Today we will continue to explore the different drinking water filtration systems available to the general public by discussing briefly the specifics of a drinking water filtration system known as a Distiller.

• One part of a distillation system boils drinking water into steam and a second part recondenses the ‘purified’ steam back into water.
• Distillation systems may take the form of countertop models and point-of-entry (whole house) systems.
• Distillation systems work quite well for people whose unfiltered/untreated drinking water contains heavy metals and elements such as copper, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, arsenic, selenium, barium, fluroide and sodium.
• Some people opt to combine a distillation systems with an activated carbon system for more complete drinking water purification. Adding the activated carbon drinking water filter to the purification systems allows it to remove bad tastes and odors and a well-rated activated carbon filter will filter out many hazardous contaminants such as heavy metals, disinfection byproducts (i.e. haloacetic acids and trihalomethanes to name a few), chlorine, radon, volatile organic chemicals, parasites, and pesticides.

Many have asked the difference between the different types of drinking water filters they could use in their homes, at work, or at school.

Activated Carbon Filter:

• Positively charged and highly absorbent carbon media in the filter attracts and traps many drinking water impurities.
• You will typically find these drinking water filter systems on countertops, as point-of-use faucet filters, and under the sink.
• A good system for eliminating bad tastes and odors and a well-rated activated carbon filter will filter out many hazardous contaminants such as heavy metals, disinfection byproducts (i.e. haloacetic acids and trihalomethanes to name a few), chlorine, radon, volatile organic chemicals, parasites, and pesticides.

Why Install a Reverse Osmosis Water Filter?

Many of our readers have asked questions about reverse osmosis drinking water filtration systems and want to know more about them. Hence the purpose and reason for this deviation from the normal subject matter in this Water Testing Blog entry.

“Today, people are increasingly concerned about the quality of the water that they consume. Under the best of conditions, it’s possible that water may contain hazardous contaminants, ranging from dissolved organic and inorganic materials, to suspended particles and microorganisms. If you live in a home with older pipes, you may also be exposed to lead in your water. Even the chemicals, like chlorine and fluoride, that many municipalities add to water to kill bacteria or to fight tooth decay may be harmful to humans. If such chemicals are not used, your water could be harboring deadly parasites. If you suspect your water may contain microorganisms, lead, or other contaminants, have your water tested.

To decrease their exposure to possible contaminants, many people drink and cook with bottled water or put distillers or disposable cartridge filters on their water supply lines and faucets. However, bottled water may not be any purer than the water taken from your faucet, distilled water requires boiling and tastes flat, and although charcoal filters improve the taste and remove odors from water, they do little to remove chemical contaminants and microorganisms. If you find your water is contaminated, choose the correct water filtration system to correct the problem.

Reverse osmosis (RO) is generally recognized as the best system for purifying water while retaining good taste. The EPA recommends reverse osmosis filters for microbiologically safe water. Yet, an RO system alone will still allow certain waterborne germs to pass through. To knock out these types of contaminates, most RO systems incorporate some additional type of filtering, usually a replaceable carbon post filter. ( source )”

For those looking to purchase a good quality reverse osmosis drinking water filtration system, please take a look at the reverse osmosis units offered by FilterWater.Com, the Water Filter SuperStore

What Is Reverse Osmosis?

Many of our readers have asked questions about reverse osmosis drinking water filtration systems and want to know more about them. Hence the purpose and reason for this deviation from the normal subject matter in this Water Testing Blog entry.

“Reverse osmosis involves the passage of potable water through a semi-permeable membrane. In a normal osmotic reaction, water containing a dissolved substance in low concentration will flow through a membrane to the side containing a higher concentration of the dissolved substance. If pressure is applied to the side having the higher concentration of solution, the flow of water can be stopped or even reversed. When the flow is reversed, this is called ‘reverse osmosis.’ In this case, it is the water that has less dissolved substance that is desirable; this is the purified water.”( source )”

For those looking to purchase a good quality reverse osmosis drinking water filtration system, please take a look at the reverse osmosis units offered by FilterWater.Com, the Water Filter SuperStore

If You Can Visually Detect Problems With Well Water…

• Scale or ’scum line’ from too many from calcium or magnesium salts in water. total hardness test kit
• Unclear, murky or turbid water caused by suspended solids such as dirt, clay salts, silt or rust in water. tds test kit | tds meter
• Green stains forming on sinks or faucets as a result of high acidity. pH test kit
• Brown-red stains forming on sinks and fixtures, in the dishwasher, or on washed clothes may indicate the presence of dissolved iron in water. total iron test kit
• Initially cloudy water that clears up completely if allowed to sit undisturbed for a few minutes may have had fine/small air bubbles injected in it by a poorly working pump or because of a problem with filters.

If an Unusual or New Taste is Detected in Well Water…

• A salty or brackish taste in the water typically results from a high sodium content. chloride test kit
• Presence of an alkali/soapy taste may come from dissolved alkaline minerals in water.
• Acidity or a high iron content may result in a metallic taste. pH test kit | total iron test kit
• Chemical tastes are known to come from industrial chemicals or pesticides. pesticides test kit

If an Unusual or New Odor is Detected in Well Water…

• A rotten egg odor may be the result of dissolved hydrogen sulfide gas or certain types of bacteria in your water. Note, though, that if you only notice the smell coming from hot water, it is more than likely coming from a part in your hot water heater. hydrogen sulfide test kit
• You may notice a detergent odor and/or foaming water of seepage from septic tanks has gotten into your well.
• A gasoline or oil smell indicates (obviously) that some form of fuel oil or gasoline has found its way from a tank into the water supply.
• Decaying organic matter can result in a methane gas or musty/earthy smell coming from the water.
• Excessive chlorination of a well, or not waiting long enough after shocking a well with chlorine (obviously) results in a chlorine smell coming from the water. free chlorine test kit | total chlorine test kit

As always, if you suspect that your well has gotten contaminated in any way, always consult with a trained water professional. Do-it-yourself home water test kits like Well Water Check, COMPLETE Water Test Kit and the Drinking Water Test Kit serve as excellent screening tools but they do NOT have the same amount of accuracy as the results you can get from a certified water testing laboratory. It’s your well, your water, and ultimately — your life.

Ivars Jaunakais of Industrial Test Systems, Inc. recently announced that he had successfully used one of his company’s EPA/ETV Test Verified Field Arsenic Test Kits to detect inorganic arsenic in undiluted ocean water.

According to the statement we received, Ivars spiked a sample of undiluted ocean water with 50ppb inorganic arsenic and recovered 100% during testing with both an electronic meter system (Arsenic Scan) and a visual test method (Arsenic Econo-Quick II).

Ivars went on to make comments about testing for arsenic in brackish water that contains suspended solids. He suggested that the solids have time to settle in the sample prior to testing and/or that samples get filtered before testing.

Additionally, he remarked that samples ought not sit for too long before testing as the organics in ocean water have the abilty to convert inorganic arsenic into organic arsenic. The Quick^TM series of arsenic test kits cannot detect organic arsenic.

People often ask about iron in drinking water.  It has the abilty to stain fixtures, clog certain types of filters, stain clothes, ruin the taste of food and beverages, cause water to have an unpleasant taste, etc.  It does not, however, at least according to the current Primary and Secondary Drinking Water Standards set forth by the USEPA, pose a health risk. 

Note: The USEPA has set the Maximum Contaminant Level for iron in drinking water at 0.3 ppm in their Secondary Drinking Water Standards, which deal more with aesthetic properties of water than with health-related issues.

Its presence in drinking and process water does annoy people, though, so knowing what types of iron may exist in a water supply has a bit of relevance. Below please find four types of iron commonly found in public and private water supplies:

• Ferrous — This form of iron results in the most complaints and reasons for examination of water for iron content.  If allowed to remain in a state with little oxygen present, this type of iron remains in solution and the water will appear colorless.  However, in the case of tap water allowed to remain in service lines coming from a well or other source, rust colored iron particles may begin to precipitate out of solution.  These particles obviously ruin water clarity and give the impression of unsafe drinking water.  Additionally, they clog certain types of water filtration systems and cause the owners of those water filtration systems to replace them well in advance of their expected replacement dates.  Water professionals often refer to this type of iron in water as ‘clear iron’.
• Ferric — This form of iron creates sediments ranging in color from riddish-brown all the way to black and the precipitates formed will not go back into solution.  Therefore they pose a great problem for water filtration systems.  Water professionals often refer to this form of iron in water as ‘red iron’.
• Iron Bacteria — While this form of bacteria does have the word ‘bacteria’ in it, it has no pathogenic properties and exists more as a nuisance than anything else.  You can expect to find this form of bacteria in drinking water showing up in soil, ground water, and surface water.  In a household environment you may encounter this form of bacteria lingering around the metal parts of plumbing fixtures and/or in dark areas such as spaces hidden under the toilet lid tank.  Appearance-wise this form of iron in drinking water can look like a slimy or gelatinous substance hanging in the water.  With regard to color, the substance will typically appear brown, red or sometimes even white.
• Organic Iron — This form of iron exists in a complexed form with a wide variety of different organic materials.  It typically has a yellow or brown appearance and shows up mainly in shallow wells and surface water.

If you want to test for iron, keep in mind that a lot of home water test kits will not detect total iron (Fe+2 and Fe+3).  Also keep in mind that even the total iron test kits do not detect iron bacteria or organic iron.  Therefore, when attempting to diagnose your water’s potential iron problems, make sure that you choose the proper test kit and/or certified laboratory testing service for your individual water testing needs.

What do we suggest as options for water testing when it comes to detecting iron in drinking water?  Companies such as National Testing Laboratories and MWH Laboratories offer nice packages of comprehensive water testing services which you may want to explore.

If you have only ferrous and ferric iron as your main concerns, then a simple home test kit for total iron (Fe+2/Fe+3) such as the new WaterWorks Total Iron visual test kit may work quite well.

Keep in mind, though, that nothing takes the place of a qualified laboratory analysis of your drinking water when/if you you feel your family’s safety is on the line.

Thoughts of testing water for specific chemical parameters scares a lot of folks because they remember all the horrible nights they spent cramming for an upcoming Chemistry test in high school and/or college. Trust us when we say, “We feel your pain. Been there and done that.”

You should also trust us, though, when we say you don’t need complicated chemistry sets or highly specialized training to find out if your tap water contains dangerous levels of things like:

Worried about the quality of the drinking water in your home, office or school? Inexpensive, easy-to-use home water test kits are just a click or a phone call (800-861-9712) away!

Now, of course, should the results of your home water testing for key water parameters yield results above expected and/or acceptable limits, you will most certainly want to have a certified water professional perform more advanced tests on your drinking water and at no time should you rely on home water quality test kits if you have serious reason to suspect that your water contains know carcinogens or other life threatening contaminants. Leave that sort of testing up to the Water Testing Professionals in your area.

The majority of people in the United States already know that our country sends a lot of aid to foreign countries in the form of water purifiers and water quality test kits in the wake of heavy rains or other natural disasters which result in massive flooding… and now we must turn our attention to the plight of millions of Americans whose homes, neighborhoods, schools and places of business have fallen victim to the mighty power of the Mississippi River and its tributaries.

As flood waters begin to recede back towards the river banks which once held them in place, the returning residents of recently flooded areas face seemingly endless hours of cleaning, millions of dollars in property damages… and uncertainty as to what sort of contaminants the flood waters have left on their lawns, on their roads, and in their wells.

The same millions of gallons of river water which burst through levees also tore through landfills, soaked up runoff/drainage from septic systems, picked up debris from swere systems, scrapped up trash from the streets, and carried the carcasses of countless animals and bugs whose lives it claimed.

Large amounts of that ‘dirty’ water may have found its way down into aquifers through open wells and other means so now the water getting pulled from wells could contain any number of natural and/or manmade chemicals.

Individuals and companies looking to perform multiple tests on numerous water sources may want to consider picking up a water testing kit like the Well Drillers’ Master Kit, as it contains a good number of tests for items which can have and adverse effect on human health:

Well Drillers’ Master Water Test Kit

Each Well Drillers’ Master Water Testing Kit contains:

• 50 Free Chlorine Test Strips
• 50 Ultra Low Total Chlorine Test Strips
• 50 Hydrogen Sulfide Test Strips
• 50 Total Hardness Test Strips
• 50 Nitrate/Nitrite Test Strips
• 50 pH Test Strips
• 24 Manganese Tests
• 50 Water Metals Test Strips
• 10 Arsenic Test Strips
• 50 Iron Tests
• 50 Copper Test Strips
• 2 Lead in Water Tests
• 2 Pesticide Tests
• 1 bottle of Bacteria Test

Full kits, refills, and extra tests for each parameter can be ordered independently and in small quantities through the Industrial Test Systems, Inc. web site.

Lead, Lead and more Lead. . . For the longest time many water professionals viewed lead as a problem only if the water lines from the treatment plant to the house contained inappropriate amounts of lead — but not any more.

Ivars Jaunakais, chief analytical chemist, founder and President of Industrial Test Systems, Inc. uncovered interesting data which suggested that lead comes from other sources and was able to prove his hypothesis by testing for the presence of lead in faucet aerators. He found that particulates which had accumulated in the nozzles and faucet aerators sometimes contained and, in turn, produced substantial amounts of lead far in excessive of the EPA’s 15ppb ruling for drinking water.

Older testing methods involved testing procedured best carried out in a laboratory setting. Through the use of groundbreaking LEADQuick^TM ReagentStrip & Reagent technology and the Hach’s already established LeadTrak^TM Pocket Colorimeter^TM II, Ivars greatly reduced the cost per test and total test times while making the test safer, simpler and easier to perform.

No longer do water samples have to get hauled back to a laboratory for analysis in order to get laboratory grade test results. Field samplers and field technicians can now safely and easily test for lead concentrations in water at a fraction of the cost and in a fraction of the time.

LEADQuick^TM Lead Test for the LeadTrak^TM Pocket Colorimeter^TM II

(More Information on Ivars’ New Lead Test Coming Soon!)