Not All Water Is Equal
Where does the water at your home come from? Whether you receive water from a municipality, private company, or your own well, you should know that the source of the water varies. Because of that, testing is a must.
The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) requires municipal providers and most private companies to perform regular tests on their water supply. Testing assures consumers a basic confidence level that their drinking water is safe. Visit the ADHS website for a list of Arizona Certified Commercial Drinking Water Laboratories.
NOTE: *If your home is on well water, testing is only done if you get it done. Testing is the homeowner’s responsibility.
What to test for is another issue. Depending on where you are in Arizona, testing can include:
- Nitrates
- Chloride, Manganese, Sodium, Fluoride
- pH
- Hardness
- Tannins
- Copper, lead, arsenic
Those are just some of the items to test for. Jon Owens of Kinetico Water Systems, a Rosie Certified Partner, suggests that you ask the lab what tests to perform or contact a water professional in your area to assist in deciding what is right for you. You may have heard recently about the ‘forever’ chemicals in our water supply, thus increasing the importance of water filtration. Hundreds of products are made every day with toxic Fluorinated chemicals known as PFA’s, PFOs, and PFAS. These chemicals have been linked to cancer, reproductive and immune system harm, and they are hard to get rid of. Most testing labs can test for these and about 20 other contaminants in your water.
A common test is for water hardness. We asked Jon to tell us exactly what water hardness means and he tells us that hard water contains certain naturally occurring minerals. These are typically magnesium and calcium. According to the US Geological Survey, hardness occurs in 85% of our nation’s water. In Arizona, you can count on your water having some level of hardness. Testing companies will test your water’s composition and determine the degree of hardness. Water is considered hard if your water contains 3 grains of calcium and magnesium bicarbonates per gallon.
If your home has been around for a while, look at your faucets. Do you see a build-up of a white, hard, chalky substance? Chances are, if your water is untreated, you will. That’s hard water residue. Your pipes and even your drains, those nasty parts you never see, will likely have the same build-up in various areas. The white build-up indicates you need to treat your water, at the very least, for hardness.
Can My Water Be “Fixed”?
The answer is yes, depending on your expectations. Let’s start with your expectations for the “fix” of the problem you are having with your water. Some common issues and their fixes are:
- Smell and Taste | Chlorine smell and taste or even a sulfur smell and taste are caused by those gases trapped within the water. If this is your issue, carbon filtration usually solves this.
- Floaties | That’s a real word and a real problem. If your expectation is to remove these particles from the water, then you will need to use a Reverse Osmosis (RO) An RO system pushes water through a series of filters that can remove sediments. Its carbon filter removes Volatile Organic Compounds and utilizes a semipermeable membrane to clean up or ‘fix’ your water. To be effective, this system should be prefaced by a testing process.
- Hardness | This can be ‘fixed’ only through the exchange of sodium ions with the unwanted magnesium and calcium ions that are in the water. Sodium ions occur naturally in water. The hard water flows through a bed of plastic beads with sodium ions attached, and the exchange happens.
The water treatment industry can be confusing. Read Water Treatment Softening Myths or Rosie’s Water Treatment Consumer Guide to be informed before you decide on a system.
As we mentioned earlier, there is a new concern regarding our water quality. PFA’s, PFOA’s, and PFAS are acronyms for ‘forever’ chemicals. In the last year or so, the EPA has decreased the allowable levels from 70 parts per trillion down to 4 parts per trillion. This is a staggering change that makes us wonder why. The fluorinated chemicals have been used in products since the 40s and do not break down in the environment. Studies have linked these chemicals to cancer, the immune system, and reproductive harm. The EPA has published an article, ‘PFAS Explained’, that gives us a good overview of the issue.
Most filtration systems on the market do not remove PFAS. Municipalities and water providers are struggling to implement the necessary systems to treat water to the new EPA standard, as it is not easy and certainly not inexpensive. There are systems, like the one Kinetico manufactures, that you can install in your home that can remove up to 99% of the harmful chemicals.
###
CONTENT PARTNER | Kinetico Water Systems
Kinetico Water Systems whole-house water treatment systems can benefit nearly every aspect of users’ lives. They offer a free water analysis with a water filtration expert who will provide the data, so you can make an informed decision for your home. Call Kinetico Water today for more information and ask about their fall specials.
PODCAST
No matter how you get your water, the source of that water varies. While municipalities do a great job providing safe water, you can get a test for hardness and natural occurring elements. Especially since the discovery of PFAS or ‘Forever Chemicals’. Jon Owens of Kinetico Water Systems discusses what a water test could find and how water treatment can benefit your water quality even more.
Podcast Archive With Expanded Content and Resources
PHOTO CREDIT
- Kinetico Water Systems
- Shutterstock
