Many well owners feel that the water from their own personal wells will always be cleaner and purer than anything that comes from a municipal tap. Unfortunately, that’s not always true. There are many naturally occurring contaminants that are hazardous for human or animal health that can be present in a personal water well. Even more hazardous are the many manmade chemicals and toxins that can enter groundwater and make their way into a private well.
If a household has new babies, children, pregnant women or someone who is immunocompromised, the importance of removing contaminants from one’s well water becomes an even higher priority. ETR Laboratories can help by providing educational information for well owners that informs them of their options to remove these contaminants.
An Introduction to Ground Well Water Treatment
Well water treatment refers to all the methods of correcting ground well water to make it safe and pleasant to use. The processes employed in this treatment can vary widely. They range from disinfection with ultraviolet light to removing hard water minerals or pesticides through filtration.
Because the Environmental Protection Agency does not regulate private wells, it is up to the homeowner to know if the water is safe. Municipal water, of course, is closely monitored and regulated. But water from a private well will need private testing to determine if there are any problems. The smart way to test one’s water is to get the most comprehensive test possible the first time the water is tested. After that, a more basic test is sufficient for annual follow-up tests.
Once any water quality issues are identified with professional testing, a water treatment system can be designed to eliminate those specific issues. It is possible to invest in the wrong system, one that is not designed to address the problems specific to that well. A homeowner could spend thousands but still not improve the water quality. Therefore, it is important to get a professional test done as a first step. Then take the test results to a company that designs water treatment systems so they know what must be addressed.
Some Contamination Sources Are Permanent but Others May Be Temporary
Before designing your treatment system, you should distinguish between contamination that could be from a temporary source and the kind of contamination that can only be addressed by treating the groundwater once it is in the well.
Temporary Sources of Contamination
Here are some of the kinds of contamination that may be able to be eliminated:
- Septic tank leakage releasing bacteria, viruses or nitrates into groundwater
- Pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers from nearby agricultural operations
- Chemical spills from manufacturing or industrial operations, gas stations, airports or military bases
- Temporary flooding carrying bacteria, viruses or sediment into a well
- Construction nearby disturbing soil and releasing pollutants
- Animal waste leaking from livestock operations or animal habitats
Septic tanks can be repaired and landscapes can be graded to keep flooding or contaminated surface water away. In some cases, industrial, livestock or agricultural operations may need to correct their practices to eliminate the toxins seeping from their premises. If that’s not possible, the choices are installing a treatment system to eliminate the contamination or moving the well.
Permanent Sources of Contamination
The contaminants coming from these sources need to be addressed by treating, filtering or disinfecting the groundwater supplying the well simply because there is no way to permanently eliminate them.
- Radon gas results from the natural decay of uranium in soil.
- Iron and manganese are common contaminants coming from natural deposits in rock.
- Arsenic is present in certain types of rock and can leach into groundwater.
- Sulfur compounds can form in groundwater as organic material decays, giving water a rotten egg smell.
- Hard water minerals calcium and magnesium are dissolved by water passing through these mineral deposits.
- Nitrate contamination can come from agricultural operations but nitrates are also naturally present in soil and can percolate through the ground till they reach groundwater.
Household Sources of Contamination
While most contamination comes from outside the home, don’t overlook the possibility that fixtures inside the home can also add unwelcome contamination. If you are trying to improve the quality of your water, test first to see if any of these contaminants are in your household water.
- Iron can leach out of pipes, especially if water is acidic.
- Lead from solder, brass fixtures or older lead pipes can leach into water. This is most likely to occur in an older home in which the plumbing has not been replaced.
- Copper, like iron, is more likely to leach from pipes when water is acidic.
- Brass contains small amounts of lead, copper and chromium which acidic water can slowly dissolve.
- Zinc has been used to galvanize pipes to prevent rust but it too can gradually break down and enter the water.
- Chemicals from PVC or plastic pipes are more likely to enter water if the pipes are exposed to heat or sunlight.
- Nickel is part of stainless steel pipes or fixtures and is gradually dissolved, especially by acidic water.
- Bacteria and other microorganisms can form biofilm in pipes and fixtures, especially when water is unused for a long period.
Eleven Treatment Methods of Correcting Ground Well Water
Today’s households have such an advantage over households a generation or more ago. There are now so many readily available methods of making ground well water cleaner, safer and tastier. The right method depends, of course, on the kinds of problems detected by testing. Many homes supplied by wells may require multiple treatment steps to fully correct the water.
Here are your options for correcting your well water.
- Chlorination: Shock chlorination is used to decontaminate a well after flooding or other problems have added viruses, bacteria or other microorganisms. There are also systems that release small amounts of chlorine to continuously disinfect water that may be prone to bacterial or other contamination. This continuous process can add a chlorine taste or smell to the water, or add toxic trihalomethanes, byproducts of chlorine disinfection. Filtering the water through activated charcoal filters after chlorination can remove residual chlorine and trihalomethanes.
- Reverse Osmosis (RO): This system removes a broad spectrum of contaminants, including lead, arsenic, some pesticides and nitrates. It is highly effective but can be costly because there is a large amount of water wasted during processing.
- Activated Carbon Filtration: These filters absorb many types of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides and other unwanted substances. They can remove hundreds of volatile organic compounds, industrial solvents and other contaminants that have no place in your water.
- Distillation: A distillation system turns water into steam and then converts it again to liquid through cooling. Both these processes consume high amounts of energy so they are normally only used when extraordinary purity is required, as in industrial or laboratory settings.
- Ion Exchange: This system uses tiny resin beads designed to hold a positive or negative charge. These resins attract atoms of iron, manganese and calcium that could build up on plumbing systems or cause staining.
- Ultraviolet Disinfection: Passing water through a chamber lit with ultraviolet light damages the DNA of microorganisms, rendering them harmless. The water undergoing this process must be clear to enable the treatment to be effective, which means that minerals and other solids might need to be filtered out first.
- Aeration: This process releases small bubbles of air into a body of water, which can release gases like hydrogen sulfide and radon. This is a method of removing strong odors caused by sulfur compounds.
- Oxidation Filtration: This process can remove dissolved metals or minerals such as iron, manganese, sulfur or chemicals. Oxygen released in the water changes these and other substances from a dissolved form to a solid which can then be filtered out. Arsenic, zinc, lead or cadmium can also be removed with this process.
- Sediment Filters: When water has an undesirable quantity of rust, sand, silt, clay or organic material, it can be clarified with a sediment filter. This type of filter screens out this sediment and allows water to continue to flow. A sediment filter is necessary for UV disinfection to occur, and will extend the life of an activated carbon filter.
- Water softeners: Technically, a water softening system does not remove contaminants, but it does reduce minerals that make the water hard, specifically calcium and magnesium. High levels of these minerals cause unsightly scale to form on plumbing fixtures and reduce the lifespan of home appliances that use water, such as dishwashers, hot water heaters and washing machines.
- Point-of-Use Filters: These smaller filters are installed when only filtration for water for drinking, cooking or bathing is wanted. They can be added to faucets or water-dispensing refrigerators or installed under sinks. There are also countertop models available. They may employ activated carbon, reverse osmosis, ion exchange, ceramic, activated alumina or mechanical filters and may also offer UV treatment of water.
Special Water Treatment Needs for Babies, Pregnant Women and the Immunocompromised
There are some people who need especially pure water. Babies in particular are sensitive to water quality. Here’s why:
- They do not yet have fully developed immune systems so they are not as capable as adults of fighting off bacteria, viruses and parasites. They are also not as capable of detoxifying toxic substances.
- Babies and small children drink more water for their weight than adults do so any contaminants may have a stronger effect on their small, growing bodies.
- Babies in particular are sensitive to nitrates, very common water contaminants. Consumption of too much nitrate-contaminated water can lead to methemoglobinemia, or “blue baby syndrome.” When this condition occurs, babies can actually turn blue due to the lack of oxygen in their blood.
- If fluoride in their water is too high, it can affect their bone development.
Pregnant women also have a higher need for pure water.
- They need more water to support their increased blood volume so any contaminants are consumed in higher quantities.
- Nitrates consumed during pregnancy can cross the placental barrier and potentially cause developmental delays or preterm birth.
- Heavy metals like lead, mercury arsenic or cadmium can also cross the placental barrier and affect fetal development, causing cognitive impairment or even miscarriage.
- Pregnant women may not be as capable of dealing with contaminants like E. coli, Cryptosporidium or Giardia that may be found in well water that has not been disinfected.
- Many chemical pollutants such as plastics and pesticides are endocrine disruptors. These chemicals are associated with higher risks of birth defects and developmental disorders.
An immunocompromised person has similar needs to those of pregnant women.
- They are not fully capable of dealing with pathogens or microorganisms in a water supply.
- The toxins produced by blue-green algae can have a seriously toxic effect on an immunocompromised person.
- They may be less capable of detoxifying their bodies of lead, mercury, arsenic or other heavy metals.
- An immunocompromised person can suffer organ damage, hormonal imbalances, and respiratory problems if they are exposed to volatile organic compounds like benzene, toluene, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, vinyl chloride and chloroform.
There is much more to know about this subject but these facts should make the importance of pure, healthy water very clear.
Trust ETR Laboratories to Provide a Fast, Accurate Analysis of Your Well Water
ETR Laboratories has provided fast water analysis results to tens of thousands of customers who need to know if their ground well water is healthy. They also provide results to municipalities and other water test companies that come to ETR Laboratories for their testing.
When you need to know what’s in your well, or you are preparing to design a groundwater treatment system, come to ETR Laboratories for fast professional water tests. Choose from our three most popular water tests or select a test for a specific contaminant you are concerned about.