so I’ll break down her questions below and answer them in turn.

  1. Anna has a water softener, and has heard that it can be bad for your health. Is this true?
  2. Where to get your water tested, and how often?
  3. There is a smell coming from the water. As well, rusty stains are developing on her water fixtures
  4. She wants to disinfect her water using U.V. to ensure it is safe to drink, and would like a recommendation on a U.V. unit.

  Anna, thank you for writing in and I’ll try to help you as best I can.

  Question 1 – Is water softener water bad for your health?

  Water softeners add sodium to your water in the same proportion that they remove hardness. Sodium in excessive amounts can be bad for your heart and blood pressure. Your best bet is to plumb a special line of non softened water to your kitchen sink and use that water only for drinking and cooking. This way you’ll be able to benefit from sodium free water for your health, and softened water for your cleaning activities.

  Question 2 – Where to get your water tested, and how often?

  It is best to find an Environmental laboratory closest to you.  Some samples are time sensitive so the sooner you get it to the lab, the better.  As I live in Ontario, the laboratories I am close to are too far away to be of use to yourself. However, I have found a Michigan association of Environmental laboratories.  You can find them at http://www.michlabs.org/. Please write into them and explain your situation, and that you need to do some well water testing. They will be able to recommend a lab close to you. Most laboratories have a well water testing suite custom tailored to the problems specific to the area.  When you do find a laboratory, please make sure that they can test for ultra violet transmittance.  This is usually a very inexpensive test but it is necessary to properly size a U.V. treatment device, as I will explain below.  Generally most home owners will get their water tested 4 times per year, once quarterly.  As you progress in your testing and find some contaminants commonly not existing in your water supply, you can start reducing the frequency of testing or eliminate it. You should ALWAYS test for bacteria in your water, as that is the most acute problem you may face and can come up at any time.

  Question 3 – Smell and Rust in the well water

  Many times, well water can contain sulphur reducing bacteria and produce hydrogen sulphide, which will make your water smell like rotten eggs. If this is not the case, I do understand that Michigan groundwater can sometimes be contaminated with methane, which will cause a smell. If your water does not smell like rotten eggs, it is most likely methane.  The company I will recommend below will be able to help you with this.  The rust in your water is from iron, which can come from your well water and/or your iron well casing.  To treat this, you need to oxidize with either air or an oxidizing agent and filter it out.  The below company I will mention will also have experience with this.

  Question 4 – U.V. system recommendation

  One of the most important treatment devices you will own is your U.V. system, simply because it will kill or inactivate any microorganisms like bacteria, virus’s and protozoa, which can be common to some ground water supplies.  It is very important to properly size your U.V. system.  Just as car companies must not under size an engine for their car, if you under size a U.V. system it will not deliver an effective dose.  The US EPA, AWWA, NSF and various other water specialists recognize that the lowest safe dose for U.V. to produce safe water is 40 mj/cm2.  In order to achieve this, you must achieve these factors:

  1. Know your maximum flow rate. The higher the flow rate the lower the U.V. dose will be.
  2. The U.V. transmittance of your water, or how much U.V. light can penetrate your water
  3. The strength of your lamps at all times, as lamp strength degrades over time.

  I work for a small muncipality, and have installed about twenty small U.V. treatment systems. After careful consideration, I purchased all of them from a company called U.V. Pure.  The reasons I did this was simple. U.V. pure took all three factors above into consideration.  Through independent third party testing, they have proven a minimum effective dose of 40 mj/cm2 at the end of lamp life, at a maximum flow rate (which they set with a flow restrictor), and with a U.V. Transmittance of 75%.  If the lamp output failed, or if the U.V. transmittance dropped below 75%, the unit shut off a valve and sent out an alarm, ensuring that you either get safe drinking water or you do not.

  U.V. Pure offers a home unit which is independently verified by a third party company to produce this. They test using live bacteria and ensure all are dead on the other side of the system. Indeed, I have my own performance data showing E.coli bacteria on the raw water side of one of my systems and clean, bacteria free water on the other.

  Where to get water treatment?

  I contacted U.V. Pure to find the closest distributor to you.  They lead me to a company called Clear Water Systems in Brighton, Michigan which I believe is close to you.  As an added bonus, this company also carries Kinetico Water filters, which I have direct and positive experiences with.  Kinetico has filtration options that can take care of any iron, sediment, or methane in your water.

  Make sure that if you visit Clear Water systems, you take the results of your well water tests with you. This will help them choose a system to best take care of your needs.

  You can contact Clear Water Systems at the following:

  Clear Water Systems (Kinetico)

  10008 E. Grand River

  Brighton, MI 48116

  Phone: 810.632.7880

  Email:sales@clearwatersystems.com

  Website: www.clearwatersystems.com

  To recap: To help solve your problems, use the website I gave you in question 2 to find a local drinking water lab.  Take that information to your local clear water systems dealer, so he can help you with treatment for your iron and stinky water problem, and a properly sized U.V. Pure U.V. system to make sure your water is safe to drink.

  I hope I’ve helped you out today. Please let me know if you need any further information or clarifications.  Also, I would be very interested to see how you make out in your endeavors!

  

  Tags: disinfection, Filtration, softener, u.v. pure, water treatment

• 27Oct

  Removing Uranium from Drinking Water

  Drinking Water, Filtration 2 Comments

  Sandra from Saskatchewan Writes:

  How do you safely remove for drinking from a private well?

  Thanks for the question, Sandra.

  Uranium is common to aquifers in or in contact with a sedimentary based bedrock, like the kind you have in Saskatchewan. It can also be found in granite, so is common to well waters in England, among other places.

  The accepted maximum safe level of uranium in drinking water is 20 parts per billion in most parts of Canada. If you have not already done so, it is advisable to have your drinking water tested.  You should be able to find a laboratory that tests for uranium locally. If you cannot locate one, contact your municipality, they should be able to direct you to the lab closest to you.

  Uranium is a heavy dissolved metal, and can be removed one of two ways:

  1. Reverse Osmosis Filtration
  2. Distillation

  Distillers are expensive and hard to maintain. Your best option is to use a reverse osmosis filter. R.O. filter. These filters can be purchased relatively inexpensively in small sizes, small enough to fit under your kitchen counter and provide water through a special tap, which can be used for drinking and cooking.

  Reverse Osmosis filters are the tightest filters, removing almost all dissolved substances from your water.  This creates a few problems. Firstly, the water must be very clean before entering the R.O. filter, or it will clog it up quickly.  When selecting your R.O. filter, most good manufacturers will provide several pre filters with your R.O. filter to preserve the integrity of the filter.  It is also important to purchase a good quality R.O. filter to ensure that it has high removal efficiencies for dissolved contaminants like uranium.  Make sure that the filter is NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) certified or has similar accreditations.

  The other issue with reverse osmosis water is that it tends to be corrosive.  R.O. water, plain water by itself with no dissolved minerals will take those minerals from wherever it can, like a sponge.  If you plan on drinking R.O. water on a regular basis, ensure that you also take a daily multivitamin to help replace minerals lost from this water.  Even better, ask the manufacturer if he can provide a remineralizer.

  Reverse Osmosis filters are a very common staple filter among water treatment companies.  While they can be inexpensive in the “under the counter” style, it is important you don’t buy cheap.  A good quality filter will go a long way to protecting you and your family from the uranium you are concerned about.  Peace of mind is worth a few extra dollars.

  I do know of a manufacturer of R.O. systems in Winnipeg, Manitoba that can help you if you cannot find a good system locally. Visit http://www.waterite.ca/ for more information.

  I hope I’ve been helpful, please do not hesitate to write in again for clarification or to ask another question.

  

  Tags: r.o., reverse osmosis, uranium, uranium removal, water treatment, waterite

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