Over Pumping Well Water Causes Problems – Low Yield Well – Can your water well be over-pumped?
Over Pumping Well Water Causes Problems – Low Yield Well – Can your water well be over-pumped?
By Mr. Brian Oram, Professional Geologist
The simple and direct answer is Yes. A water well can be over-pumped and when this occurs the actions can cause premature failure of pumps and motors, damage the wellbore integrity, decrease the wellbore yield, impact produced water quality, and ultimately decrease rate of production.
In most cases when a new well is drilled, the well driller reports the blown yield of the well. This is typically the amount of water the driller can physically blow out the top of the well over a short period of time or in a very few cases this may be the rate they were able to pump from the well for a short time period. This period of time is multiple hours, but more likely at most 1 hour. This is not the long-term sustainable yield from the well and in many cases, this is all the water that was in the well.
The Know Your H20 program is based in Northeastern Pennsylvania and we have worked on a number of cases where the actual well yield of the well was significantly less than the blown yield for the well over the last 30 years. One example: (look for the red flags)
Well Case 1- Pocono Vacation Home (2nd Home)
This well is used intermittently during the year and used mostly over long weekends during the summer and ski season. The well was drilled by a licensed well driller, but the pump/motor was installed by the home builder. The well was 150 feet deep and reportedly the well had a blown yield of 10 gpm. The well was serving 1 single family home (3 bedrooms) and the peak water usage should be equivalent to about 400 gpd.
We (Keystone Clean Water Team) were called out because the homeowner was getting very dirty water that contained a lot of “gas” and at sometimes no water. We looked at the available well log for the well and drillers notes and we found the following:
- Primary water bearing zone was at 100 feet, static water level at 45 feet top of casing (toc), and a blown yield (15 minutes) of 10 gpm. We searched and found the actual drillers log in the PAGWIS Database.
- Pump was set at 120 feet or 20 feet off the bottom of the well. Note: Is not a good idea to install a pump below the primary water bearing zone. We got to review the actual plumbers bill and notes on the pressure tank.
- The pump that was installed was rate at 10 gpm, but from the pump curve this rate would apply to a dynamic water level of 120 feet and not the more likely dynamic water level of about 80 feet or 20 foot above the water bearing zone. Therefore, the pump would initially pump at a rate greater than 10 gpm for some period of time.
These observations suggested that one of the problems was the well was being over-pumped. After we investigated, this is what we found:
- The actual static water level in the well was not 45 feet top of casing, but 80 feet top of casing. We used a sonic water level sensor.
- We camera surveyed the well and tested the water and found that a bioslime layer and scale coated the fractured zone.
- We filled the borehole with water to 45 feet toc and turned on the pump and discovered that the pump was actually pumping at a rate of 15 gpm and not 10 gpm and if permitted the dynamic water level would drop to 130 feet toc. This means that the dynamic or pumping water level was below the point that groundwater would enter the borehole. This means that the aquifer was no longer acting like a confined aquifer under pressure, but the aquifer was being drained. We confirmed the well was being over-pumped.
We were correct the well is being over-pumped and the well also has a problem with bioslime/ scale formation. Our first action item was to clean out the well and do some basic well development to increase the well conductivity and yield. After cleaning out the wellbore and fractured zone using a combination of chemical cleaning and surging, the static water level was about 50 feet toc. We then conducted a step pumping test that lasted a total of 4 hours and estimated that the “safe yield” of the well was more like 5 gpm and not 10 gpm. We recommended that the pump be changed and the pump be set at a depth that could not draw the water below the water bearing zone.
Summary : Therefore, what we really had was a low producing well that was not properly identified originally and then the pump installer (not the well driller) installed a pump with an excessive pumping rate at a depth that did not protect the aquifer.
Because this article is really about low producing water wells, we went looking for solutions and found “EPP Well Solutions” – https://eppwellsolutions.com/well-health and their article on “Well Health”. A few quotes from this article that we found most helpful:
“Over pumping is a common factor with the low water well. A well is over-pumped if the water is withdrawn at a faster rate than the well was designed for or the aquifer is able to produce. Over-pumping is the most common well problem that leads to premature well failure. Over-pumping not only depletes the groundwater aquifer (or source), but it rapidly increases the rate of corrosion, incrustation, and biofouling related problems. Over-pumping also increases the rate of sediment particles moving toward the well, causing plugging of the perforated area where water flows into the well. It can also cause the aquifer to settle and compact which further restricts water flow to the well.”
In the article, they highlighted the problems that might occur with over-pumping a well, which were perforation plugging (slotted casing), mineral incrustation, and biofouling. One that was not mentioned was natural decrease in aquifer porosity and conductivity. In the case of our example, the aquifer was a confined aquifer under artesian pressure, which means that the pressure of the water in the formation were helping to keep the fractures open along the borehole walls. When the well was over-pumped and the water was permitted to cascade into the well, this means that the weight of the earth and rock above the fracture could cause the fracture to partially close.
The typically solution to a problem with low yield wells are as follows:
- Drill more than one well or attempt to modify the well by drilling deeper or hydrofracturing the well.
- Installing some internal storage within the system, i.e., a storage tank and then using a second set of pumps to re-pressurize the system.
- Supplementing the system capacity with surface water or a rainwater harvesting system.
EPP Well Solutions have developed a hybrid option using the Water Harvester System. “The Well Harvester automatically harvests the water in the well while preventing the well from over-pumping itself. The harvested water is then pumped from their system into the house. Their system is compact and can fit in most garages or well houses and is able to harvest and store 215 gallons (or more with additional tanks) for use throughout the day. “
If you suspect you have this problem, we would recommend you review EPP WELL Solutions educational videos. In addition, the company has a really interesting Emergency Well Hand Pump System.
Brochure on the Well Harvester System – https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f064f110a5809607307b409/t/651720188163296aa76c4151/1696014361571/Well+Harvester+Brochure+2023.pdf
Recommended Links
Well Harvester System – https://eppwellsolutions.com/well-water-system
Emergency Well Hand Pumps – https://pump.eppwellsolutions.com/
Rain Water Capture and Harvesting
WellSeal™ Gives Well Owners and Well Drillers Peace of Mind About Groundwater and Drinking Water Safety.
Secure the Water First, Buy the Land Second – groundwater location services
Water Testing and Contamination
The Top Drinking Water Contaminants in Well Water and City Water
Lead Service Lines – City Drinking Water
National Water Testing Kits – Well Water
National Water Testing Kits – City Water
Other Educational links
Groundwater and the Water Cycle
https://news.stanford.edu/2018/06/05/overpumping-groundwater-increases-contamination-risk/
https://wellwater.oregonstate.edu/groundwater/understanding-groundwater/groundwater-and-wells
https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/cone-depression-pumping-a-well-can-cause-water-level-lowering
PFAS PFOS Drinking Water Testing Forever Chemicals – PFOA, PFOS, Gen X Compounds in Drinking Water
One of the most important issues related to consumer products, the environment, and the public health is the new problem “forever chemicals” and a specific group called PFAS. PFAS are man-made per- and polyfluoroalkyls chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and others. Starting in the 1940s, these chemicals have been manufactured around the world and these chemicals historically can be found in food packaging, commercial household and personal products, manufacturing and industrial facilities, waste discharges, landfill leachate, and firefighting products and clothing. At this moment, the PFOA Stewardship Program has phased out SOME of these PFAS chemicals so they are no longer manufactured in the United States.
But wait, we are a global community and these compounds can bioaccumulate and can now be found in the environment and US (That is right You and me!) and the available studies suggest that these PFAS chemicals (PFOA and PFOS) can adversely impact human health. In animal studies, these chemicals have shown to cause tumors, adversely impact the liver and kidney, reproductive system, impact developmental,
The most-studied PFAS chemicals are PFOA and PFOS. Studies indicate that PFOA and PFOS can cause reproductive and developmental, liver and kidney, and immunological effects in laboratory animals. Both chemicals have caused tumors in animals. Human epidemiology studies have shown these chemicals increased cholesterol levels and the available data suggests these compound also negative influence infant birth weights, reduced immune system, thyroid hormone, ulcerative colitis, and potentially cause cancer.
The routes of exposure to this compounds includes are work environment, foodborne routes, commercial products, and our drinking water. If you work in a facility using PFAS or producing products made with PFAS you can be exposed direct exposure or contaminated air. Foodborne routes included contaminated equipment used to process food, food packaging (coated cardboard / fast food paper), cookware (use PFOA Free Cookware) and/or the environment and conditions under which the food is grown. PFAS exposure can come from consumer products like water-repellent, nonstick cookware, stain-water repellants, cosmetics, cellphones, lubricants and much more. Since these chemicals are not routinely tested in drinking water and they are difficult to breakdown, PFAS has been found in drinking water sources that include streams, lakes, groundwater, well water, springs, and even city water. “Testing by the EPA has determined that 6.5 million people have been exposure to PFOA in their drinking water and the chemical has been detected in over 94 public water supplies in 31 different states” and in 2004 99.7% of Americans had detectable levels of PFOA in their body”. The EPA advisory limit, not enforceable, for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water at 70 parts per trillion (Update).
The Keystone Clean Water Teams goal is to provide resources to help you get your water tested and to provide fact based information. Since this testing is normally not readily available, we have partnered with a national testing company to provide you with some testing options. We are offering these 4 informational testing packages.
Go to ResinTech is a global leader in ion exchange for water purification, helping distributors and operators worldwide (Forever Chemical Testing)
Note: Informational Testing (Level 3): “Results are not intended to be used to meet any regulatory requirements or for litigation purposes. Results are for informational and educational purposes only and are useful in determining general water quality and safety”. “Laboratory tests were conducted by methods approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or variations of these EPA Methods”. Informational Water Testing conducted through a partnership between the Keystone Clean Water Team, B.F. Environmental Consultants, and Resin Tech Inc. The results of this testing are intended for an educational or informational purpose only and not used for a regulatory function or litigation. If you are looking for Well Water or City Water Testing.
Get Treatment
EPA officials recommend NSF and ANSI Certified filters to reduce PFOA and PFOS. ” P473: Drinking Water Treatment Units – PFOA and PFOS — to verify a water treatment device’s ability to reduce perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) to below the health advisory levels set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).”
Treatment Options: (Point of Use Filters meets P473 and other standards)
Aquasana OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis Under Sink Water Filter System
Drinking Water Testing Kits Corrosion Lead Copper Metals – My Drinking Water is it Safe?
Article for: private well owner, spring user, city water customer, regulated water supply, water utility customer, homeowner, landlord, tenant, drinking water
The Flint water crisis reportedly started in 2014 and ended in 2019, but in reality the “crisis” started prior to 2014 and probably has not ended. Why? The problem with corrosion within the water system and individual’s homes clearly started prior to 2014 and the customers and users within the system were not aware of the short-comings in their drinking water quality, the need for corrosion control, need to replace service laterals, plumbing within their homes, the need to be proactive in protecting your personal and families’ health, lack of public outreach and education, and not knowing the wrong signs of a corrosion problem The main purpose of this article is to help identify the warning signs of a potential corrosion problem with your drinking water. The signs of a corrosion problem come in many forms, but it is important for the user to take responsibility for keeping their eyes open. Corrosion of our drinking water supplies is a very common water quality and public health issue that is related to not only the raw water quality, level of pretreatment, status of the community distribution system, the internal plumbing for a building, the usage and management of water within the building, and the fixtures used within the system. This sounds overwhelming, but there are clear warning signs you may have a problems.
The most common signs of a problem with corrosion included the following:
- Blue-green or greenish water or even reddish brown or brown water that may be intermittent and worse in the hot water than the cold water.
- Staining of porcelain fixtures, such as sinks, drains, or tubs that appear green, blue-green, and reddish brown.
- Coatings on aeration devices that appears greenish-gray or bluish green and particles on the screen of the aerator that appear green, bluish-green, greenish-gray, reddish-brown, yellow-brown, or even bluish-gray.
- Discoloration of water piping near solder joints and/or pin-hole leaks in piping and the premature failure of water appliances and water heaters.
- Old piping in a home that may include lead pipes or piping that was installed using high lead solder, such as lead service lines and galvanized piping.
- The first flush of the water from the tap may have a bitter taste.
What is the age of your home, when was the house last remodeled, and the piping in your home?
YOUR household plumbing may be the cause for lead in your drinking water. In older homes, lead was used to make the piping and/or solder. In homes, built prior to 1930’s water pipes were primarily made from lead. These pipes can be identified because the piping tends to have a dull gray color, can be scratched with a key, and a magnet will not stick to the piping. In buildings built between the 1930’s and early 1980’s, copper pipes were often used, but the solder contained elevated levels of lead. The primary source of the lead includes the use of lead pipes, lead lined tanks, and use of 50/50 lead/tin solder. Because of the concern with lead, the EPA banned the use of high lead solders in 1986.
In the 1950’s and 1960’s galvanized water lines was utilized in new home construction. Currently, this type of piping is not widely used, but it is more commonly used with well water applications. This piping is steel piping that has a zinc coating to reduce the tendency for the piping to corrode. When this pipe corrodes, the pipe rust from the inside of the pipe and then works outward. When this occurs, the water may produce intermittent discolored water that tends to be brown, yellow, or reddish brown, and the piping will likely clog with rust and most likely collapse over time. This does not mean that a newer home is safe from lead contamination; in fact, the available data suggests that buildings less than 5 years old can have high levels of lead.
In fact, buildings built prior to 1986 likely contain some lead plumbing. Prior to 2014, the legal definition for “lead free” was plumbing fixtures with a lead content of less than 8 %. In 2014, the term was redefined to include only fixtures with a lead content of 0.25% and newly installed fixtures must use the “lead free” materials, but this did not apply to fixtures currently in use.
What You Can Do to Protect Yourself and Your Family?
After getting this information, you should do the following:
- Inspect your plumbing system for signs or evidence of a corrosion problem and low cost lead screening testing (water) or (paint,dust, soil).
- Take note of the visual and aesthetic signs of a corrosive water problem.
- Try our Free Drinking Water Diagnostic Tool.
- Order the Drinking Water Guide.
- Get Your Drinking Water Tested and the Results Reviewed by a Professional. At a minimum, we recommend the “Corrosion Check” Water Test Kit.
- Act to improve your drinking water quality by reporting problems to your local water authority for public water supplies or if your water comes from a private water source take the necessary action to reduce the risk to the health of yourself and your family and to reduce the potential costs associated with the premature failure and/or invalidating the warranty of water related appliances, water leaks and associated damage, and/or the additional operational costs associated with inefficiencies associated with clogged or corroded piping/equipment.
- Update fixtures and piping and consider the use of point-of-use filters or a whole-house water treatment system. Before installing a water treatment system, please get a comprehensive water quality test (City Water) or (Well Water).
Our Motto is ” Learn / Diagnose / Test “
Learn – learn about your source and system.
Diagnose – determine the warning signs or symptoms of a problem and get the water tested and problem diagnosed.
Test – implement an approach to mitigate the problem and test to make sure the problem is corrected.
Source: Oram, Brian; “Lead In Drinking Water – Is There Lead In My City Drinking Water ?”, Water Research Center / Know Your H20 Program, 2020.
Recommended Reading:
The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water
More on Lead
Drinking Water Quality Phone Apps Private Well Owners City Water Users
The Keystone Clean Water Team with assistance from B.F. Environmental Consultants, Inc and the Water Research Center have developed and updated 2 phone apps. The apps work on both the Android and the Apple iphone platform. Know Your H2O? is an educational tool that can help you diagnose the problem with your water. This app will lead you through a series of questions to pinpoint the issues with your water. Unlike other apps that just remind you to drink water, these apps actually help to diagnose a water quality problem and/or provide insight into water quality contaminants may be a concern based on a variety of activities.
Know Your H2O
Know Your H2O? is an educational tool that can help you diagnose the problem with your water. This app will lead you through a series of questions to pinpoint the issues with your water. You can reach your diagnosis through describing symptoms that are effecting your home, your health, or the water itself. Once you receive your diagnosis result(s), the app is designed to educate you by displaying full lists of symptoms, causes, and solutions, as well as links to other educational sources. The app will then show you various testing kit options specifically designed to treat those results. If the problem is more extensive and in depth testing is required, Know Your H2O? will also connect you with featured local professionals. What’s in YOUR Water?
Recommendation: Wells and Septic Systems Paperback
This app was replaced by a new drinking water diagnostic tool.
PA Baseline Testing
The PA Baseline Testing mobile app is an educational tool for residents of Pennsylvania who are impacted by Oil & Gas Development, Subsurface Coal Development, and other common environmental hazards. By selecting which factor impacts your region, you can discover various Recommendations and Tiers of water testing that can help bring you piece of mind about the safety of your drinking water. Got Data? You can also submit your own testing data and results to help continue to build the PA Clean Water Team’s database.
To learn more go to Download the Free Drinking Water Quality Mobile Apps
Pennsylvania Baseline Water Testing Kit Options –
Baseline Water Testing Kits
Natural Gas Drilling Water Test Kit #1
Natural Gas Drilling Water Test Kit #2
Natural Gas Drilling Water Test Kit #3
Penn State Extension to Provide No-Cost Drinking Water Testing for Lead and Other Pollutants in a Limited Number of Private Wells, Springs and Cisterns
Community Announcement
Have you ever had the drinking water from your well, spring or cistern tested for lead and other health-related pollutants? If not, here is your chance.
Penn State Extension has received funding from the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to provide no-cost drinking water testing to a limited number of homeowners using private water wells, springs or cisterns in Luzerne County. The testing is for private water supplies that are actively being used for drinking water in the household. Camps or seasonal households that are not continuously used are not eligible for this program. The commercial value of this water testing would be $100.
This testing is limited to the first 40 households using a private well, spring or cistern that register at https://extension.psu.edu/safe-drinking-water-workshop
Once you register, you can pick up your drinking water test kit at the Luzerne County Extension office at 16 Luzerne Ave, Suite 200 West Pittston, PA 18643 starting on June 10. Instructions on how to collect the water sample are included in the kit. Water tests kits will be collected at the Luzerne County Extension office on July 22 & August 8, 2019.
Individual water samples will be analyzed for numerous drinking water parameters including total coliform bacteria, E. coli bacteria, pH, total dissolved solids, hardness, corrosivity, nitrate, arsenic, copper and lead. Results of your testing will be available during two separate one-hour workshops to be held at 2:00 PM or 6:00 PM on August 27 at the Dallas Emergency Services Building, 3593 State Route 118 Dallas PA 18612. You will be asked to attend one of these workshops to get your water test results. A brief presentation will also be given including professional interpretation of your results and information on how to solve drinking water problems.
Diagnose a Drinking Water Problem
Other Water Testing Products
1. City Water Users (lab test)
2. Well Water Users (lab test)
3. Home Screening Test
PFOS in Water – Is there are formal drinking water standard?
Source: New Hamphire Public Radio – 11/5/2018
“Right now, state regulators are doing something they’ve never done before: writing their own limit on a chemical contaminant in drinking water.
It’s called a maximum contaminant level, or MCL. In the past, like most states, New Hampshire has used federal standards as its default MCLs.
Now, the legislature has told the Department of Environmental Services for the first time to write its own MCL, from scratch.
It’ll require public water systems to routinely test and treat drinking water for four types of likely toxic PFAS chemicals – known as PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS and PFNA.
The MCLs will also become the state’s new ambient groundwater quality standard for the chemicals, meaning if cleanup will be required if they’re found in groundwater at a higher level.
Right now, the state uses the federal government’s advice of 70 parts per trillion as its groundwater cleanup standard. The state has no formal MCL for PFAS in drinking water.
The new MCL is expected to be more stringent than that EPA guidance, and will require costly new testing and treatment protocols for drinking water systems around the state.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, were once common in a range of industrial and household products. They have been linked to serious health problems and have contaminated water supplies across the state and country……..”
Get Your Drinking Water Tested for PFOS/PFAS
This Year- Asked About Reverse Osmosis Treatment System
For some reason, this year we received a lot of questions from individuals looking to purchase or install a reverse osmosis treatment system. The first question they all ask was about the features, models, and other details, but none answer the question why? What was the problem or purpose? They assumed they needed this system.
So my questions went as follows:
Question 1: Why? What is the Problem – their answer in all cases was they thought it would be better.
Answer 1: They all thought they needed to install a reverse osmosis unit on their drinking water to protect their family. They did not identify a problem such as salty water, metallic taste, etc. When this happens, my first assumption is something went wrong somewhere or there is a new water treatment ad on TV pushing citizens to drink “Pure Water”, i.e., H20 or dihydrogen monoxide, only. First – Drinking absolutely pure water for the long-term is not wise.
Question 2: Where does your water originate? Well water, City or Public water, or shared spring.
Answer 2: 80% said city or public water, 10 % said private well, and 10% said a local spring.
For the city and public water users, I said it was unlikely you needed a reverse osmosis unit because your source is regulated and must meet the state and federal drinking water standards, but after Flint and other cases this may not be true 100 % of the time. I ask them if they look at the Consumer Confidence Report for their system and they had no idea what I was describing. I pointed them in the direction of the EPA Consumer Confidence Report (NOTE: If there is no report online, you will need to call your water supplier) and in every instance the water source was meeting drinking water standards, but they had some occasional problems with trihalomethanes, i.e., chlorine by-products, bacteria, and a few with copper, arsenic, fluoride, and lead or corrosion issues. For these individuals, I recommended the following:
a. Get a Comprehensive City Water Information Analysis
b. Based on the initial information and assuming the primary issue was trihalomethanes and chlorine by-products, the primary need most individuals was an under the counter “Point-of-Use” Carbon Filtration System for the Sink, Refrigerator, and/or Shower and in some cases for older homes I suggested a first flush test for lead and copper and then have a plumbing contractor inspect the service lines and plumbing in the home. In one case, the homeowner found a slimy bacterial growth in the toilet tank reservoir, so we suggested they flush the system and suggested the installation of a water filter canister so they could flush and shock disinfect the water lines in the home. For a small office, I might suggest a water cooler model. I do not recommend a Whole House Reverse Osmosis unit.
c. Reverse Osmosis Treatment was not needed in ALL cases.
For the well water users (POE Systems- UV disinfection), I asked them when was the last time they tested their water and if the water had any aesthetic problems. One complained of a salty taste, one was just concerned because of health issues, and the rest reported aesthetic problems ranging from odors to discoloration to staining. If they did not have a recent water test, we recommended the appropriate water testing based on their description of the problem and surrounding land-use activities.
Homeowners that reported – Salty Water Taste and not near a gasoline station or farming area we recommended a basic water quality test with bacteria.
Homeowners that reported discoloration that was red, black, green, and/or a metallic taste we recommended a basic water quality test.
Homeowners that reported a chemical odor or metallic sheen and located in an area surrounded by agricultural activities or petrochemicals we recommended a test that included bacteria, metals, Volatile Organics, herbicides, and pesticides. If they reported slimy coatings or films, we added a nuisance bacteria test.
We also directed a few of these users to our Phone App and Diagnose It for a self Diagnose.
At this point, NOT one of these individuals has installed a reverse osmosis unit, but it looks like the guy with the salty water may need a system. We did find out that about 90% of the well owners needed to shock disinfect their well, 50% needed to install a UV disinfection System, 30% had a corrosion related problem, and 20% had to treat the water for an iron, manganese, or sulfur problem.
For the “Spring User” – we recommend the water be tested for total coliform and E. coli. and general water quality. If the samples come back positive and there was a concern iron and manganese content we recommended a water test that included bacteria (including standard plate count and nuisance bacteria, iron, manganese, and total dissolved solids). Some of the users complained about getting diarrhea, so we recommend the equivalent of a Pathogenic Screen Test for Your Drinking Water.
Guess What ! – the diarrhea case was positive for 1 pathogenic organism. Our recommendation was to not use that spring and if possible have the spring properly abandon. If you want to use a local spring source, plan on boiling the water at a minimum and use a water pitcher filter (test regularly at least quarterly).
For the guy that needed a reverse osmosis system, he also needed a pretreatment system to deal with the bacteria, hardness, and prepare the water for the R/O unit. For individuals on city water that want a point of use R/O, we have found that is is typically necessary to prefilter the water to remove particles, add a carbon unit to remove chlorine, and is some cases reduce the hardness of the water. Please keep in mind both applications are for Point-of-Use and not – Wholehouse RO treatment.
Looking for a Reverse Osmosis Unit – Questions?
- How much water do I need per day?
- Does my water require pretreatment? If you do not have recent water testing data, we recommend this comprehensive assessment (Complete RO screen). Testing for silica is critical.
- How much water will be “wasted” per day and where will this water go? Some R/O units process 2 to 4 units of water to make 1 unit. Therefore, you may waste 1 to 3 gallons of water to make 1 gallon.
- Do I need to install a booster pump- Do I have the proper pressure in my system?
- Do you need to re-mineralize the water for taste or to increase the pH?
Interesting R/O Unit with Booster Pump
Finally -You may want to be looking for an NSF/ANSI 58 approved systems – You can try this product search. “NSF/ANSI 58 establishes the minimum requirements for the certification of point-of-use (POU) reverse osmosis systems designed to reduce contaminants that may be present in public or private drinking water. The scope of NSF/ANSI 58 includes material safety, structural integrity, total dissolved solids (TDS) reduction and other optional contaminant reduction claims. The most common optional claims addressed by NSF/ANSI 58 include cyst reduction, hexavalent and trivalent chromium reduction, arsenic reduction, nitrate/nitrite reduction, and cadmium and lead reduction.” and you most likely want to hire a local trained professional to assist with product selection and install. If your looking for a treatment system to remove Pfas/Pfos (meets NSF P473)
Training
If you are looking for Training on the Subject – Visit : Basic Water Treatment Course (Search Water Supply
(Topics: Desalination, Disinfection, Membrane Filtration)
More -Training – Visit Training Professionals
Please share the site – We try to be as fact based as possible and try to provide solid information.
Manufacturers
Water Treatment – “The Salt Free Water Softener”
The Keystone Clean Water Team is a 501c3 and the main goal of the organization is to educate and inform the public on issues related to watershed management, water quality, groundwater, conservation, and the links between the environment, economy, and living within a community. As a group, we provide educational outreach via are webportals, workshops, and other training programs. During the past year, one of the most common questions we get ask is: “What do you think of the “Salt Free Water Softener”, my normal answer is “It depends”.
For some “salt free water treatment” systems by most common answer is quackery. I will not mention these systems, but I will refer you to a great website so we do not have to worry about liability (H20.com). Of the softener and “salt-free” systems we have been able to seen the field the ones that appear interesting would include the following:
Water Softener (Conventional and With A Twist)
In general water softeners reduce the level of total hardness in the water and when this hardness is removed it is replaced with ions of sodium or potassium. The total hardness can include elements like calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, and other divalent/or mulivalent cations, i.e., ions that have a positive charge of more than one. These ions are replaced by ions with a positive charge of one. The system requires an internal resign that acts as the treatment area and a brine tank that is used to backwash and recharge the resin. These have a long-history of use, but can increase the level of sodium and potassium in the water. These systems can be vulnerable to bacterial regrowth, chlorine interaction, and in some cases “Iron Out” needs to be added to the brine tank. A water softener can add in dealing with issues related to more significant scale formation and problems with iron and manganese. If you are considering this treatment system, we recommend that you conduct a comprehensive water quality test and seek the advice of a local expert. If you are a DIY, get your water tested and please visit this portal (Whole House Water Softener / Alternative No-salt Softener (just reduces hardness- Using a Crystal Eagle Anti-scale media ) ). For the record, we have seen problems when a water softener is added to an older home and system. In these cases, we have seen that water softener was typically removing too much of the water hardness. When this softened water was introduced to the system, the system experience elevated levels of lead, copper, and other trace metals and because the line was not properly shock disinfected intermittent water quality problems with “dirty and discolored water” (PS: this is Flint Michigan in a nutshell).
Aquios Systems (Aquios FS-220) (Salt Free)
The Aquios technology uses a polyphosphate/silicate additive in the media to bind or sequester the hardness as a mineral form. The media is known as Siliphos Data Sheet. Rather than feeding a polyphosphate chemical into the water like is done for corrosion control and sequestering for some municipal water sources, this is accomplished using a point of entry or use treatment system. The filter has a fixed capacity for hardness reduction, so it is critical to get a detailed water quality test so the system can be properly sized. In addition, the system normally included prefiltration to reduce or remove sediment and chlorine.
This systems uses a chelatin approach to reducing the total hardness of the water. Therefore, the hardness is bound and sequestered within the media, which is very similar to the Aquios approach, but they use CitraCharge. CitraCharge appears to be an additive that includes citric acid, which is a weak organic acid. From the companies website, “The chelant in CitraCharge creates a ring structure to bind the ions to the CitraCharge instead of to other ions, which is what typically causes scale and hard-water deposits.”
Other Products
Lemi Shine Natural Dishwasher Cleaner – Citric Acid Cleaner (Dishwasher, etc)
Citic Acid based cleaner-Food Grade Citric Acid Powder Natural Cleaner & Descaler
Please make sure to get your water quality tested. For this problem we would recommend, the following for Well Water or City Water.
What is in your well water? Well Water Testing is Critical Know Your H20
What is in your well water?
If your water comes from a private well, you know that the safety of your drinking water is up to you. At the federal level and in most states there are no regulations that govern private wells, but the CDC and EPA does recommend that you test your well water at least once a year. You may want to check the quality of your water more often if there are known problems with wells in your area or if you have experienced any flooding or land disturbances near your well. Indications of a change in water quality include cloudiness, odor, and unusual taste.
You can quickly and easily test your well water for a variety of contaminants with Groundwater City Water Well Water Testing Kit (Safe Home). This kit is a great screening test to help you determine the quality of your water.
A DYI Well Water single kit includes all of the following water tests:
- Chlorine (Just in case the well was shock disinfected)
- Copper
- Lead
- Nitrates & Nitrites
- Iron
- Alkalinity
- pH
- Hardness
- Bacteria
These easy to use tests will give you results within 10 minutes, with the exception of the bacteria test which takes 48 hours for full results. There’s no need for expensive equipment or to mail samples to a lab. Each test is calibrated to the EPA standards. Once you have your results, compare them to the EPA recommendations and guidelines for water quality limits.
If you would rather a more detailed chemical analysis of your Well Water or City Water. We would recommend the specially designed water testing kits for people on well water, the Well Water Testing Kit includes over 70 water quality tests for a complete water analysis or City Water (over 80 parameters) . You’ll be able to identify the presence of chemicals, metals, and even bacteria like E. coli.
Please review and share some of our PSAs on Well Water.
Get our New Educational Booklet on Drinking Water Quality for Private Well Owners.
Corrosion Index, LSI, Hardness and Alkalinity – Do you have a problem??
Well water testing kits or City water testing kits
Pennsylvania Lead Task Force – John Yudichak. Senate Resolution 33
Senate Approves Resolution Creating Task Force to Investigate Threat of Lead Exposure in Pennsylvania
Senator John T. Yudichak recently announced that Senate Resolution 33 — which creates a bipartisan task force to investigate the scope of Pennsylvania’s lead exposure problem — was approved unanimously by the full Senate. The resolution had been approved unanimously by the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee at the end of April.
Senator Yudichak introduced the resolution earlier this session because lead exposure can threaten the health and well-being of every Pennsylvanian—especially senior citizens and children. “The task force report will advance cooperative efforts to arm the General Assembly with better information and best practice recommendations to develop new lead abatement programs that more aggressively mitigate lead exposure in Pennsylvania,” said State Senator John Yudichak.
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The resolution calls for the Senate to establish a task force on lead exposure comprised of the chairs of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and the Health and Human Services Committee and two members appointed by the Senate President pro tempore and the Minority Leader. An advisory committee of the Joint State Government Commission will conduct a comprehensive review of Pennsylvania law and public policy related to lead exposure and abatement practices and then submit a report to the task force and full Senate within 18-months. The report must assess the age of housing and infrastructure, lead exposure threats, and identify the prevalence of lead in structures where children spend significant time.
A few key points
- This is not just a drinking water issue. Lead is present in many homes and sources include old lead paint, cookware, make-up, and other consumer products.
- If on city water, check piping in home for lead pipe and evidence of corrosion. Remove the aeration devices and clean and flush the water lines to remove any films and coatings.
- If on city water – read the Consumer Confident Reports generated by water supplier and look for signs of corrosion.
- If on well water – get your water tested.
- Use are free phone App – Know Your H20 – Android / Google ; Apple