“My reverse osmosis water filter made me sick since April 2013- current. I have been unable to work or leave the house due to explosive diahreah, weakness, headaches and other stomach issues. I have documented water samples stating the RO water has 89 fecal coliform bacteria colonies and 682 coliform colonies. The water direct from the faucet had 0 coliform colonies. Please contact me regarding case.”

Note: For privacy reasons we will keep all aspects of her identity concealed and so we don’t get sued by the water filter manufacturer, we will keep their model number and brand name concealed, as well. Additionally, we would like to state for the record that reverse osmosis water filter systems normally do not cause the kinds of problems experienced by our reader

Then why bother writing this article w/ no specifics?

We opted to write about this poor woman’s condition so we could illustrate a few takeaway points from our conversation with our reader that that some folks out there really ought to hear.

1. Whenever faced with a situation like the one described above, do what she did and get the water tested before and after filtration. In this case the fact that her filtered water contained coliform bacteria and her raw source water did not pointed the finger of blame directly at the water filter as the source of the bacteria.
    
2. If ever you suddenly find yourself ill right after beginning the use a of a water filtration product STOP USING THAT PRODUCT IMMEDIATELY and see if the symptoms improve. If they do, then definitely get the water filter checked out for defects.
    
3. RO water, by default, has no disinfecting properties left in it after passing through the membrane(s) and other filters so if you do not use a large amount of water make sure you do not invest in a reverse osmosis unit that has a huge holding tank… because the least little bit of bacteria will thrive in the absence of any disinfectants.

   Or, if the idea of having water in reserve appeals to you, then you may want to invest in an ultraviolet water filter as an add-on for your reverse osmosis unit. Ultraviolet water filter will prevent bacteria, if present, from multiplying in your purified water holding tank.
    

4. Always, always, always use extreme care and caution when installing a reverse osmosis or any type of water filter in your home. That means make sure you have cleaned the work area ahead of time and have washed your hands, as well. The introduction of any dirt, dust, grime, slime, or debris into the water filter’s system may have disastrous effects.

   Please feel free to refer back to our unfortunate reader’s comment about explosive diarrhea, weakness, headaches and other stomach issues if you don’t believe us.

   Oh, and if for one minute you think that a water filter manufacturer or distributor will admit to wrongdoing (i.e. improperly sterilized components), then please keep the following words (which we sent to our reader) in mind: “Based on previous cases we have read involving ANY type of filter and alleged bacterial contamination coming from the filter… a manufacturer almost ALWAYS has the following defense: ‘The customer contaminated the unit prior to (or during) installation and the bacteria grew in the system since that time.’ True or not, proving them incorrect, and therefore negligent in some way, becomes incredibly difficult — if not darn near impossible.”
    

5. Should you EVER find your self feeling as bad as our reader, PLEASE understand that the possible consequences of bacterial contamination may include not only the symptoms she described, but also more unpleasant ones like… death.

   Definitely seek medical attention should you feel as bad as our reader did and don’t rely on over-the-counter medications to solve your problems. In many cases over-the-counter medications for the symptoms associated with conditions caused by foreign bacteria in a person’s system may not pack the medicinal punch required to fully rid a person of infectious bacteria.
    

6. After installing a water filter one should always perform occasional testing on the water produced by the filter to make certain it still functions as intended. Remember: Some unwanted and potentially harmful contaminants (arsenic is a great example) have no discernible taste or smell so if present in your source water, and your water filter develops problems, you will not know unless you test the water.

In conclusion we would like to thank our reader for allowing us to hear of her troubles and also tell the rest of you that the manufacturer of her filter agreed to take the unit back and refund her money per the satisfaction guarantee issued when she purchased the unit.

Moral of the story?

In this case testing of the reader’s water allowed her to determine the potential cause of her health-related issues. We believe if more people took just a few minutes every once in a while to test the quality of their drinking water… a good number of people would realize that their water, although seemingly tasty and delicious, could get even better with just a little help from a water filter.

We ALSO believe that the folks who perform regular water testing, and find nothing wrong, get a certain, and quite invaluable, peace of mind.

“I’m trying to find someone to come test my well water. I’m in Reidsville, NC. And we are just renters I have never had well water before and I would like to know what’s in it. When it rains really hard for a few days the water smells like fish. Then sometimes like onion do you know of a company that test wells in Reidsville??”

While we do not know of a specific company that tests well water in your area, Janelle, we suggest contacting your local health department and asking them if they can provide you with a list of qualified local water testing laboratories.

We took the liberty of doing a quick Google Search for ‘well water testing in Reidsville, NC’ (click the link, Janelle!) and while no immediate matches popped up, a few companies appeared to have locations w/in 20 or 30 miles of where you live, Janelle.

You should also check out the EPA’s North Carolina Water Page. It contains a number of links and phone numbers that may prove useful.

Regarding the ‘fishy smell’ in well water?

Without actually testing the water we suspect that your water may contain some form of organic matter whose levels change in accordance with the changing of the level of the aquifer from which your well draws its water. From what we have read the organic matter usually does not pose much of a health threat, though in some instances it can, and it typically poses more of an aesthetic nuisance than anything else.

Sources also indicated that certain types of bacteria in one’s well may also cause well water to possess a fishy smell at times.

Regarding the ‘onion smell’ in well water?

Most resources we viewed suggested changing the anode rod in the hot water heater since it, over time, can begin collecting mineral deposits or fail in other ways that can result in water coming from the water heater smelling like onions and sometimes, though we neglected to mention this in the previous section, like fish.

Treating for onion water and fishy water?

As noted a moment ago, making sure the anode rod in the water heater has not gone bad or become encrusted with unwanted mineral deposits makes for a wise course of action if water in a home has taken on an onion or fishy smell.

One site we found said the following about diagnosing and treating water that contained foul odors:

“This type of odor may indicate the presence of organic (non-pathogenic) matter. The most common method of treatment for this type of odor is activated carbon filtration or chlorination followed by carbon filtration. It is helpful to attempt to diagnose the cause of the odor so that proper treatment is designed. You may also test your well water for bacteria and nitrates to confirm portability of the water.” ( source )

No matter what, though, Janelle, make sure you get the water tested by a certified water testing laboratory — preferably one that specializes in diagnosing problems with well water.

Hi.

We are a detergent manufacturing company here in Malta and we need to make regular checks on water that is used in the manufacturing process especially for nitrates, bacterias, sulfide and others. What you can suggest me ?

Thanks and Regards

Jesmond F.

Thank you, Jesmond, for your inquiry. Given the items you wish to test for, we have a few suggestions:

• Our Water Test Kit Store currently carries a product it calls ‘Water Quality Test Kit‘ which contains tests for all of the items you mentioned.
• Another kit made by the same company called the Well Driller Test Kit includes tests for all of the tests you asked about and will make it possible for you to test quite a few water samples — up to 50 samples in some cases.
• Now if you’d rather use a meter to perform testing, naturally we suggest the eXact Micro 7+ Meter which, according to the latest information we’ve read, can test for Ammonia, Bromine, Chloride/Salt, Chlorine Dioxide, Chromium (Hexavalent), Copper, Cyanuric Acid, Fluoride, Iodine, Iron, Low Range Total Hardness, Manganese, Nitrate, Nitrite, Ozone, Acid pH, Alkali pH, Potassium, Sulfate, Sulfide, and Turbidity. Granted the meter cannot test for bacteria, but you can always pick up tests for bacteria separately.

• Speaking of separately, simple dip-n-read test strips exist for the purpose of testing each of the tests you asked about — with the exception, of course, of bacteria which uses a presence/absence ‘mug’ test procedure if you wish to test down to drinking water standards: Bacteria, Sulfides (as hydrogen sulfides) and Nitrates.

Hopefully one or more of the options above will suit your water testing needs.

While more often than not the presence of E. Coli in a water supply does mean human or animal waste has somehow made its way into the sample, it does not guarantee that has happened.

It does, however, still mean a qualified water testing lab such as National Testing Labs should take a look at the quality of the water to determine its potability.

February 24, 2011 – GRAFTON, Mass. – E.coli bacteria has been detected in an untreated water sample collected recently from the Worcester Street well, the Grafton Water District is reporting.

Grafton Water District Manager Matt Pearson stressed that the sample was taken from the well prior to treatment and the well was immediately taken offline. Boiling of water will not be required for Grafton residents.

The wells are routinely monitored for drinking water contaminants to ensure the safety of the water supply. On Feb. 24, the district was notified that a fecal indicator, E.coli bacteria, was detected in one untreated water sample collected on Feb. 22 from the Worcester Street well.

Samples collected on the same date from Grafton’s drinking water — samples taken after the routine treatment with chlorine disinfectant — did not detect any fecal contaminants.

Fecal indicators are microbes whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems. ( source )

While definitely something to keep an eye on, other things besides coliform bacteria in drinking water also serve as indicators that drinking water contamination may have occurred.

Simple tests for changes in pH, alkalinity and heavy metals — for literally pennies per test in some cases — can alert consumers to potentially dangerous changes in the quality of their water.

With testing supplies as inexpensive as they have become, it makes little to no sense for people not to take an interest in the quality of the water they drink.

In this case the community leaders in a part of Illinois decided to make certified well water testing available to residents right as the snows (hopefully) will begin to start melting.

The Lake County Health Department/Community Health Center will offer reduced water testing rates in observance of National Ground Water Awareness Week in March. Water samples can be brought to the Lake County Central Permit Facility and Environmental Laboratory, 500 W. Winchester Road in Libertyville between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on weekdays from March 7 through 17. During this time, the normal $16 analysis fee for testing for bacteria and nitrates will be reduced to $10 for well owners.

“Safe drinking water is something that many take for granted, but every year instances of contaminated drinking water occur in Lake County,” said Irene Pierce, the Health Department’s Executive Director. “The Health Department encourages all users of private wells to take this time to have their drinking water tested, and to test it at least annually to see if it meets the minimum drinking water standards.” ( source )

Excellent timing! Most people don’t give a second thought to the effects runoff water can have on local drinking water supplies.

• Runoff water from heavy rains or melting snow causes aquifer levels to rise. When that happens, the aquifer has the opportunity to come in contact with previously undisturbed pockets of underground contaminants.

• Localized flooding may jeopardize the quality of well water if the well head becomes submerged and flood water seeps down into the well.

Other possible reasons for concern over well water quality exist as well, but for now we believe those two ought to make well owners curious enough to find out if the Health Department in their own community has made discounted, free, or reduced well testing available.

Testing our own well water?

We’ve said it once, we’ve said it a hundred times: It’s your water, your health… and ultimately your LIFE!

Plenty of do-it-yourself well water test kits exist and you can find a few examples of well water test kits here.

Those people, in our opinion, need to keep their opinions to themselves… and feel free to drink as much unboiled water during a boil water advisory as they would like. Just don’t expect us to feel sorry for them when a glassful of parasites decides to take up residence in their digestive tracts.

Think about it. What government body or agency would REALLY want to deal with the general public calling non-stop asking questions about the safety of its water when a boil water advisory gets issued? Also, can you imagine the paperwork and follow-up paperwork that a municipal water department has to do as a result of a boil water advisory?

So please, people… if you hear that a boil water advisory has gone into effect, please do as it says. The inconvenience you experience for a few hours or a few days will definitely beat spending a few days in the hospital as doctors scramble to purge your body of vermin.

Want to get rid of potentially harmful bacteria in your drinking water?

We suggest taking a look the benefits offered by an ultraviolet water purification system. Using a specific wavelength of ultraviolet light these systems have the ability to kill or render harmless virtually 99% of bacteria in water… without the need for harmful chemicals.

For those interested in ultraviolet water purification systems that have tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 55 for Ultraviolet Microbiological Water Treatment Systems, the Trojan UVMAX Pro10, Trojan UVMAX Pro20 and Trojan UVMAX Pro30 UltraViolet Disinfection Systems available at WaterFilters.Net have certified to that standard.

In both cases, and so many more, we would suggest getting a test kit such as the Water Quality Test Kit made by SenSafe or the City Water Test Kit made by WaterSafe… and doing some preliminary testing of their own.

In most cases people complaining about city water will have problems caused by contaminants such as dissolved metals (i.e. lead, iron, copper, etc.), chlorine content (free and/or total), total hardness (calcium and/or manganese), and/or rotten egg smells caused by dissolved hydrogen sulfide.

If you get unusual or questionable results, definitely seek the services of a certified water testing laboratory; preferably one not affiliated with a water filter system distributor.

What about bacteria?

We also get asked quite often about the likelihood of harmful bacteria showing up in tap water. Despite the efficiency of modern water treatment facilities and the exemplary track records most have when it comes to the quality of the water they produce, one must always remember two things:

1) Accidental machinery malfunctions can occur.

2) City water travels through lots and lots of piping before it gets to your tap… meaning it passes over thousands of joints where leaks in the pipes could allow the introduction of dangerous bacteria.

If you suspect for any reason that your water supply may contain bacteria, although home drinking water test kits work well as screening methods, times like this call for the services of a certified water testing lab.

You local health department can suggest a water testing laboratory in your area or you can use a mail order laboratory such as National Testing Labs.

Everyone in my town has their own well and the other day I heard some neighbors talking about how a new house got built nearby and they can’t get it sold ‘cuz the well keeps having bacteria problems. How does a well get bacteria in it and should we all be worried?

As far as we know, pretty much every state has a law that says a new private well cannot get used until it passes a series of tests for critical drinking water parameters which definitely includes a coliform bacteria test.

Regarding WHY that well keeps failing the bacteria test, any number of things could result in a well repeatedly failing the bacteria test. Below we will list a few of the more common reasons:

Your well may become contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria in one or more of the following ways:

• At the top of the well the cap/cover may have come loose or become cracked/broken allowing debris, insect and possibly even small vermin to get into the well area.
• A (nasty) source of contamination such as a septic system built too close to the well can definitely introduce bacteria as well as nitrates and other unwanted contaminants. Also, a well not having deep enough casing to bypass the area contaminated by nearby septic tanks/fields may also allow bacteria and other things to enter a well and make it unusable.
• Simple problems with sanitation and cleanliness of the tools and other implements used to drill a well may result in a contaminated drill hole.
• Plumbing components such as piping, pumps and/or pressure systems devices may not have received proper disinfection prior to use, assembly and installation.
• ‘Dug’ wells lined with boards, brick, stone and/or tiles may allow unfiltered water and/or what they call near-surface water to seep through and enter the well area — especially if the ground around the well has settled or shifted in any way.
• If the well casing goes into the ground and the ground/rock around the outside of the casing has cracks/crevices near the surface unfiltered and potentially contaminated surface water may work its way down the outside of the casing and eventually find its way down into the aquifer from which the well draws its water.
• In cases where the well casing does not extend far enough above the surface or the base of a hand pump does not have a watertight seal surface water could easily find its way down into the well.
• The head, or top, of the well lies in a depression or area at a lower height than surrounding areas and surface water has the ability to collect/pool around it.

• Older wells may have succumb to nature and developed corrosion spots where surface water could work its way into the well casing.

Like any other part of your house, your well needs periodic maintenance and upkeep. If you do not know what to look for when evaluating a well’s physical well-being, consult with a certified well technician. You can find information that will help you select the right well water specialist for the job on www.WellOwner.org

What if I want to test my own well water every once in a while?

Nothing wrong with that at all! In fact, most well water experts agree that well owners ought to perform periodic testing on their water — just in case. The kits below will test for a number of different critical well water parameters, but always remember that if you have good reason to suspect contamination of your well… you need to seek professional assistance from a certified drinking water testing laboratory.

Now before you freak out, keep in mind that the presence of fecal coliform bacteria in a body of water does not necessarily mean the water will cause a person to get sick… or die. Also, this sampling included, for the most part, outside bodies of water, not drinking water supplies.

So having said that, why should residents in that area care if ponds, streams, rivers, lakes, etc. contain fecal coliform bacteria? Simple: The presence of such a contaminant serves as a warning flag that somehow, in some way, sewer and septic systems have failed to contain human waste… and it has found a way to seep into the environment untreated.

If enough untreated sewage finds its way into the environment, a good chance exists that it may one day also find its way to a popular swimming hole in a local creek, drift around until it lingers just off the shore of a lake where people wade to cool off, and possibly even seep down into the ground where it could enter an aquifer that provides water to wells servicing the homes of unsuspecting families.

Officials in Augusta have broadened their examination of water downtown after an Augusta Chronicle analysis found elevated levels of fecal coliform bacteria.

The sampling began Monday after the newspaper published a report Sunday revealing the results of water sample testing from 50 locations in Richmond, Columbia and Aiken counties.

Fecal coliform bacteria indicates that pathogens may be present and could pose a risk to human health.

Garrett Weiss, manager of the Augusta Engineering Department’s Stormwater and Environmental Section, says his department has been aware of some of the problems and is moving to correct them.

He said old, hidden sewer lines that aren’t properly hooked up to sanitary sewer systems may be to blame for the high levels. ( source )

I you or someone you know has reason to suspect contamination of their water supply with coliform bacteria or any other potentially harmful chemical element, compound, or organism, seek the assistance of a certified water testing laboratory in your area. If no labs exist in your immediate area, or they have extremely high testing rates, contact your local health department or take a look at the water testing services offered by companies like National Testing Laboratories.

We said it before and we will say it again: Ultimate responsibility for the quality of the water you drink rests with YOU.

Far too often we trust that the water entering our homes contains no harmful contaminants because our water treatment plant ‘has one of the best reputations in the business’ or has ‘never had a violation or failed an inspection’. We forget our local water treatment plant’s crystal clear, safe travels through many miles of different types and sorts of pipes before it reaches our faucets.

At any point in that journey a tiny crack in any one of the pipes could allow potentially harmful contaminants to enter the water stream… and travel to our faucets. A multitude of coliform bacteria can work their way through openings far smaller than half of a millimeter in size with the greatest of ease.

Oh, and at one point in time or another, health officials deemed materials like lead safe for use in drinking water pipelines.

Most people take for granted every day that the water from kitchen taps and the vegetables from home gardens or stores will be clean and safe.

But if sewer pipes lying beneath local streets and yards are damaged or broken, there’s potential for serious problems, say health, environmental and utility officials.

Because pipes carrying fresh, clean water often lie in the same ditches, tunnels and infrastructure rights of way as sewer lines, there is tremendous potential for drinking water or irrigation water to be contaminated.

“Your water can be contaminated right out in the street in front of you,” said Dr. Mark LeChevallier, director of innovation and environment stewardship for American Water Co., the parent company of Tennessee-American Water Co., which serves Chattanooga.

Dr. Rand Carpenter, an epidemiologist and waterborne illness specialist with the Tennessee Department of Heath, says once that contamination is there, all it takes is contact and an unwashed hand.

Sewage contains pathogens, bacteria and viruses, he said, and if people touch something bearing those germs, they can get sick.

“These are big concerns to us in the health department,” he said.

Emerging strains of E. coli have proven very dangerous, especially to the young, the elderly or people whose immune systems are deficient.

Even a norovirus, “what we grew up calling the 24-hour virus,” can be a culprit of contamination that began with sewage, Dr. Carpenter said. ( source )

Periodic testing of tap water for simple things like heavy metals (i.e. lead, copper, mercury, etc.) and bacteria helps ensure the safety of everyone in your home.