Water Treatment & Purification
The quality of your water is important. Forty-seven percent of the United States depends on groundwater for their basic drinking water supply. Many more rely on groundwater for irrigation purposes. Having a basic understanding about groundwater quality will help ensure that your water well is supplying potable water for your household and safe water for lawns, landscaping and gardens. Knowing the basics about water testing and treatment can help you diagnose and address water quality issues-whether they be matters of taste, odor, or appearance, or health risks. [learn_more caption=”Click to read about why you should test your water”]
Conditions or Nearby Activities |
What To Test For |
Recurring gastrointestinal illness | Coliform bacteria |
Household plumbing contains lead | pH, lead, copper |
Indoor air or region air is radon rich | Radon |
Corrosion of pipes, plumbing | Corrosion, pH, lead |
Nearby areas of intensive agriculture | Nitrate, pesticides, coliform bacteria |
Coal or other mining operations nearby | Metals, pH, corrosion |
Gas drilling operations nearby | Chloride, sodium, barium, strontium |
Dump, junkyard, landfill, factory, gas station, or dry-cleaning operation nearby | Volatile organic compounds, total dissolved solids, pH, sulfate, chloride, metals |
Odor of gasoline or fuel oil, and near gas station or buried fuel tanks | Volatile organic compounds |
Objectionable taste or smell | Hydrogen sulfide, corrosion, metals |
Stained plumbing fixtures, laundry | Iron, copper, manganese |
Salty taste and seawater, or a heavily salted roadway nearby | Chloride, total dissolved solids, sodium |
Scaly residues, soaps don’t lather | Hardness |
Rapid wear of water treatment equipment | pH, corrosion |
Water softener needed to treat hardness | Manganese, iron |
Water appears cloudy, frothy, or colored | Color, detergents |
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [/learn_more] Along with human activities, water quality is affected by a combination of natural processes. Most relate to chemical compositions underground. However, other factors such as biological, physical, and radiological conditions can affect water quality as well. Therefore, the National Ground Water Association recommends that water well owners have their wells checked and tested by a certified and/or licensed professional like St. Lucie Pump & Water every year to ensure water safety.
How Will SLP Treat and Purify My Water?
To help you identify your existing water treatment system or to help you choose the new system which will best fit your needs, it helps to first understand the four different types of water purification and water filtration systems. [learn_more caption=”Click to read about the four main types of water treatment systems”] Filtration: A process in which water passes through a water system that may include one or more filters for the purpose of removing turbidity, taste, color, iron or odor. The design can be loose media tank-type systems or cartridge devices. In general the process may include mechanical, adsorptive, neutralizing and catalyst/oxidizing filters. Reverse Osmosis: Is a process for the reduction of dissolved ions (such as salts) from water in which pressure is employed to force liquid (water) through a semi-permeable membrane, which will transmit the water but reject most other dissolved materials. When forced against the membrane surface, the dissolved materials are repelled, while the water molecules are diffused through the membrane molecule by molecule, forming purer water on the other side. Find out more on reverse osmosis installation or learn more about RO systems. Distillation: Is the process in which a liquid such as water is converted by heating, into a vapor state, and the vapor cooled and condensed to a liquid state and collected. It is the process of removing the liquid (water) from its constituents or contaminants; as compared to other processes where contaminants are removed from the water (liquid). Distilled water is water that has been purified by passing through one or more evaporation –condensation cycles and contains essentially no dissolved solids. Ultraviolet: Sunlight has long since been known to kill micro-organisms. The rays from the sun contain the UV *spectrum used in Ultraviolet Water Treatment Systems – although at much lower intensities. It is also referred to as either the Germicidal Spectrum or Frequency. The frequency used in killing micro-organisms is 254 nanometers (nm). The UV lamps used are designed specifically to have the highest amount of UV energy at this frequency. [/learn_more] St. Lucie Pump & Water specializes in filtration and RO system design, installation, maintenance and service. Our technicians are qualifed and the products we use are superior. If you are tired of poor water quality, contact us. We are ready to serve you in the following ways:
- Water quality testing
- Monthly salt service
- System recharging
- Installation of water softener systems
- Installation of reverse osmosis systems
- Ongoing system maintenance
- Repairs of existing systems
- Filter & membrane replacement
- Minerals in water exist as mineral salts or so called inorganic minerals. Minerals in this form may not be as biologically acceptable to the human body as are the organic forms of minerals found in all food and quality mineral supplements.
- Some inorganic minerals are harmful to human health and no water treatment process can differentiate them from inorganic minerals that are not harmful. Examples of inorganic minerals that are harmful are nitrates and toxic metals (lead, mercury and arsenic).
- Excess inorganic minerals in water may be responsible for bad tastes, salty tastes and metallic tastes.
- Excess inorganic minerals may interact with almost every food and beverage, detracting from its flavor. That’s why virtually all packaged beverages, including soft drinks and beer, are made with controlled levels of inorganic minerals to insure the best flavor possible.
- The mineral content in water may be much less than the mineral content found in foods. An 8-ounce glass of milk typically contains more calcium and magnesium than 5 gallons of water.
Does Reverse Osmosis remove fluoride from the water? Isn’t fluoride necessary to reduce cavities? Reverse Osmosis systems can remove over 90% of the fluoride in the water. Fluoride occurs both naturally in the earth and water and is often artificially added to municipal supplies because there is evidence it helps prevent tooth decay. The long-term effects of fluoridation of public water supplies, however, is still a subject of great controversy. Here’s why: Chlorine, for instance, has been used routinely since 1913, but only recently have we discovered this helpful chemical has the potential to generate cancer-causing chemicals (tri-halomethanes or THMS) when combined with organic substances naturally found in water. Fluoridation may have little benefit for teeth after childhood, yet the population can consume fluoridated water from their municipal supply as well as pay for it. Consider too, that only 2% of total fluoridated water is used for human consumption. Further, there are more prudent alternatives to fluoridating the entire water supply such as the application of fluoride tablets and vitamins that may provide a safe, precise dose to your children. What factors affect my RO system’s performance? The quantity and quality of water produced by a Reverse Osmosis system are affected by feed water temperature, feed water pressure and total dissolved solids. Temperature affects the performance of an RO due to the intricate design of an RO membrane. Production is improved as water temperature approaches 77 degrees Fahrenheit (32ºC). Please Note: An RO device should only be installed on the cold water line. Reverse Osmosis systems are also affected by feed water pressure. As pressures increase so does the rate in which water is produced. Generally speaking, Reverse Osmosis systems should be operated on feed water pressures above 40 psi to provide acceptable performance. High concentrations of total dissolved solids (poor quality) of the feed water may decrease the life of the RO membranes or require additional maintenance. How long do RO membranes last? The longevity of an RO membrane greatly depends on feed water conditions, how well the system is maintained and whether the supply is municipal or well water. On most municipal water supplies, the average useful life of a Reverse Osmosis membrane is 2 to 4 years. In well water applications, RO life may be reduced due to varied water conditions. What kind of maintenance is required? The prefilter(s) need to be replaced every 6-12 months. Your local Reverse Osmosis dealer can recommend the optimal change-out period based on his experience. It is also suggested that the storage tank air charge be checked yearly. The system should also be sanitized at this time. Please contact the dealer in your area for proper maintenance of your system. What can I use Reverse Osmosis water for?
- Drinking Water
- Cooking
- Juices & Mixes
- Coffee & Tea
- Ice Cubes
- Plants
- Baby Formula
- Aquariums
- Batteries
- Complexion Care
- Low Sodium Diets
- Weight Loss Diets
- Clean Solutions
- Humidifiers
- Steam Irons
- Windshield Washer
- Radiators
What is required to install a Reverse Osmosis system? Countertop Appliance: Remove the old aerator from a kitchen faucet and replace it with the special one supplied with each countertop appliance. It takes only a few minutes and instructions are provided. Under-the-Counter Appliance: This requires plumbing experience and knowledge of hand tools. It is recommended that a factory-trained dealer who is familiar with plumbing and drilling sinks or counters install your under-the-counter system. Can a Reverse Osmosis system be connected to icemakers, refrigerator water dispensers and instant hot water dispensers? Yes, provided a water line can be run from under the sink to the refrigerator. The tubing used should preferably be plastic. Existing copper tubing is often corroded and scaled from tap water and the purified water may dislodge this buildup and create problems in the icemaker. We recommend copper tubing not be used unless absolutely necessary. We can supply a special icemaker hookup kit that includes all the tubing and fittings required for the typical icemaker and/or refrigerator water dispenser connections. Can I run out of water when using a Reverse Osmosis system? Yes, but rarely. Reverse Osmosis drinking water appliances treat tap water slowly and steadily. This small flow builds up in the tank for later use. It is possible to draw water from the reservoir faster than it can fill. While this won’t happen often with average use, it is possible when using large amounts of water. Please feel free to contact a Reverse Osmosis dealer if you have questions concerning usage. How much water does a Reverse Osmosis systems provide? The amount of water produced depends on factors such as water pressure, water quality and water temperature. Under most conditions typically found in a community water supply, a Reverse Osmosis drinking water appliance should supply between three (3) and ten (10) gallons of high quality drinking water each day. What happens to all the organic and inorganic impurities removed by a Reverse Osmosis system? They are automatically rinsed from the membrane surface and washed down the drain. Unlike filters that trap impurities, the membrane used in the Reverse Osmosis drinking water appliance is self-cleaning. As water flows across the membrane, it becomes divided into two streams. The production stream is the purified water that is forced through the membrane by diffusion. The impurities are left behind. The concentrate stream serves as a rinse that carries those impurities off the membrane surface and into a drain. As a result, accumulation of impurities on the membrane is slow, keeping it clean and effective over time. How much water is used to insure there is no buildup of toxic organic and inorganic impurities on the membrane? The Reverse Osmosis drinking water appliances are the most efficient systems of those incorporating self-cleaning membranes. Under-the-counter systems are also equipped with an automatic shut off valve which stops processing water when the storage tank is full. Other systems use as much as 15 gallons of tap water to process each gallon of water for drinking. Only 3 to 4 gallons of water are required to process each gallon of Reverse Osmosis water. This amounts to a mere trickle that carries impurities to drain. The use of a concentrate stream may increase an average family’s water bill by 25 to 75 cents per month. Many concerned families consider this a small fraction of total water usage and a small price to pay for all of the high quality water they will be enjoying. [/learn_more]
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