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Stains on Plumbing Fixtures

  What causes discoloration on sinks, tubs, and toilets?  If the stains or water are  blue-green in color, then most likely, corrosion of copper  is occurring within the household plumbing.  Stains that are various shades of yellow, tan, brown, black, orange, or red can indicate the presence of metals other than copper. Two other metals that are typically to blame for staining are iron and manganese. While these minerals serve as essential nutrients for your body, they aren’t so kind to plumbing fixtures, appliances and even clothing.  Reddish and yellow-tan discoloration is often caused by iron, while black or dark brown discoloration points to manganese.  Due to their similarities and their frequent occurrence in tandem, iron and manganese are generally treated in much the same way. Discoloration usually results from the exposure of these metals to oxygen, known as oxidation. In your plumbing, water often has limited exposure to oxygen, keeping any soluble (ferrous) iron or manganese
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The EPA fact sheet about PFOA & PFOS in your Drinking Water

 PFOA and PFOS are fluorinated organic chemicals that are part of a larger group of chemicals referred to as perfluoroalky substances(PFASs).  PFOA and PFOS have been most extensively produced and studied of these chemicals.  They have been used to make carpets, clothing, fabrics for furniture, paper packaging for foods and other materials (cookware) that are resistance to water, grease or stains.  They are also used for firefighting at air fields and in a number  of industries processes.   Because these chemicals have been used in a array of consumer products, most people have been exposed to them.  Between 2000 and 2002, PFOS was voluntarily phased out of production in the U.S. by its primary manufacture.  In 2006, eight major companies voluntarily  agreed to phase out their global production of POFA and PFOA-related chemicals, although there are limited number of ongoing uses.  Scientists have found PFOA and PFOS in the blood of all the people they have tested.  While the levels hav
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Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOA and PFOS

  Health Advisories! EPA has established health advisories for PFOA and PFOS based on the agency’s assessment of the latest peer-reviewed science to provide drinking water system operators, and state, tribal and local officials who have the primary responsibility for overseeing these systems, with information on the health risks of these chemicals, so they can take the appropriate actions to protect their residents. EPA is committed to supporting states and public water systems as they determine the appropriate steps to reduce exposure to PFOA and PFOS in drinking water. As science on health effects of these chemicals evolves, EPA will continue to evaluate new evidence. To provide Americans, including the most sensitive populations, with a margin of protection from a lifetime of exposure to PFOA and PFOS from drinking water, EPA has established the health advisory levels at 70 parts per trillion.  What's a health advisory? Health advisories provide information on contaminants that
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What is Water Hardness

 Much has been written over the last seventy five years about water hardness, no universal definition exists.  What constitutes various levels of hard water?  Water Hardness is measured chemically by the amount of calcium bicarbonate and magnesium bicarbonate in a water sample.  The sum of total hardness is measured in units called grains per gallon.  This is solely for the purpose of sizing the right water softener equipment.  The most common or scientific measurement is in a milligram per litter or part per million. (these measurements commonly used by laboratories.) A conversion from milligram or part per million is achieved by dividing by a factor of 17.1 This will give you the Grain Per Gallon conversion. Soft Water is measured at less than one grain per gallon. Slightly Hard Water is  measured at 1 to 4 grains per gallon. Moderately Hard Water is measured at 4 to 7 grains per gallon.  Hard Water is measured at 7 to 10 grains per gallon. Very Hard Water is measured at Over 10 grai
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Uncertified Alkaline products Harmful to your Health?

 From: Dr. Jeon's Health Blog Uncertified Alkaline products could seriously impact Customer Health Heavy Metals are highly dense elements that exist throughout the environment, such as air and water.  When exposed to humans, heavy metals can build up inside your body in a process called bioaccumulation.  Trapped heavy metals in your body can cause significant damage over time. Common types of heavy metals include mercury, lead, aluminum, and arsenic.  These heavy metals are known to be neurotoxins and have been linked to various diseases.  Mercury poisoning attacks neural and cardiovascular systems. It can cause muscle and immune system failure.  Symptoms include fatigue, loss of appetite and changes in mood.  Lead drains the calcium in your body.  It can lead to decline in cognition as well as insomnia. a build-up of aluminum has been associated with various neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson. Counterfeit or uncertified filters may release these heavy met
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Total Chlorine or Chloramine. In your water

    Aqueous chlorine reacts with certain organic materials present in water sources to form trihalomethanes (THMs). Long-term exposure to these harmful byproducts of disinfection has been linked to an increased risk of cancer and infant birth delivery problems. It is estimated that THMs in drinking water are responsible for as many as 2-17 percent of the bladder cancers diagnosed each year in the United States. To protect the public, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has established a maximum contaminant level of 0.08 milligrams per liter (mg/L) for THMs. To conform to these regulations, many municipal water supplies have switched to an alternative method of disinfection using chloramination; more than 1 in 5 Americans uses drinking water treated with chloramines. Chloramination involves the addition of anhydrous or aqueous ammonia (NH 3 ) before or after the addition of chlorine (HOCl) to produce monochloramine (NH 2 Cl). This reaction is as follows:   NH 3  + HOCl =
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Arsenic in Your Water

 The presence of arsenic (As) in nature is due mainly to natural deposits of metalloids in the earth’s crust and usually in ancient rock formations. Arsenic enters ground water through erosion or from manmade sources such as wood preservative, petroleum production, semi-conductor manufacture or due to misuse of animal feed additives and arsenic-containing pesticides (e.g. Paris green). Since soluble arsenic is tasteless and colorless, a chemical water analysis is necessary to detect its presence. Higher levels of arsenic tend to be found more in ground water sources than in surface water sources (lakes and rivers) of drinking water. Compared to the rest of the United States, the western states have more water systems with arsenic levels greater than 10 micrograms per liter (µg/L, ppb). Parts of Midwest, New England, and Texas have some systems whose current arsenic levels are greater than 10 µg/L (or ppb). In ground water, arsenic can combine with other elements to form inorganic as w
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