Your Water

  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 s...

 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 ...

  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 ...

 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...

 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 filt...

    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:   N...

 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 ...

In order to sell Water filtration, Water Softeners, Reverse Osmosis drinking water systems and install them, you must be registered with the Department Of Regulatory Agencies (DORA).  About a hand full of years ago, the Colorado Legislature wanted to make the Water Treatment industry a "Master Plumber Only" business.  A group of Colorado water filtration companies work with the Water Quality Association to amend the propose legislation.  The new bipartisan legislation allowed the experts in water treatment to become their own entity.  You must be a water conditioning principle or a plumbing contractor to legally sell and install water softeners in Colorado.  This is for the protection of the Colorado consumer!   Hard Water, Iron, Low Ph, Silica, High TDS are all common problems in Colorado water.  A Water Treatment Company That is Registered with DORA has the knowledge to do a proper installation of water treatment equipment and the required insur...

  WQA The Water Quality Association says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's revised Lead and Copper Rule offers progress in the battle against lead in drinking water supplies across the United States. Among other things, the new rule requires testing in schools and childcare facilities while also establishing a trigger level to jumpstart lead mitigation earlier and in more communities. Significant for the water treatment and filtration industry, the new rule allows Community Water Systems serving fewer than 10,000 people and all Non-Transient Non-Community Water Systems to elect to maintain point-of-use devices certified to remove lead in place of corrosion control treatment. The EPA approved revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule at the end of 2020 and has released the pre-publication version of the text. Official publication of the rule in the Federal Register is expected soon. Under the new rule, the action level for lead in drinking water will remain at 15 parts p...

  HB20-1119 State Government Regulation Of Perfluoroalkyl And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Concerning the authority of the state government to regulate perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. SESSION:  2020 Regular Session SUBJECTS:  Public Health   State Government BILL SUMMARY The act addresses the authority of the state government to regulate perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Section 1 of the act addresses when PFAS may be used for firefighting foam system testing both in general and in certain aircraft hangars. Section 2 requires the solid and hazardous waste commission to promulgate rules for both a certificate of registration for any facility, fire department, or lessee subject to federal rules and regulations that uses or stores PFAS in its operations and for standards for the capture and disposal of PFAS. Section 3 prohibits the use of class B firefighting foam that contains inten...

 Its very important to understand the quality of water you want to treat.  Quality meaning what is the;  Water Hardness, Iron, Total Chlorine, Total Dissolved Solids, incoming water pressure and water flow rate.  In-line water filters are not designed to be a main source of filtration.  Carbon Block filters in my opinion are one of the most overused filtration media in the market today.  In in-line filters, the micron size is an important factor.  To small of a micron filter size will impact the water pressure and flow rate to your home.  Carbon filters are breading grounds for bacteria in well water.  They are also the wrong filter to use to remove Iron.  Ferrous Iron will oxidize (plugging the filter) and create a growth environment for iron bacteria.   Five micron carbon filters are designed to be a taste and odor filter only.  By design, carbon filters are only rated for a four to five gallon per minute flow rate....

 Over the last five years I have seen several web based companies selling a "Salt Free Water Softener".  Which I find very upsetting.  The hardness in water is a liquid called calcium carbonate.  As air comes in contact with the liquid hardness it is converted to a solid or scale.  That is the build up you see on your faucets, fixtures and on your appliances.  Now in order to remove the liquid hardness out of your water we have to go back in time to the later 1800's.  That is when a filter media called resin was invented.  During the industrial revolution clean water was necessary for certain manufacture practices.  With the invention of Resin, hardness as a liquid was able to be removed from water.  Now the Resin has a negative charge which would attract the positive charge calcium carbonate (hard water).  OK back to my topic of salt free water softeners.!  Since hardness is a liquid, THEIR has not been any invention or filter...