State and Stamford health officials are urging residents with private wells to get their water tested for pesticides and other possible contaminants.

A study of 628 private wells by the Stamford Health Department found that 195 had some amount of the pesticides Chlordane or Dieldrin. More than half of those 195 had concentrations that put residents who regularly drink the water at a greater risk for health problems, as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Joseph Kuntz, a Stamford lab technician, said that when health officials first discovered some well contamination in 2009, they expected it to be localized and due to the nearby Scofield Town Dump. But testing had unexpected results.

…

Chlordane and Dieldrin were used for termite and other insect extermination in homes and on farms for decades in Connecticut. They were banned in the 1980s, and the EPA now says that exposure to such chemicals over a lifetime, even at trace amounts, can increase the risk of health problems.

“You can’t see it, you can’t taste it and you can’t smell it,” said Bill Warzecha, an environmental analyst at Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. “And so except if you test it, you’re not going to know that it’s in there.”

…

Stamford, where Kuntz estimates that 5,000 households have private wells, is unique in offering lower-cost testing. The city health department contracted with a local laboratory to bring down the cost of a $350 test to just $100. More than 1,700 people have signed up to get their wells tested, and last year the city passed an ordinance requiring 750 wells to be tested each year starting in 2012. ( source )

This unfortunate ground water contamination story does an excellent job of showing how a suspected small water quality issue in one area can quickly turn into a major problem for an entire region and how diligent testing of well water helps health officials get a better handle on the severity of the situation.

To all the residents in Stamford whose water may contain the compounds (Chlordane and Dieldrin) mentioned in this article, we highly suggest taking advantage of the special pricing offered by the local laboratory. Otherwise, as the full article very plainly stated, testing for pesticides such as chlordane and dieldrin could become very costly.

Other pesticide testing options

With the exception of water testing by a certified water testing laboratory, no real options exist for testing chlordane and dieldrin levels in well or drinking water… BUT home water test kits for other pesticides/herbicides like atrazine and simazine do exist

Both atrazine and simazine got used heavily in the agricultural world in the United States for quite some time before scientists and health experts determined that too much of either compound could cause health problems.

Therefore, if you live in an area once designated as agricultural it may prove wise to test your water for atrazine and simazine.

Regular well water testing

While we sincerely wish yearly testing, or even less frequent testing, of well water would ensure the quality of well water, we know better. Shifts in weather patterns (i.e. droughts, heavy rains, etc.) and changes in the demand on an aquifer can radically change the quality of water an aquifer produces — with little or no warning to those whose wells tap into the aquifer.

Home well water test kits like the Well Driller Master carried by FilterWater.Com make it possible for well owners to perform critical water quality checks on a regular basis.

Do water test kits like the Well Driller Master (or less expensive versions like the Well Water Test Kit, COMPLETE Water Test Kit & SenSafe Water Quality Test Kit) provide ALL the tests required to guarantee the quality of one’s water? No, but their tests can provide key insight into changes in one’s water quality and help one to know when more sophisticated water testing should take place.

SenSafe Water Water Quality Test Kit

So, without further ado, get ready for a list of chemicals and chemical compounds that call into the VOC category of NSF/ANSI Standard 53:

alachlor	endrin	simazine
atrazine	ethylbenzene	styrene
benzene	ethylene dibromide (EDB)	1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane
carbofuran	haloacetonitriles	tetrachloroethylene
carbon tetrachloride	bromochloroacetonitrile	toluene
chlorobenzene	dibromoacetonitrile	2,4,5-TP(silvex)
chloropicrin	dichloroacetonitrile	tribromoacetic acid
2,4-D	trichloroacetonitrile	1,2,4-trichlorobenzene
dibromochloropropane (DBCP)	haloketones	1,1,1-trichloroethane
o-dichlorobenzene	1,1-dichloro-2-propanone	1,1,2-trichloroethane
p-dichlorobenzene	1,1,1-trichloro-2-propanone	trichloroethylene
1,2-dichloroethane	heptachlor	trihalomethanes (TTHM)
1,1-dichloroethylene	heptachlor epoxide	(THM) bromodichloromethane
cis-1,2-dichloroethylene	hexachlorobutadiene	bromoform
trans-1,2-dichloroethylene	hexachlorocyclopentadiene	chlorodibromomethane
1,2-dichloropropane	lindane	chloroform
cis-1,3-dichloropropylene	methoxychlor	xylenes
dinoseb	pentachlorophenol

Note: While the NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for VOC Reduction deos specify just 43 compounds, the list above contains extra entries because the Standard considers three ‘families’ of compounds single entries and then goes on to specifically call out the names of individual compounds within those chemical families.

Where do these things called VOC’s come from?

The VOC Fairy brings them while you sleep… but not really. On the NSF Web Site we found the following definition which we think does an excellent job of describing the origin of VOC’s:

“The category of VOC (Volatile Organic Chemical) includes a number of chemicals that are both man-made and naturally occurring. Water from wells and utilities may contain some of these contaminants. Some VOCs are pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides that seep into the ground water after application. Other VOCs enter the water supply through industrial or other waste disposal. This category also includes total trihalomethanes, which are a by-product of chlorination.”

For those who believe VOC’s cannot get into their water supply because you don’t live in close proximity to industrial complexes or agricultural areas, think again. Once these things enter the environment they, like many other categories of drinking water contaminants, could possibly travel many miles before dissipating to a ‘safe’ level.

Thanks for the chemistry lesson, but…

“Why does any of that matter to me?”

In a nutshell, scientists and health officials have agreed that the presence of any of those chemicals in too high a concentration in water poses a potentially serious health risk to people if they consume the water. Devices that have tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for the reduction of VOC’s must satisfactorily reduce levels of all the chemicals on that list to ‘safe’ levels.

As an example, the rise and fall of aquifer levels in certain parts of the United States can have a pronounced effect on dissolved arsenic levels in the water contained in those aquifers.

As a second example, water from melting snows or from Spring showers traveling across the land in agricultural regions has a tendency to pick up potentially harmful bacteria and nitrates/nitrites that could work their way into poorly capped wells.

Other unwanted drinking water contaminants such as atrazine and simazine also get picked up runoff water making its way through the countryside. As you may recall, farmers in the United States used both of those compounds, especially atrazine, as an herbicide/pesticide for many years — and therefore it ought not surprise you that pockets of washed away atrazine lurk in many unsuspecting parts of the country.

Something to think about: The faucets and showers in motor homes use water from whatever and whichever filling station the motor home’s owner finds when it comes time to refill the storage tanks. Where did that water come from? Do you know? Probably not.

If traveling out in an area where a lot of agricultural activity takes place you may want to think about the possibility that the water contains harmful herbicides/pesticides like as atrazine. Additionally, potentially harmful levels of nitrates and/or nitrites may also exist in the water… especially if the water comes from a well.

Note: As far as we know, the chlorine tablets people add to motor home water storage tanks do nothing to reduce or eliminate the risks associated with ingesting pesticides (i.e. atrazine), nitrates, nitrites, heavy metals such as lead, lindane, MTBE, and other possible drinking water contaminants.

Does anyone make water filters for RV’s and motor homes?

As a matter of fact, a widely recognized leader in the personal drinking water filtration industry, Culligan manufactures an NSF Certified line of RV & Marine Water Filter Systems:

• Culligan RV-EZ-3 — Reduction Claims Validated for this unit by NSF: Atrazine Reduction, Cyst Reduction, Lead Reduction, Lindane Reduction, Turbidity Reduction, Chlorine Reduction (Aesthetic), Nominal Particulate Reduction (Class I), Taste and Odor Reduction.
• Culligan RC-EZ-4 — Reduction Claims Validated for this unit by NSF: Chloramine Reduction, Chlorine Reduction (Aesthetic), Nominal Particulate Reduction (Class I), Taste and Odor Reduction, Cyst Reduction, Lead Reduction, Mercury Reduction, MTBE Reduction, Turbidity Reduction, VOC Reduction.

  The Culligan RC-EZ-4 functions as a direct upgrade to the filters included in the EZ-1 & EZ-3 RV Water Filter Systems.

Each system, as you can see, removes/reduces a different number of potential drinking water contaminants. At this point we would NORMALLY suggest water quality testing as an efficient and effective means of determining which RV Water Filter System a person should consider… but since motor homes and TV’s draw their water from a different source each time they fill up, that may not make sense financially.

So, rather than spend a small fortune on testing supplies everyplace one stops to fill up the water tank(s), why not simply invest in a water filter so you don’t have to think about it anymore?

Clearly no one solution will work for all those who roam about the country in RV’s but no matter how you slice it, some amount of filtration when facing a wide range of potential contaminants in one’s water supply will always make more sense than having no filtration at all!

Testing the water before you fill up?

Although in most cases people probably do not have a whole lot of options when it comes to where they can fill up their RV or motor home water tanks while traveling through unfamiliar areas, it probably would not hurt to run a spot check on the water before hooking up.

A quick check for basic (and important!) drinking water parameters may keep you from filling your tank(s) up with water that will continue to harm you and your family until all its contaminants get diluted — some 5 or 10 fill ups later, depending upon how far you drain tanks down before refilling.

Remember: You always have the option of using bottled water for a brief stint if the water at a one particular filling station fails to make the grade!

Water test kits for RV’s and motor homes?

Hmmm… Until now we never really gave it a lot of thought. Having said that, both SenSafe and WaterSafe make excellent, and highly portable, water quality test kits that pretty much anyone can afford and use.

Oh, and did we also mention you have the option of easily adding subtle, tasty flavors to the purified water it produces?

What importance does NSF Certified have?

Getting back to what really matters when it comes to a water filtration system, the PUR Pitcher Water Filter with PUR Flavor Options has passed independent laboratory testing and certified to NSF Standards for its ability to reduce levels of the following nasty water contaminants (if present to begin with):

• 2,4-D Reduction
• Atrazine Reduction — test for atrazine
• Benzene Reduction
• Cadmium Reduction
• Carbofuran Reduction
• Carbon Tetrachloride Reduction
• Copper Reduction — test for
• Cyst Reduction
• Mercury Reduction — test for mercury
• Simazine Reduction — test for simazine
• Tetrachloroethylene Reduction
• Toluene Reduction
• Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction
• Chlorine Reduction – Aesthetic — test for total chlorine / test for free chlorine
• Nominal Particulate Reduction, Class I
• Taste and Odor Reduction
• Zinc Reduction — test for zinc

The PUR Water Filter in this water filter pitcher was successfully tested and certified by NSF International against NSF / ANSI Standards 42 and 53.

No, this filter will not protect your family against EVERY possible drinking water contaminant, but it does offer a decent amount of protection against some truly unpleasant compounds that don’t belong in your water.

Know what contaminants your drinking water contains

The best thing to do before ordering a water filter of ANY size, brand or type… Get your water tested to find out what you need to remove! If you have serious reason to suspect your water contains contaminants, consult with a certified water testing laboratory with proper accreditation. A lab like that will have the equipment and expertise to accurately assess any risks posed by contaminants in your water.

As an example, National Testing Laboratories, a water testing lab certified to perform water testing in pretty much every State in the US, offers three different water testing packages as well as a host of other contaminant-specific tests to the general public.

Click here to view National Testing Laboratories residential water testing packages.

A while back we wrote about a dual filter nitrate removal system manufactured by Crystal Quest. Since then we have received several emails asking us if Crystal Quest made a dual filter that mounts under the sink because they have limited counter space but want the benefits offered by a dual filter.

As a matter of fact, Crystal Quest DOES manufacture a dual filter nitrate filter system that mounts under the sink… and it comes with a third filter chamber (a carbon block filter designed to remove volatile organic carbon compounds (VOC’s), insecticides, pesticides, and industrial solvents) as an added bonus. OK, so they really call it a triple filter, but using our ‘math’ you can call it a double filter nitrate removal water filter… with a single carbon block filter on the side. Ha ha.

Why did they add the third filter?

We don’t know the actual reason, but we suspect Crystal Quest knows that nitrates will often appear in drinking water found in rural/agricultural areas where compounds such as atrazine may also show. Adding the carbon block filter means the filter will have the ability to reduce/remove nitrates AND volatile organic carbon compounds (VOC’s), insecticides, pesticides, and industrial solvents.

Manufacturer’s Product Number: CQE-US-00324

Replacing the filters?

Changing out filters on this unit takes very little time and the replacement filters don’t cost an arm and a leg, either.

Life expectancy for the filters?

• Roughly 6-9 months for carbon filter
• About 10,000 gallons (or 1 to 3 years) for 6-stage filter
• Around 1 year for the nitrate removal filter

Pesticides in Water Test Kit

We have previously mentioned that many people have started to pay closer attention to the quality of their well water when it comes to pesticides. In this case we’d like to point out that the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, abbreviated as MDA, but not to be confused with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, has put together a video that educates homeowners on the dangers of atrazine in their well water and ways to test for it.

The MDA also suggests that state residents with private wells also keep an eye on bacteria and nitrate levels. Elevated levels of either in drinking water can result in severe illness and some cases even death.

Pretty much just like every other source we have ever found, the MDA definitely agrees with the idea of private well owners taking a sincere interest in monitoring the quality of the water coming out of their water wells. That message will certainly shine through in the following quote:

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has created a video, educating homeowners on how to test private wells for atrazine. This video explains some of the ways a well could become contaminated, provides a step-by-step procedure for screening a well, and what to do if atrazine is detected. Information regarding other common contaminants is also provided.

 

The video is available online at www.mda.state.mn.us/privatewelltesting, where additional information on pesticides and well testing is also available.

 

In Minnesota, private well owners are responsible for testing their own wells. While state agencies periodically conduct surveys of water quality in private wells, it is ultimately the responsibility of the well owner to monitor for drinking water contaminants, including atrazine. Nitrates and Escherichia coli (E.coli) are perhaps the most common and important contamination concerns for private wells.

 

Atrazine concentrations in private wells are expected to be absent or below current health-based guidance of three parts per billion (ppb) set by the Minnesota Department of Health. Nevertheless, there is always a potential for atrazine contamination of drinking water in high atrazine use areas and geologically vulnerable areas. ( source )

So, just like everywhere else, owners of private wells in Minnesota must also accept ultimate responsibility for the quality of the water their wells produce. No government agency has the authority to force well owners to test their water and more importantly, no government agency will begin an investigation into sources of groundwater contamination if no one provides them with test data indicating a potential problem may exist.

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,

Nitrate & Nitrite Test Strips

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.

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.