All About Water Filters and Water Purification News and Information

Sand filters with established biofilms are more effective in removing taste and odor

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 21:32:47 -0400

If you put your home water filter to work for too long, you will end up with more contaminated water than before. But in a large scale water treatment system some scientists in Australia concluded that older sand filters perform better in odor removal.

In an article published in the International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, the authors explained the challenges water authorities are facing when it comes to taste and odor compounds removal from drinking water. They explained that these compounds may not present any health risks but their presence often leads to a misconception that the water is unsafe for drinking.

The report states further that 2-Methylisoborneol (MIB) and geosmin are the most common causes of earthy/musty odor, and are not easily removed by conventional treatment processes. The Australian scientists found that a 26 years old sand filter is more effective in removing MIB and geosmin can be removed through biologically active sand filters. The result of their experiments using laboratory sand filter columns using sand taken from South Australian water treatment plants shows that "sand with a well-established biofilm taken from a 26 years old filter was capable of removing MIB and geosmin to below detection limit."

Source: www.inderscience.com
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Unsafe water: Brown, odor water from faucet in Langston Residents

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 21:33:54 -0400

Many Langston residents are very worried that the water coming out of their faucets is not truly safe for drinking, bathing or cooking. One resident, a 21-year old Langston University student is so skeptical that she recently bought a filter for her kitchen sink and spends at least $40 a month on bottled water.

Langston's water supply has been cited for numerous compliance violations dating back to 1997 in the Public Water System Supervision Program's (PWSS) annual compliance reports. Recently, for about a two-week period, water in the Commons was visibly dark. It has since cleared up, but the brown color was replaced by a strong chlorine odor.
The compliance reports are compiled by the DEQ and serve as a notice to the public concerning the safety of the water being distributed for human consumption. The DEQ monitors more than 1,600 active public water supply systems in Oklahoma that do not meet federal regulations, which includes Langston's water supply.

In the 2006 report, the town of Langston was cited for seven violations because of the high levels of various contaminants in the water: nitrate; interim enhanced surface water treatment rule (IESWTR) turbidity treatment technique; disinfection byproducts rule maximum contaminant levels; coliform; total organic carbon (TOC); total trihalomethane (THM); and HAA5 (haloacetic acid).

Nitrates are naturally occurring chemicals that form after the breakdown or decomposition of animal or human waste. Langston's nitrate levels were found to be too high.

Turbidity refers to the cloudiness of a fluid caused by individual particles generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The higher the turbidity, the higher the risk of drinkers developing gastrointestinal diseases, especially immune-compromised people. The technique that Langston uses to reduce turbidity was found to be ineffective.

Disinfection byproducts (waste material) are formed when disinfectants used in water treatment plants react with bromide and/or natural organic matter (i.e. decaying vegetation). Langston's levels of disinfection byproducts were, again, too high.

Coliform is a type of bacteria that does not actually cause of sickness, but since it is easy to culture its presence is used to determine the existence of other pathogenic organisms of fecal origin. Higher than normal levels of coliform were found in Langston's water.

TOC is the amount of carbon in an organic compound, and Langston's levels exceeded the DEQ's acceptable limits. Trihalomethanes (THMs) are formed as a byproduct when either chlorine or bromine is used to disinfect water for drinking. THMs are also environmental pollutants, and many are considered carcinogenic. Langston's THMs levels were greater than the DEQ allows.

The HAA5 are a group of chemicals that are formed along with other disinfection byproducts when chlorine or other disinfectants used to control microbial contaminants in drinking water react with naturally occurring organic and inorganic matter in water. The five chemicals are monochloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, monobromoacetic acid, and dibromoacetic acid.

Source: www.blackcollegewire.org/news

How filtered water can become contaminated

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 21:05:36 -0400

Home filtered water is definitely better than buying bottled water. Beside the environmental hazard of bottled water, we are all aware that bottled water can not be reliable. It has been documented that bottled water is not purer than tap water.

One thing we also know is that tap water can also be unreliable. Recent reports about water contaminations world wide confirm that we can not rely on tap water. There were even recent reports about two water treatment plant operators in Canada and in US who admitted to doctoring water quality analysis in order to make the water appear clean. Also, human activities, flooding issues and many other unforeseen events can contaminate the water we drink. Even adequately treated water can be contaminated within the house plumbing systems.

Now, how can filtered water be dangerous? A home water filter system is designed to remove harmful chemicals in drinking water but the filtered water can be dangerous in a couple of ways which can be avoided. It is recommended that you should check the radon level in your home after you have installed a water filter.

Scientists say that drinking water can pick up radon in the home. Radon gas is colorless, odorless, and radioactive which can occur naturally in the air by the breakdown of uranium. According to Penn State Agricultural and Biological Engineering, if radon contaminates your drinking water, and the water passes through an activated carbon filter, the filter will become radioactive, making the filtered water even more dangerous.

Also, all water filters come with recommendations on filter life. Each filter has a capacity to absorb and hold the contaminants on the filter media surface. The filter pores have limited capacity to allow water to pass through them. Manufacturers have determined that after certain flow has passed through, water replacement filter carridges must be purchased. However, trying to exceed this flow capacity can make the filtered water more dangerous than the original dirty water. Picture a dust that is hanging on the wall. The dust will continue to grow and after a while, if not cleaned, the dust may fall to the floor. This is a similar situation with contaminants that are accumulating on the filter media. If the filter is not changed according to manufacturer's recommendation, the contaminants will become some large on the filter and will eventually fall off, but this time, to the filtered water.

Therefore, it is important to check the radon levels in your home while you use a water filter, and to follow the manufacturer's recommendations for water filter replacement cartridges.

Create bottled water for less than a PENNY per gallon.

Benefits of an Iron Filter

Thu, 1 Nov 2007 21:54:50 -0400

Have you ever turned on the faucet and wondered where that clean water comes from? Bob Martin and the crew of the South Lyon Water Department is the man responsible for delivering that water to homes offices and schools within the city.

One hundred and fifty feet below South Lyon is an underground lake called an aquifer, which is pumped to the surface for treatment. The ground water is rich in minerals such as iron. However, iron-rich water isn't good for bathtubs, water heaters and dishwashers, Martin said. When the water is pumped from the ground to the surface, the iron is dissolved in the water and can't be seen.

"Think of it like Kool-Aid," Martin said of the powder which dissolves in water. In order to get the iron out of the water some basic chemistry must be applied. The water is pumped to the top of a large tank and dropped. At the same time, air is pumped up, crashing into the falling water. The action transforms the iron in the solution to water with iron particles, about the size of a pinhead. The process is called aeration.

"It goes from a solution to a solid," Martin said.

From the tanks, the water is piped to a series of iron filters. The South Lyon Water Department has six of the giant yellow cylindrical filters, each about 10 feet tall and 16 feet long. Yellow and green pipes run into and out of the filters.

Inside, each of the tanks is filled with "media" or various sizes of rocks and gravel. The larger rocks are at the top, with smaller gravel at the bottom. The iron water is piped in from the top and leaves from the bottom without iron. The rocks provide surface area where the iron particles settle and cling.

"We do this 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Martin said.

Once a day, two of the six tanks are cleaned by a backwash of water. The dirty iron water is sent directly to the wastewater treatment plantwhere it is processed before returning to the environment. A small amount of chlorine and fluoride is added to the water. Some people have put up a fuss about adding the chemicals, but Martin defends their use. Fluoride provides a protective layer on the teeth, preventing cavities, he said.

As for chlorine, Martin points to the early 1900s when water was not treated and many people died from such waterborne diseases as typhoid, diphtheria and cholera. A small amount of chlorine kills the bugs that can kill us, he said

Source: Hometownlife.com

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Clean drinking water is becoming rare?

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 21:51:24 -0400

Recommended Resource
Home Owner's Guide
The Definitive Desk Reference for Realtors, Home Owners, and Home Inspectors.

Get your questions answered from a single, handy guide and save time on searching endlessly through the web.

ARLINGTON -- Thousands of years after glaciers rolled through the Pacific Northwest, they are causing big trouble for Lynne and John Jeffery.

A combination of ancient glacial deposits and new housing developments is making it increasingly difficult for the Jefferys and other homeowners in the traditionally rural area north of Arlington to find good, reliable sources of water.

When the Jefferys bought their $535,000 dream home, they never thought to worry about glaciers.

Married just a year and looking for a fresh start, they moved from California into their new country house on New Year's Day 2006.

At first, everything seemed perfect.
The home was beautiful. With hardwood floors, high ceilings and craftsman-style architecture, it was the home they'd always wanted, but could never afford in the competitive California housing market.

In May, their well dried up.
Their honeymoon with the house was over.

For two months, while they waited for a new well to be drilled, they lived off water from neighboring homes. On the advice of the contractor who built their home, Haack Brothers Inc. of Lake Stevens, they linked hoses together and hooked them up to faucets of unoccupied houses. The borrowed water refilled their well.

In August, Haack Brothers Inc. paid to have a new well drilled in the couple's back yard. The water the new well produced was gray and murky. The Jefferys say when it dried on their yard, it looked like concrete.

Because of the water's unusual color and consistency, Haack Brothers Inc. installed an expensive water filtration system at the home, according to president Joel Haack. Click here to continue . . .

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How to choose a water filter

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 22:13:39 -0400

Recommended Links

Drinking Water Guide for Home Owners

Aquasana

FilterWater

Excel Water Technologies

UVShack

Bentgear

Choosing a water filter could be a challenging task. If you have searched the website for water filters, or water purifiers, you will come across different types and at prices ranging from a couple of hundred dollars to over $2000.00. But someone who is not knowledgeable enough about these devices could end up buying an ineffective or a wrong water treatment system.

The need for a water treatment device is so great due to sometimes overwhelming news reports about water contamination in almost every corner of the globe. Both the well water and surface water supplies have been impacted by all sorts of problems causing consumers to have second thoughts about the quality of their drinking water.

All water filters are not “created equal.”

One problem for many people is how to choose the best and the most effective water treatment device. A trusted water filter system is the one certified by National Sanitation Foundation (NSF). NSF standards require verification the claim of a contaminant reduction. NSF also evaluates the reliability of the unit materials. Because a water filter is tested by NSF mean it’s certified. A more reliable water filter device will be tested and certified by NSF.

Knowing what’s in your drinking water

One important step in choosing a water filter is to know what’s in your drinking water. It is not good to just begin shopping for a water filter or purifier device without knowing exactly the problem in your drinking water.

There are various reasons why your water may not be healthy and the first step is to conduct a test of what is in your drinking water. Some tests can be performed by simply eye-balling the water and you can get the results in seconds. Other tests will require a state certified laboratory technician to both collect water samples and perform the necessay analysis to determine the specific contaminants.

Your need for a water filter could also be the result of health alerts in your areas. In this situation, the specific water problem will be obvious and the alert may even include information about the type of water treatment to buy.

If the water problem in your water is hardness, then your treatment option will be a water softening. Although some treatment devices can filter and soften water, it may not be necessary if the water problem is simply hardness.

Which water filter is better?

It is important to know that not all water filter devices can resolve all drinking water problems. Again, not all water filters are created equal. Some devices that are designed to remove taste and odor may not be effective to remove sediments and bacteria. Yet some may be designed to remove all contaminants. According to USEPA, “Filters that use reverse osmosis, those labeled as ‘absolute one micron,’ or those labeled as certified by an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) – accredited to ANSI/NSF Standard 53 for ‘Cyst Removal’ provide the greatest assurance of removing Cryptosporidium.”

Types of water treatment devices:

There are different types of water filter devices you can choose from. Some are designed as point-of-use (POU) and some as point-of-entry (POE). POU may be installed at the faucets for drinking and cooking (undersink, countertop, and pitcher filters), and at the shower heads primarily for showering. POE may be installed at the water main to treat water for the whole house. Some treatment units a designed with activated carbon filters while others come with both the carbon filters and reverse osmosis filters. It is important to know the contaminants in your water before you invest in a water filter or other treatment devices.

Ultraviolet Light Helps To Secure Water Supply

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 23:03:17 -0400

ScienceDaily (Oct. 18, 2007) — A major public health issue and economic problem has been addressed in experiments carried out by researchers from the University Denis Diderot in Paris, and the VEOLIA Research Center in Maisons-Laffitte (France).

Extremely chlorine-resistant parasites, known as Cryptosporidium, which cause a diarrheal disease in humans and can lead to significant mortality in immunodeficient patients, become virtually inactive when exposed to industrial UV reactors.

Human contamination of this waterborne disease, known as cryptosporidiosis, occurs by ingestion of the resistant form of the parasite, either directly through person-to-person and animal-to-person routes or indirectly through environmental vehicles including water, food or soil.

Contamination of water resources for drinking water supplies, as well as inadequate water treatment can be responsible for large cryptosporidiosis outbreaks. Up until now, there has been no efficient curative treatment, making it one of the most common causes of waterborne disease within humans in the United States.

Thanks to collaboration between researchers at the Laboratory of Parasitology of the University Denis Diderot, and the VEOLIA Research Center, the efficacy of UV light was demonstrated in large scale tests with pilot equipment.

The study was designed for spiking experiments in which water was experimentally contaminated with large amounts of Cryptosporidium oocysts then passed through the UV reactors. The efficacy of medium-pressure and low-pressure UV reactors (UVaster®*) used in the water industry was then assessed using a sensitive cell culture method developed by Emilio Entrala and used by Professor Francis Derouin's team in the Denis Diderot's University Laboratory of Parasitology.

The article published in FEMS Immunology & Medical Microbiology, a journal of the Federation of European Microbiological Societies, describes how replicate experiments successfully achieved inactivation rate of >99.998% with both reactors. These results confirm the remarkable efficacy of both polychromatic medium-pressure and monochromatic low-pressure UV lamps in conditions that are close to that of many small- or medium-size water distribution units.

According to Dr. Cedric Féliers, who led the study conducted for the VEOLIA Research Center "These tests, made in near real conditions, confirm that these industrial UV reactors could prevent waterborne outbreaks and secure water supply to customers."

Source:ScienceDaily.com

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Bacteria found in Oslo drinking water

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:01:59 -0400

Citizens were warned Wednesday not to drink tap water in the capital after the discovery of potentially dangerous parasites in the drinking water supply.

On Tuesday October 17, 2007, the Oslo Department of Water and Sanitation discovered the microscopic Giardia lamblia and cryptosporidium parasites at three locations in the Storo district, an area that along with 80 percent of the capital gets its drinking water from the Oset water treatment plant.

"This is the same bacteria that caused the drinking water epidemic in Bergen," Food Safety Authority district chief Kjetil Berg told Aftenposten.no.

The Giardia epidemic in Bergen in the autumn of 2004 caused at least 6,000 to fall ill and 150 still suffer from nausea, pain and digestive problems.

"After discussions with the FSA, the City's Health and Welfare division and director of communicable disease, a decision has been taken to advise all residents to immediately begin boiling water for at least three minutes before using it for drinking, cooking or brushing teeth," the Department of Water and Sanitation said in a press release Wednesday morning.

Berg said that he felt the warning had been issued quickly considering that meetings had been held through the night after word of the infection arrived at 11 p.m. The parasites stem from human or animal excrement.
"One can get stomach and intestinal infection. Giardia symptoms can include stomach pain, diarrhea and pyrosis (heartburn). From Bergen we have unfortunately seen that increasing numbers are ill for an extended period and have symptoms of exhaustion," Berg said.

Authorities are taking extensive samples in an effort to map the extent of the outbreak, and could not say how long residents would need to boil tap water. Use of ice cubes or drinking filter or machine coffee are also discouraged.

Headline on October 18, 2007: Keep boiling water!

Uncertainty about the gravity of Oslo's contaminated water supply persists, but authorities insist that residents keep boiling tap water until the source of the apparently minor parasite outbreak is found.

Source: Aftenposten

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Radioactive Tritium Found in Groundwater at a Duke Energy

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 20:04:52 -0400

State and federal authorities are investigating the discovery of radioactive tritium in groundwater at a Duke Energy nuclear power plant in York County.

Tritium was detected at twice the Environmental Protection Agency’s safe drinking water standard in a test well on the Catawba nuclear site, according to an incident report filed this week with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control plans to test private wells near the plant to see if any show levels of the radioactive material, agency officials said Wednesday. Testing will occur in the Bethel Community of York County.

“We want to know whether any tritium is in the groundwater used by wells outside of the plant’s boundary,” DHEC’s Patrick Walker said.

Tritium is a radioactive material produced by nuclear power plants and weapons complexes. It isn’t considered as toxic as other radioactive pollutants, such as plutonium, but tritium can increase a person’s chances of developing cancer.

It also can foreshadow the eventual flow of more toxic radioactive materials in groundwater, said David Lochbaum, a nuclear safety expert with the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington.

Strontium was found in groundwater at a New York nuclear plant about six months after tritium was discovered, Lochbaum said, referring to the discovery during the past two years.

Lochbaum, who tracks nuclear power plant safety issues, said it’s too early to say how substantial the contamination is at Catawba. NRC spokesman Roger Hannah said the agency has no reason to believe it is public health threat, at least for now.

Duke Energy found the leak in York County while testing groundwater in the area of the nuclear plant, according to the NRC. It was the only one of 30 test wells to show tritium levels above the EPA’s standard of 20,000 picocuries per liter.

“We don’t know the source; that is part of the investigation,” said Duke Energy spokeswoman Valerie Patterson.

Tritium contamination has been a concern in South Carolina and across the country recently because of leaks at other nuclear plants and from Barnwell County’s low-level nuclear waste landfill. The Barnwell site takes nuclear refuse from atomic power plants.

Lochbaum praised Duke for checking the groundwater. The groundwater check is part of a national initiative by the nuclear industry to identify problems in the wake of leaks at other power plants.

One plant in the Midwest leaked tritium for an extended period before it was discovered. The Catawba plant has had at least three leaks of radioactive material since 1992, according to a report Lochbaum compiled. Most nuclear plants have had some sort of leak since their inception, he said.

In South Carolina, Lochbaum noted nearly 50 “groundwater events,” including leaks, at the state’s four nuclear plant sites.

Source:TheState.com

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Beyond Water Filters - Becoming the Sole Survival of the Fittest in the World Wide Web Jungle

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 22:20:55 -0400

Today I would like to digressing from water filter issues to encourage those that may be thinking they need $5000.00 or more to build a website not to despair. There is a way much better at a fraction of that amount. I built my website and this blog site with no need to know any HTML, none, and I am not paying $5000.00 to build and to host. I am building unlimited pages and so many resources not available from any other web builders or hosts.

I took a 6-week online HTML coding so I can build a website but I did not have to use this training after I stumbled on this website by a company called SiteSell. A package of software and web hosting was not too enticing at the time.

I signed up for a 30-day trial but I canceled before the 30-day expiration because I did not think it was for me. Then I went on looking for an expedited approach to promote my business but quickly discovered competitive nature of the ever crowding World Wide Web. Trying to get to the top of Search Engine Page Ranking is a “survival of the fittest.”

I returned six month later to SiteSell to sign up for their software. To my amazement, this program more easy and user-friendly than I thought. So easy to use to build a website that even a “caveman” can do it. Sorry Geico! My six weeks of HTML lessons, though not wasted, is no longer necessary to build web pages that are doing well on page rankings.

Of course, few of my pages are ranked high, but I am surprised that the simple approach being taught by using this software can help you build web pages that will rank well on search engines. You will receive more support from other users (from every corner of the world) through their private friendly forums.

I have not been disappointed since the last six months I have been using SiteSell and their support service has no rival.

I just need to pass it along to anyone who may think they need to pay $5000.00 to build and host a website. The following video can give you a snapshot of how you can grow your business or develop a business idea based on what you love to do, or eat for that matter:

Find out how you can monitize your passion. You can also contact them if you would like to ask questions.