[Mac V]

Probably one of the best ways to filter drinking water is by using a reverse osmosis filter. The main drawback to these things is that the are slow and limited in capacity to supplying drinking water. They also use about 3 times as much water to flush themselves clean as they actually produce. But you won't find better filtration.

Mike

 

[buckwheat]

I have another question on this topic. Iron eating bacteria, how do I get rid of it without chlorinating my well? Thanks
Dan King

 

[Mac V]

There are 2 things I can think of immediately that will eliminate metal-eating bacteria. One is to aerate the water. Well water is usually oxygen deficient and the bacteria are anaerobic meaning they thrive is low oxygen conditions. I have an aeration tank in my water system. The other thing you could do would be to install an inline ultraviolet "filter". It's basically one plastic tube inside another and the inner tube contains a fluorescent ultraviolet lamp 18 to 24 inches long. The water passes between the two tubes where the light kills the bacteria.

There is also a metal munching bacteria that inhabits water heaters and eats the anode material inside the heater. They then produce a sulphur-like smell in the water. This usually occurs when the homeowner lowers the heater temp during a vaction abscence. Aeration will help here. So will changing to an aluminum/magnesium anode. Keeping the water as near to 140ºF as possible will also help because the bacteria don't survive temps over 137ºF. Once the anode material in the tank is depleted, NOT replacing it will also reduce the bacteria growth.

Mike

Mike

 

[drunk_again]

jesus cheese whiz, you whinners and your bad water problem you think you have. i personnally know plenty of TEXACANS that are damn greatfull to drink water out of a muddy hoof print. you guys have a well.

 

[Mac V]

Hey D_A...

Have you ever even tasted water??

Mike

 

[The Rock]

My wife works for a laboratory that tests water for businesses and private homes.

Get the water tested for all contaminates if you are on a private well. This is not cheap I know but you would be surprised sometimes to see what you are drinking.

There are a lot of homes being built today on old farm land, and the nitrate, nitrite, metals, or bacteria levels of these homes are unsafe. And these homes are $150,000-$250,000 range.

Farm fertilizers and animal waste do get in the water especially over a long periods of farming.

They built them and then think about the water. They can't sell them as they are now. Trying to get permission from the EPA to install automatic chlorination. but the EPA will only do that as a last resort. And that will not take care of the nitrate problem.

When a home sells in the county that is not on a public water system the water must be tested before the home can be sold. Realtors always call to get the water done a couple of days ahead of the signing of the deed. In the last three months the sale of four NEW homes were canceled on a days notice by the EPA for well water that was off the scale so to speak.

Rock

Jim

 

[Dave P]

dust4fun:What is the effect of the salt with your system. Does it get into the drinking water to a measureable degree? Dave

 

[ec90t]

Drunk Again,

Nice quote from "True Grit". Always liked that movie.

ec90t

 

[Mac V]

Dave P,

The amount of sodium added to the drinking water by a sodium/zeolite resin ion exchange water softener is just about nil. On average, the process adds less than 1/2 milligram of sodium to every liter of water. The water produced by such a softener treating the hardest water commonly found in the US is still classified as a "low-sodium" beverage by the guidelines from the Food and Drug Administration.

Mike