Residents in certain areas of Wisconsin can obtain free water testing kits from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as a result of concerns that some (or many) wells may have gotten contaminated during recent periods of flooding.

Health officials pretty much worldwide suggest testing the quality of well water after the tops of wells get covered with flood water due to the likelihood of flood water carrying a plethora of potentially harmful bacteria (i.e. coliform bacteria) and other contaminants (i.e. atrazine & simazine), heavy metals like lead, VOC’s, nitrates/nitrites, etc.).

Area officials are encouraging homeowners and landowners whose wells may have been compromised by flooding to test their water for contaminants.

“Typically, we find that we have wells that have been (covered) by floodwaters — you absolutely have to have it tested,” said Dan Baumann, regional water program manager with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

“The best precaution is to have your well water tested if you feel it’s been compromised by flooding.”

Baumann said wells in floodplain areas are of particular concern because there likely is a host of bacteria and contaminants in the water, which can cause illness. But the DNR’s blanket recommendation is to acquire a test kit if a well’s casing had water flow over it, regardless of location. ( source )

For water sample test kits call Public Health at 715.284.4301 ext. 385 or the Zoning Department at 715.284.0220. For folks not located in areas affected by the flooding in Wisconsin and/or folks who live in other States, you have the option of picking up test kits on your own from reputable test kit manufacturers such as SenSafe and WaterSafe

If your concern lies strictly with bacteriological contamination of well water,

While the majority of water systems DO stay in compliance with State and Federal drinking water regulations, sometimes mistakes happen, equipment fails, and/or people get lazy and try to cut corners by not testing as often as they should

When any or all of those things happen the quality of the water might suffer. For that reason State and Federal agencies conduct audits on public water systems to make sure each one has dotted all the i’s and crossed all the t’s on their paperwork and reports.

Every once in a while an audit will turn up some interesting violations and when that happens the information gets released to the public. That happened recently in the State of Oklahoma.

Nearly 140 public water supplies are operating in consistent violation of state and federal drinking water codes, pumping water containing chemicals linked to cancer, infant illness, and damage to the liver and nervous system.

In central Oklahoma, nine public water sites serving about 16,000 customers have orders to resolve environmental compliance issues, records from the state Department of Environmental Quality show.

The department regulates 1,582 public water systems in the state.

“The public has a right to know about the quality of their drinking water,” said department spokeswoman Skylar McElheny. “Some of these things might not hurt them for several decades, but they have the right to know.”

Consent orders are legal agreements between the state and the water system to resolve violations. If the terms of the order aren’t followed, the water system can be fined up to $10,000 per day depending on the violation. ( source )

As you can see, some pretty stiff fines accompany citations of non-compliance — yet instances will STILL occur where appropriate testing and maintenance will not get done.

Checking up on your local water department?

Federal law requires water departments to make their annual water quality reports available to the public. Many have started posting them online for download while others still mail them out upon request.

One thing to always keep in mind: Water travels through miles of water lines before it reaches your home and even though your water department does keep its equipment operating properly and does perform the required testing, lots of things can change about water as it passes through a wide range of pipe types and gets exposed to innumerable places where cracks in the lines could introduce foreign matter such as bacteria and debris.

Therefore it may serve you well to occasionally test the quality of water coming from your tap regardless of how great a job your water does… or doesn’t do.

As we knew would happen soon, experts in the field of hydraulic fracturing (also called fracking) have made a public statement encouraging land owners to have the quality of their well water tested before allowing hydraulic fracturing to take place near their homes and/or wells.

Two experts on the gas drilling process called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, told a group of Pennsylvanians that they should have their private well waters tested before any drilling begins near their homes. Neglecting to have such testing performed could lead to problems if fracking contaminates their wells.

According to a report in the Citizen’s Voice, Peter Wulfhorst and Bryan Swistock, educators with Penn State Cooperative Extension, held a seminar in Luzerne County to discuss water quality issues related to fracking. If water contamination occurs within 1,000 of a drilling platform, Pennsylvania law presumes that drilling is the cause. As such, most drillers will volunteer to test wells within that area prior to beginning operations. Wulfhorst and Swistock said property owners should take the drillers up on such offers. Gas companies lose that presumption of guilt if property owners turn water testing down, Citizens Voice said.

The pair also said property owners should pay for their own testing if they can afford it. Such tests should look for barium, chloride, elevated levels of total dissolved solids, the pH factor, and methane. These chemicals are often associated with natural gas drilling. When a property owner commissions such tests, a lab employee or independent consultant should obtain the water samples and keep a copy of the chain-of-custody report.

According to Citizens Voice, Wulfhorst and Swistock also said there are some things property owners should look for after drilling commences that could indicate their well water has become contaminated. Water that “looks like Alka-Seltzer,” could contain methane, or if it leaves red stains it could have high iron levels.

…

The chemicals that make up that fracking fluid are cause for concern. They may include, among other things, barium, strontium, benzene, glycol-ethers, toluene, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethanol, and nonylphenols. All have been linked to health disorders when human exposure is too high. Thanks to a move by Congress in 2005, fracking is exempt from federal regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act, so drillers don’t have to disclose what is contained in their fracking fluids. ( source )

So tell us, people… If the gas/oil company offers to perform testing on your well water before they begin fracking, why would you NOT take them up on the offer? The logic behind NOT taking them up on the offer just… isn’t there. In fact, the very idea of NOT taking a valuable service for FREE goes against the very tenets of human nature!

Now don’t get us wrong. If the oil/gas company offers to test the water THEMSELVES and does not SHARE the results — all of the results — with land owners, then land owners should consider having testing done on their own by a licensed, certified water testing service come out to the property, take well water samples, perform testing in an accredited laboratory in accordance with accepted testing procedures, and basically make sure the data obtained from the testing could get introduced in a court of law if needed down the road.

What if land owners have already allowed drilling to begin?

Certified testing can take place at ANY time and the results of that testing will serve as the point against which the results of all future testing will get compared. So again, make sure the testing gets done right the first time!

Can homeowners do any testing on their own?

Of course! The two fracking experts (note: We still chuckle each time we use the word ‘fracking’ in that manner) stated that land owners ought to keep an eye on several basic water parameters. Changes in pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Iron, and/or Chloride levels may signify that aquifer contamination has occurred and that land owners ought to seriously consider having more in-depth testing of their well water performed.

We have posted a number of articles about nitrates in drinking water and given a number of links to products that can remove nitrates from drinking water… and today we found out that FilterWater.Com has started carrying a highly effective nitrate removal system made by Crystal Quest that costs less than $150, features a dual filter system containing a total of 7 filtration stages, and qualifies for free shipping.

Do I have nitrates in my drinking water?

Nitrates occur naturally in the environment and may come from any number of sources in nature including, but not limited to, animal waste that filters down into the aquifer. Wells tapping into that aquifer as a source of drinking water then pull the water to the surface where it gets used by the well owner for cooking, drinking, bathing, etc.

• Testing for Nitrates in Drinking Water
  – includes a simple explanation of Blue Baby Syndrome

• Springtime Testing of Well Water in Farming Community?

• Simple Test for Nitrates and Nitrites in Water

• Nitrates in Well Water / Private Well Testing

What harm can nitrates in drinking water do?

The USEPA summed up the effects of nitrates in drinking in the following ways:

“Short-term: Excessive levels of nitrate in drinking water have caused serious illness and sometimes death. The serious illness in infants is due to the conversion of nitrate to nitrite by the body, which can interfere with the oxygen-carrying capacity of the child’s blood. This can be an acute condition in which health deteriorates rapidly over a period of days. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blueness of the skin.” ( source )

“Long-term: Nitrates and nitrites have the potential to cause the following effects from a lifetime exposure at levels above the MCL: diuresis, increased starchy deposits and hemorrhaging of the spleen.” ( source )

How can I get rid of nitrates in my water?

We started this posting by saying that Filter Water now carries a dual filter counter top nitrate removal system… so now we figure we ought to tell you a little more about it.

Stage 1 — This product uses as dedicated nitrate removal filter. Water first flows through a nitrate-selective resin cartridge designed to reduce nitrate levels in water by 90 to 95 percent. The cartridge has an expected nitrate capacity of approximately 5500 ppm and owners can regenerate (aka: recharge, flush out, clean) the cartridge using a sodium chloride brine solution when it gets full.

Stages 2 & 7 — Pre and post one-micron filter pads remove suspended particles such as silt, sediment, cyst (Giardia, Cryptosporidium), sand, rust, dirt, and other undissolved matter in the water.

Stages 3 & 4 — Specially formulated beds of copper and zinc (KDF-55D, and KDF-85D) use a process known as oxidation-reduction to exhaust any chlorine in the water and convert iron and hydrogen sulfide into insoluble matter which attaches to the surface of the media. Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, copper, nickel, chromium, cadmium, aluminum, etc. also get removed during stages 3 & 4.

Stage 5 — Ion exchange resins reduce heavy metals such as lead, copper and aluminum further and also reduce water hardness by filtering out magnesium and calcium.

Stage 6 — Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC), a universally recognized and widely used adsorbent for a wide variety of unwanted drinking water contaminants such as chlorine (99.9%), chemicals linked to cancer (i.e. THM’s, benzene) pesticides & herbicides such as atrazine and simazine, insecticides, volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), PCB’s, MTBE’s and hundreds of other chemical contaminants which could possibly exist in your water supply.

Other features of the Dual Filter Nitrate Removal System?

Many people simply do not want to mess around with plumbing under their sink so a unit like the Crystal Quest Dual Filter Nitrate Filter System which requires no plumbing will work out beautifully.

The unit sits quietly next to the sink on the counter top and connects easily to pretty much any standard kitchen faucet. It also comes with a diverter valve which allows people to switch between filtered and unfiltered water with the flip of a switch.

Not digging the stark white appearance of the filter? Don’t worry! You have the option of ordering the unit with a chrome finish if that better suits the decor of your kitchen.

How long will the filters last and what do replacements cost?

The manufacturer estimates that the filters ought to last between 1 and 3 years depending upon the initial quality of source water. Keep in mind, though, that a soaking of the nitrate-specific cartridge in sodium or potassium chloride solution at room temperature will recharge the cartridge for additional use.

1. Remove cartridge from unit
2. Immerse the cartridge in a sodium or potassium chloride and room temperature water for a period of 30 minutes
3. Rinse off and then soak the cartridge for 30 minutes in salt-free water
4. Shake excess water off of and out of the cartridge
5. Place the cartridge back in the filter housing
6. Run through the systems for a period of 5-10 minutes

When it comes time to replace the nitrate-specific filter cartridge it will cost around $50 and the 6-stage filter cartridge will cost about the same.

It struck us as odd that we had not, yet, received an inquiry about ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential), but that thought will never cross our minds again since ‘Ella’ asked us…

I need to find out about the testerORP/Redox for using at the pool

And finally, what did they have to say?

Could you explain what could be tested at the pool’s water by tested ORP/Redox (ORPTester 10 model)? How often do I have to conduct the tests?

Thank you,

Ella

Thank you, Ella, for bringing up the topic of ORP Meters and what they test. Many people have heard of ORP Meters, but not many understand a whole lot about them.

Rather than get into a discussion about gaining and losing electrons that would bore everyone to tears, we will instead sum up ORP Meters’ usefulness by saying that they measure the effectiveness of oxidizers (i.e. chlorine, bromine, non-chlorine shock, and hydrogen peroxide, etc.) in the water.

For you more technical types out there, in a chemical reaction an oxidizing agent will take electrons away from other compounds/elements in the mixture and a reducing agent will donate electrons to the other compounds/elements.

Many automatic chemical dispensing systems rely upon ORP testing units to determine how much and when to add chemical sanitizers to pools.

Frequency of testing?

Whether it has to do with chlorine testing or testing for pretty much ANY pool water parameter, if your pool falls in the category of ‘public’ you will want to consult with your local health department… as regulations vary by locale.

What testing is required for public pools?

This also varies by location so once again you will want to consult with your local health department.

Oh, and before we forget, some health departments may not recognize ORP testing as a definitive way of measuring sanitizer levels. Also, simply measuring the sanitizer level in a swimming pool will not tell you everything you need to know in order to make sure the water stays safe.

Pool water parameters typically tested?

Sanitizer (i.e. free & total chlorine) levels, pH, total alkalinity, calcium or total hardness, stabilizer (cyanuric acid) levels, TDS, and water metals (i.e. iron & copper).

As we said before, you will want to check with your local health department to see what parameters they want you to test and how often they want you to test them.

If you would like the taste of filtered water but don’t feel like cluttering you refrigerator with water pitchers, using valuable counter space for a counter top water filter system, installing an under sink water filter system that may require you to know a little about plumbing, the Brita “On Tap” Faucet Filter offers the benefit of filtered water w/o any of those things.

Available in both chrome and white finish, Brita “On Tap” Faucet Water Filter features an electronic indicator light that changes from color when the filter gets within 2 weeks of needing replacement and flashes when the filter needs immediate replacement.

Brita claims the “On Tap” filter has successfully tested to NSF/ANSI Standard No. 53 and should last for approximately 100 gallons. This means the filter should effectively remove or reduce compounds and chemicals such as VOC, TTHM, O-Dichlorobenzene, lead, Cysts – Cryptosporidium and Giardia, asbestos, turbidity, carbofuran, alachlor, atrazine, heptachlor epoxide, 2,4-D, chlordane, trichloroethylene, lindane, methoxychlor, chlorobenzene, styrene, toxaphene, ethylbenzene, endrin, simazine, and carbon tetrachloride.

As we said, filters in the Brita “On Tap” Water Filter should last an estimated 100 gallons. Keep in mind, though, that actual filter life will depend heavily upon the quality of your source water.

Final words of advice?

Before investing in a water filter we suggest that you test your water to find out what, if any contaminants, your water contains. Otherwise you run the risk of purchasing too large/complex of a filter (and wasting money) or not purchasing the correct filter (and wasting money). Purchasing the incorrect filter will mean you have also wasted your time since unwanted contaminants will remain in your drinking water.

Got concerns that you really and truly may have a problem with drinking water contamination? Consult with certified drinking water testing laboratory such as National Testing Laboratories.

We recently got an email from a person who finds our site lousy, said it has no value, etc. This same person called our contact form a pain in the rear and THEN went ahead and asked us a question anyways…

   Why did they contact us?

I have a Environmental EP pruducts water filter and need new filters and membrane for it?

   And finally, what did they have to say?

This is a pain in my rear i just want to know if you care the filters.

As tempting as posting the person’s email sounds, our mothers raised us not pass judgment on rude people who don’t bother to do their homework before asking a question. So therefore, rather than humiliate this person by saying, “Hey, do you see a shopping cart on our site? No? Well then we clearly don’t carry (spelled correctly) any products (also spelled correctly) on this site.”

We would never dream of saying such a thing. Nope. Not us. Not out loud, at least.

But anyways, we have not heard of that particular brand of filters and a quick Google search turned up no results of note. We suggest contacting the company from which you purchased the filter system for guidance. If they have gone out of business or otherwise dropped off the face of the planet, we can tell you from experience that tracking down odd-sized filter membranes can take a long time and sometimes the cost to replace unusual or rare filters runs quite high.

We suggest contacting the folks over at FiltersFast.Com (1-866-438-3458) or WaterFilters.Net (1-888-801-7873) with the dimensions and specifications of the filter you have and asking them if they can recommend a suitable replacement.

We wish you the best of luck locating your filters, and thank you for visiting our site.

For anyone else looking for a replacement water filter element, perhaps the following list of water filter manufacturers will help? We hope so!

Ever wonder if someone made a convenient way to fill reusable personal water bottles with clean, filtered drinking water? If so, then our recent find will make your day.

The Filtrete Four Bottle Water Station allows people to pour water in the top of the device for and simultaneously fill four reusable portable water bottles with filtered drinking water.

Pretty neat, huh? We thought so. Oh, and no, the bottles do NOT contain BPA.

What does the unit filter out? Predominantly it seems to reduce the the offensive taste and of chlorine and remove unwanted sediment. While not the most thorough filter, it ought to work great for people looking for a quick means of making their tap/city water taste better.

Inside the Filtrete Four Bottle Water Station you will find an easily replaced and very affordable Filtrete Fast Flow Filter which should last for around 100 gallons (or roughly 3 months).

Worried that you will forget to change the filter? Not a problem. The Filtrete Fast Flow Filter has a convenient indicator that lets you know when to replace the filter in your Filtrete Water Station.

As if the convenience of this unit did not already say enough, according to the manufacturer this water filter system also uses recyclable water filters.

If you find your self reading this, then you may just have some smelly water showing up at your house, too… and no one likes smelly water! Yuck!

For the folks in Evansville, IN, above average temperatures and low river levels have resulted in an abnormally high amount of algae — ten times the normal amount — appearing in the area’s drinking water source.

Officials say that w/o a good amount of rain (to dilute) and lower temperatures (to help kill off) the algae residents will just have to deal with the bad smell and unpleasant taste.

Yep. Sounds like some folks in Indiana will most likely start searching for water filters and water purification devices REAL soon.

EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) – Recent testing of the water in Evansville revealed startling numbers to the Ohio River Sanitation Commission.

The tests showed the amount of algae in the water is ten times higher than normal.

The excess algae is due to the extreme heat and low river levels. Officials say the smell and the bad taste might be around for awhile.

“It’s going to take a significant amount of rainfall somewhere upstream within in the Ohio River basin, to get the river levels up and to get it flowing faster to help eliminate this problem,” said Roger Johnson, water superintendent for the city.

The water department says regardless of the taste and odor, the water is safe to drink. ( source )

Not to sound like the Twilight Zone again, but imagine, if you will, that you wake up one morning and the water coming out of all your faucets tastes and smells… bad. You quickly call your water company to complain and they say, “Sorry, but you will just have to deal with it for a while.”

Wow. Not a good scenario at all! Most people would scream, curse and pitch a fit at the person on the other end of the phone and then dash out to the store to get a few cases or a truckload of bottled water. Granted that may solve some of the problems — temporarily — but it will not solve them all.

Installing point-of-use water filters (i.e. undersink, counter top and shower) or a whole house water filter system, on the other hand, will solve both short term and long term water problems.

Recently people have started asking if we knew of any devices that could produce water of the same caliber as water from a Brita Water Pitcher, 3M Filtrete Filter Pitcher or a Culligan Water Pitcher Filter… but in greater quantities.

After a bit of searching we came across a product called the Cuisinart CleanWater Countertop Water Filter (WCH-1000) which uses pretty much the same water filtration technologies as the three pitcher filters mentioned above, but holds 1.5 gallons of water at a time.

Dispensing water at a cool 44 degrees Fahrenheit and also at room temperature, this versatile and convenient counter top water filter holds plenty of water for the entire family… and as soon as the water level drops, simply flip up the top and pour new water through the Cuisinart GF-80 which reduces/removes a number of unwanted drinking water contaminants including Chlorine, Mercury, Cadmium, Lead, Copper, Volatile Organic Compounds (i.e. Benzene and Tetrachloroethylene and Toluene), dirt, sediment, rust, and others.

Depending upon the quality of your source or tap water, the filter in the Cuisinart CleanWater Countertop Water Filter should get changed once every 3 months, or approximately 80 gallons. For more contaminated water, the filter should get changed when tastes and/or odors return to the water when consumed. A reduction in the flow of water through the filter also serves as an indicator that the filter needs changing.

Cost of replacement filters?

A valid concern of many people considering purchasing a water filtration system of ANY kind… How much will replacement filters cost. In the case of the Cuisinart CleanWater Countertop Water Filter, which uses an easily replaced Cuisinart GF-80 Filter, which typically costs less than $20, that concern vanishes in an instant.

Do they make a bigger model?

For those of you with large families, or a very thirsty family, Cuisinart also makes a 2 Gallon CleanWater Countertop Water Filter which, of course, uses the same easily replaced and quite affordable Cuisinart GF-80 Filter.