“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.

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.

GUILFORD — Administrators are promising to soon remedy an elementary school’s well water problem that may have been caused by the area’s past agricultural uses.

Tests of a well providing drinking water to part of Melissa Jones Elementary School, the only school in town using well water, showed a presence of more coliform bacteria, or E. coli, than standards allow. Coliform is a marker for potentially harmful bacteria, Principal Paula McCarthy wrote to parents in an e-mail alert Monday.

The well will be rechlorinated, and any sinks or water fountains currently closed will be open by the time students return from winter break Jan. 4, school board Chairman William Bloss said. So far no children or faculty have reported illnesses caused by drinking the water, he said, and there are other wells bringing clean, safe water to the rest of the building.

“I think the feeling is it’s from the historical agricultural use of the land in that area and fertilizer run-off, and waste run-off, because obviously in a well, you’re working with groundwater and eventually anything in there works way into ground water,” Bloss said.

Sinks and water fountains in the gym and upstairs hall have been closed and instant sanitizer pumps have been used for hand washing in those areas, according to the principal’s message.

Alan Meyers, a doctor and school board member, said more than 90 percent of E. coli strains are safe, but they are markers of contamination.

“It’s a normal constituent of feces. It could come from cows across the street or humans or anywhere,” Meyers said. “So far, no one has gotten sick, so it’s just good that it’s monitored.”

Dangerous strains of E. coli are sometimes found in hamburger meat and can cause serious illness, but that’s not what Melissa Jones Elementary School test results showed, Meyers explained.

Officials say they faced the same situation last spring and a few years ago, which is why the water is tested once per quarter.

“It’s not a question of the system being outdated. It’s because of the type of groundwater in north Guilford,” he said.

The cost to rechlorinate the well is “not prohibitive,” Bloss said, and it’s “very much secondary to making sure we are meeting all guidelines on water quality.”

The system flush will take two weeks and water will be retested, said Cliff Gurnham, director of operations and facilities.

He said school administrators have investigated piping water in and determined it would have to be piped from Abraham Baldwin Middle School, which also once relied on well water. However, high costs have ruled out that option, Gurnham said.

Susan Misur can be reached at “smisur ‘at’ hregister.com”. ( source )

As usual, the virtue of periodic well water testing for critical water parameters (like coliform bacteria) proved its worth. Had school officials not acted proactively, they might have wound up with an entire school full of sick students and faculty.

More importantly, in some people’s minds, the simple and relatively inexpensive quarterly checks for coliform bacteria probablysaved the school district hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and lawsuits.

So now the question most of us ought to ask ourselves naturally becomes, “When was the last time MY child’s school or daycare had ITS water tested for coliform bacteria?” — especially if the school draws its water from a well and resides in a former or current agricultural/farming region.

Believe it or not, not all forms of bacteria pose a danger to human life. In fact, the killing off of too much naturally occurring bacteria in the human body will lead to illness. Hence the reason why we now have yogurts and other products which encourage the growth of specific cultures in the human digestive tract.

Fact remains, though, that the introduction of harmful bacteria such as E. Coli, a bacteria strain well known for its ability to harm and even kill people, into potable water is an issue that all people who maintain their own wells or live, perhaps, at the tail end of a public water system’s line ought to check on a regular basis.

How Can People Test for Coliform Bacteria in Water?

A very safe and easy test called Bacteria Check detects the presence of coliform bacteria down to 1 cfu per 100 ml — the EPA limit for coliform bacteria in drinking water — and requires no incubation. The test takes 48 hours and gives results much faster in the case where the sample water contains higher levels of coliform bacteria.

WaterWorks™ Bacteria Check

Please note that Bacteria Check will not tell you what KIND of coliform bacteria it detected. Instead it will tell you that the sample water contained at least ONE coliform unit of bacteria in the 100 mL sample.