The table below outlines information on specific home water treatment approaches. Keep in mind that some water treatment can be for aesthetic as well as health factors. If drinking water poses a health risk, the consumer may also consider the cost of purchasing bottled water or tying into a public water system if available as an alternative to treatment.
If you need to contact a water treatment professional to install or repair a home treatment system or to assess a …
Drinking Water Treatment – Reverse Osmosis
EFFECTIVE AGAINST: Inorganic contaminants such as: dissolved salts of sodium, dissolved (ferrous) iron, nitrate, lead, fluoride, sulfate, potassium, manganese, aluminum, silica, chloride, total dissolved solids, chromium, and orthophosphate. Also effective in removing some detergents, some taste, color and odor-producing chemicals, certain organic contaminants, and some pesticides.
NOT EFFECTIVE AGAINST: Dissolved gases, most volatile and semi-volatile organic contaminants including some pesticides and solvents. Alone, reverse osmosis units are not recommended for treatment of bacteria and other …
Drinking Water Contents
PRIVATE DRINKING WATER
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Private Drinking Water System Basics
- Low Yielding Domestic Water Wells
- Well Construction
PROTECTING DRINKING WATER
- Stormwater and Your Drinking Water Well
- Water Quality Protection Around Your Home
- Setback Distance from Septic to Drinking Water Well
HUMAN HEALTH
- Drinking Water and Human Health Effects
- Drinking Water Contaminants
- Drinking Water Standards
- Testing Recommendations
MANAGING DRINKING WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS
…Drinking Water Well Quality Basics
Groundwater, the source of water for private wells, is never simply a pure combination of hydrogen and oxygen atoms (H20). It contains many impurities, reflecting the composition of the soils, sand, gravel, and rock through which it travels. Groundwater naturally contains:
- Dissolved minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, chloride, and sulfate
- Gases such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, and nitrogen
- Dissolved organic compounds
As a result of human activity, groundwater can also contain contaminants such as pesticides, nitrate, metals, …
Drinking Water Treatment – pH Adjustment
Contents |
About pH
pH is an indicator of the acid or alkaline …
Drinking Water Treatment – Activated Alumina
EFFECTIVE AGAINST: Fluoride, arsenic, selenium, and chromium.
Contents
- 1 Uses of activated alumina
- 2 How activated alumina works
- 3 Capacity of an activated alumina device
- 4 Maintenance of an activated alumina device
- 5 Special considerations
- 6 Questions to ask before you buy
Uses of activated alumina
Activated alumina can be used as a point-of-entry or point-of-use water treatment device. Activated alumina absorbs contaminants instead of filtering them. The effectiveness of activated alumina depends on the contaminant, characteristics of the …
Drinking Water Treatment – Oxidizing Filters
EFFECTIVE AGAINST: Oxidizing filters oxidize and filter iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide in one unit.
Contents |
Uses
An oxidizing filter is an in-line, point-of-entry device (on the main incoming water line) that converts dissolved iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide to a solid form and then …
Drinking Water Treatment – Potassium Permanganate
EFFECTIVE AGAINST: Dissolved iron and manganese, and hydrogen sulfide.
Contents |
Uses of potassium permanganate
Potassium permanganate is a point-of-entry treatment method that oxidizes dissolved iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide into solid particles that are …
Drinking Water and Human Health Effects
Health effects related to contaminants in drinking water can be divided into two categories: those that cause acute effects and those that cause chronic effects.
Acute health effects
Acute effects are usually seen within a short time after exposure to a substance. Acute effects may result from water containing pathogens such as bacteria and viruses, or they may result from a single large exposure to a chemical contaminant. Acute health effects are generally reversible as long as the contaminant of …
Drinking Water Treatment – Ozone
EFFECTIVE AGAINST: Pathogenic (disease-causing) organisms including bacteria and viruses, phenols, some color, taste and odor problems, iron and manganese, and turbidity.
NOT EFFECTIVE AGAINST: Large cysts and some other large organisms, inorganic chemicals, and heavy metals.
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