Why Most Iron Filters Don't Work... And Never Will

Why do so many rural homeowners have problems with iron?  Iron is very common, especially in this part of Alberta.  Iron causes staining at as little as 0.3 parts per million (ppm) concentration.  That's like taking the total population of the provinces of BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan, lumping them together, and choosing 3 people to represent "iron" - that is 0.3 people per million -> It doesn't take a lot!

Common complaints vary.  It's typical to hear people talk about staining of appliances, especially where water lands or collects.  Toilet bowls, sinks, bathtubs, and showers are common areas where iron staining can be found.  If you look in the back of a toilet, under the cover where the water comes in from the house, that area can collect iron staining, rust and sediment on the bottom, as well as showing algae and bacterial growth if either are present in the water.  Another area of complaint is odour - very similar to having sulphur in water, iron can cause a "rotten egg" odour.  Laundry problems are also commonly reported.  Whites turn pink or sometimes get reddish/rust-coloured streaks on them.

All these symptoms are common from iron contamination.  There are multiple ways iron can be treated and if you listen to the radio, you'll hear different companies bragging about having their own "patented solutions" for it.  One local company even goes so far as to say their's is the only solution designed for iron; that they can remove up to 25 parts per million of iron and that anyone that decides on a different method of treatment is basically foolish...  I wish we had their marketing dollars (maybe if we charged what they do for their systems, we could compete with their media coverage.)

Unfortunately, what these "patented" systems and most other solutions don't tell you is that they can only remove up to about 80% of iron in the water.  It's true their system can remove a LOT of iron, but it never removes all of it.  As a homeowner, this is where the BIG DISCONNECT happens.  These systems are usually purchased to get rid of the PROBLEMS iron causes.  These problems, as I have stated, start at as little as 0.3 ppm iron in the house.  I have seen many many many installations of this patented system and we constantly get called out to troubleshoot why the homeowner still has staining.

If you've ever heard the phrase, "if your only tool is a hammer, everyone looks like a nail," you can understand why the problems occur.  Most iron filters, "uniquely patented" or otherwise, really only can remove about 80% of iron.  So if the customer has (almost unheard of) iron levels of 20 parts per million, these systems will remove 80% of that, taking the level down to 4 parts per million - WELL above the levels that staining happens.  I have seen customers with iron levels of 1.6 ppm with these systems.  Take 80% away and you STILL have higher than 0.3 ppm iron levels in the home.  These people STILL have iron staining.  Calling their installers for support only leads to hearing that their levels are "so high" that "some staining is normal" and just part of rural living.  (ie. sorry, we're keeping your money and you still need to scrub out the stains.)

At best, these types of iron filters should be used as PRE filters for other systems.  One thing that you, as a homeowner should specifically ask, is, "Can you guarantee me NO MORE IRON STAINING?"  If they say no, or won't put it in writing, RUN AWAY.

When treating iron, the systems we like to use are warrantied for 25 years, including the iron removal media.  We can guarantee you that, for the life of the system, you'll not only have NO iron staining, but also no hardness (which, in this area, is dissolved limestone rock) that causes other problems with laundry, cleaning and damages appliances.

Living on well water doesn't have to be difficult, it doesn't have to mean cleaning up calcium and iron stains, and it doesn't require some hyped-up marketing for some patented system.  What it means is getting a proper water analysis done, determining a solution appropriate for your water's chemistry and installing something that you can trust and don't need to think about as a homeowner.

There is a TON of information available, as a home owner, do your due diligence, ask good questions and when you get answers, GET THEM IN WRITING!  Make sure you and the installer of your equipment are both on the same page.  Removing 80% of iron is not going to get you the results you were looking for when you contacted your water treatment professional.  Make sure you are brutally clear - tell the company you are working with what problems you want solved and make sure the solution meets your needs!

Is there Lead in my Water???

Many people have heard about lead being in their water - especially those drinking tap water.  I'm often asked if it's there - unfortunately, the answer is YES.  Health Canada sets guidelines for contaminants and they determine the levels which their experts feel these contaminants will pose a risk to the health of Canadians.  Lead is one of the contaminants tested and while lead has been constantly found in the water, it is monitored so that it is delivered at what is thought to be a 'safe' limit.

The limits for contaminants like lead are reviewed, usually every year, and can be revised as necessary.  Usually, the limits of what is considered to be "safe" are raised from time to time.  I'm not entirely sure why that is, other than by calling higher limits "safe" they are less expensive to maintain...  One thing that has recently increased the levels of lead in drinking water is the switch from chlorine to "chloramine" as the disinfecting agent for municipal or "city" water.

Edmonton, among many other municipalities, switched to chloramine a few years ago.  It has longer "staying power" in the water, so although it is not as strong a disinfectant as chlorine, less is required to ensure delivery to the people receiving water at the "end of the line," ie. the people furthest away from the treatment facility.  Chloramine is toxic to fish - just ask anyone that sells aquariums.  Although it kills fish, this mixture of chlorine and ammonia we call chloramine is considered safe for human consumption.

Before this switch, if you wanted to remove the taste of chlorine from the water, you could simply pour tap water into a jug and let it sit overnight.  The chlorine would evaporate and you'd be left with better-tasting water.  As a kid, I used to do this all the time.  (I guess even at the age of 10 I had concerns about water quality!  -I used to call it "mountain water" because it tasted similar to the water we used to stop for on trips to Banff...)  Leaving the water to sit works with chlorine because chlorine is technically a gas trapped in the water.  Leaving it out allows it to dissipate and leave the water (into the air in your home, but that's a topic for another discussion...)  Now that chloramine is being used, leaving tap water out no longer removes it.  If you have fish, you MUST purchase a filtration system or use special tablets which consume and react with the chloramine.

The main drawback of chloramine, and the reason for this blog post, is that it causes water to become "aggressive" - meaning it can leach toxins from the plumbing system.  If it comes into contact with lead-containing pipes anywhere along the upwards of 20 miles of pipe between the treatment plant and your home, it will pull lead out of the plumbing.  If you have any galvanized pipe in your home, that is also lead-containing so you will be increasing lead levels in your water there as well.

If you are concerned about lead, DO NOT boil the water.  This will NOT remove the lead, it will actually just reduce the volume of water in the pot and actually INCREASE the lead levels - actually making it worse for you.  If you want to remove lead, you need to either distill the water or use a reverse osmosis system.  Because of environmental impacts, my preference is clearly reverse osmosis.  They are about 10x more efficient than distillers when it comes to the amount of water used compared to water produced.  Distillers also have a boiler unit which use at least 800 Watts of power (usually 1200 to 1600 or more!) to produce the steam which purifies the water.  RO just makes more sense - they are less expensive systems and a LOT easier and less expensive to operate and maintain.

Even though the water meets Health Canada guidelines when it leaves the treatment plants, I always use a reverse osmosis system to remove the chemicals and toxins in it.  For my family, the closer to ZERO contaminants in the water, the better.  I also don't know what has been in contact with the water AFTER it left the treatment plant.  Better safe than sorry, so reverse osmosis water is all we use for drinking and cooking.

Reverse Osmosis Gallons Per Day (GPD) Ratings

One item that is grossly misunderstood by people considering reverse osmosis systems is the "gallons per day" (or GPD) rating for their system.  Reverse osmosis systems are, as far as I can tell, unique as appliances in the fact that the harder and more they work, they better they work and longer they last - I can't think of another appliance that works along those guidelines.  One thing that all reverse osmosis systems have in common is they have a membrane of some sort. 

Some systems use the older cellulose triacetate (CTA) membranes and most new systems use what's called a "thin film composite" (TFC) membrane.  These membranes, regardless of construction will have a rating for daily water production; that is how much treated water they can produce over a 24 hour period.  These ratings are done at laboratories under ideal conditions (these are RARELY, if ever, realistic conditions for a residential home, but they are used as a guideline.)  Typical membranes are rated at 12, 24, 36 and 50 gallons per day production and it is getting more and more common to see manufacturers installing 50 gallon per day membranes in their systems.

Sounds good right?  More production is better, isn't it?  The best answer to that is MAYBE.  It all depends upon your needs.  The higher the GPD rating on a membrane, the larger the molecules that are allowed to slip through the system are, therefore increasing flow rate and production.  Under ideal conditions, a 24 gallon per day rated system will produce superior water to a 50 GPD system.  If you are treating city water that is presumed to be microbiologically safe and simply improving the taste, "safety" may not be a big issue.

That being said, under ideal conditions, a 50GPD system will make about 2 gallons per hour (50 Gallons Per Day divided by 24 hours in the day,) whereas a 24 gallon per day system will yield about 1 gallon per hour.  What does this mean to you?  Well, depending upon the size of the storage tank you have, this will tell you how long your system will require to refill the tank if you should empty it.  Most systems ship with a 3 gallon tank, storing about 11 Litres of water.  If you're making a pot of coffee or tea, this is much more than is required for most residential use.  

I like to see our clients using their RO water for everything that touches their food and drink - water to cook rice, boil/steam vegetables and making pasta, for example.  To make enough pasta for a family of 4 for dinner, usually 1-2 gallons of water is needed.  If you're steaming veggies and pouring 4 glasses of water to drink with the meal, we're now getting closer to the 3 gallon capacity of the tank - if all this water was drawn out simultaneously.  As long as the tank holds enough water to meet your immediate demands, everything works as planned, you get the water you need and as soon as you stop pouring water, production begins and the tank starts refilling.

Here again we need to look at the amount of time that is required to re-fill that tank.  A 24 GPD system will need 2-3 hours to refill that tank completely, where a 50 GPD system will take just a little over an hour.  This is usually not a problem as it is relatively rare that a household will need that much water, that quickly, and keep in mind water will be available during the production time, its not a case of having to "wait" for the tank to refill before you can draw any more water from the system.  (To put it in perspective, needing that much water would be roughly equivalent to draining a "big blue" 5 gallon water jug of bottled water.  If one of those wouldn't last you more than an hour or so, you may need to consider a faster-producing system, or a larger storage tank.)

Where the smaller, lower-capacity systems really shine is in the maintenance.  Because people rarely completely drain a tank, consideration needs to be given for how long the RO system will run to refill the tank.  If you only pour off a glass of water at a time, perhaps 16 ounces of water, then the 50 GPD system will barely run at all to refill the tank before it stops production.  The 24 GPD system will run twice as long.  Why is this a good thing?  The life of the membrane is directly related to how clean it is kept.  The only time and the only way a membrane is cleaned is when it is producing water.

One problem oversized systems face is early membrane failure due to the fact the system never seems to run long enough to get a good, thorough cleaning.  Although any membrane from 12 GPD all the way to 300 GPD can be installed in our reverse osmosis systems, for residential use we normally supply a 24 GPD rated membrane.  For residential purposes, this rating typically yields the best balance of production capacity when you factor in maintenance and cleaning of the membrane.  When combined with a good whole-home water conditioning system like the Hague WaterMax, you can expect 5 to 7 years from your membrane, assuming it is properly sized for your home.  Since membranes are the most-expensive part of your reverse osmosis system, it makes sense to choose the most-appropriate membrane for your family.  Bigger isn't always better!  (My apologies to Tim the Tool Man Taylor; you'll need to stifle your infamous "MORE POWER" mantra when it comes to drinking water systems!)

Why Do Reverse Osmosis Faucets all Look the Same???

For those familiar with reverse osmosis drinking water systems, you know the water is treated, then fed through separate plumbing to its own faucet.  These faucets are special high-purity faucets that don't leach any of their construction materials into the water, potentially affecting the taste (or worse, if they have lead in them!)

Reverse Osmosis systems typically include a faucet that is often referred to as a "Gooseneck faucet."  Looking at one, its pretty easy to see where the name comes from.  Most are chrome with either a little black or white plastic tip on the end, and a lever on the side which you can either press down to dispense water, or flip up and snap into position to keep the faucet running for filling pots, jugs and larger containers.  These faucets are standard for a reason: they tend to blend in and be unobtrusive - they don't really look out of place anywhere.

That being said, sometimes they aren't quite a fit for some of the more modern, higher-end kitchen faucets out there.  I had a client earlier this month that had that exact concern.  They have a relatively standard stainless steel sink, but have a really nice faucet with a pewter or brushed nickel finish.  Their faucet was very round and curvy and the standard gooseneck RO faucet, while acceptable, certainly didn't add to the look of the kitchen.

I did a little research and came up with a line of faucets that I thought would be very close and offered the client an option to upgrade.  She liked one of the faucets in the brochure I showed her (of course not the one I thought was a "perfect match" but that's not surprising since I didn't get into the water business because of my interior design skills!)

We were able to offer her a trade in for her the Hague branded faucet included with their system since we use a lot of them.  (The Hague H3500 Reverse Osmosis System, our top-line water purification system, has enough pressure to handle up to SIX connections, so most clients have multiuple faucets in their home - one for the kitchen, one in a bathroom/ensuite and one in a wet bar, plus the usual hook ups to their refrigerator, ice maker, and furnace humidifier.)  For a relatively small amount, the client was able to upgrade to the faucet she wanted and not only did she get the purified water she was seeking, but her kitchen looks great with the additional faucet installed.

There were some interesting kitchen installation requirements.  Instead of putting their reverse osmosis system in the basement (the way I prefer it,) this client wanted it in the kitchen - but not under the sink, she wanted it in the adjacent cabinet.  This was an acreage system, not "regular city water" so we had an additional pump installed, as well as a UV chamber for disinfection.  We also ran plumbing through and along the back of their cupboards so we could still connect the ice maker in their refrigerator.  (What good is having premium water if you have terrible ice for your drinks?!??!?)

Really good flow rate from the new faucet!

Tight, but functional.  Client requested installation in an adjacent (12" wide) cupboard, not under the sink as is the norm.  You can see the UV chamber on the top-left of the system, and the booster pump is near the bottom on the right (nestled between the two grey "sumps" of the system.)

Water Purification and Energy Usage

The need for clean drinking water - water that has had foul-tasting and potentially chemicals removed from it is becoming quite commonplace.  Whether you choose to purchase bottled water, or opt for the convenience and savings of having a water treatment system in your home, most people have decided that drinking from the tap is not the best choice.

There are three basic ways to treat water in a residential setting and we'll touch on each of them here briefly.

1 - Carbon filtration.  This is common nowdays.  This can be something as simple as a filter attached to your kitchen sink's faucet, it could be in the form of a pitcher with a disposable filter built-in (like a Brita-style system) or in more-elaborate cases, or these can be built-in under the sink with an additional "gooseneck" style faucet on the side of the sink.  No matter the style, these systems do mostly the same thing.  Some have sediment filters built in, some are just carbon, most are both.  These systems are a good start and a definite improvement over the water as it is delivered to the home.  Using a carbon filter is most suitable for city water as it does little to remove several types of chemicals and does nothing to remove bacteria from water.

2 - Reverse Osmosis.  This is taking something like the previously-mentioned carbon filtration and adding a "membrane" to the system.  This allows water to be split into two streams: One, a purified stream of "product" water which gets stored in a pressure tank, and two, "reject water."  The reject water is water that contains contaminants which cannot pass through the microscopic pores of the reverse osmosis membrane.  An easy way to describe a reverse osmosis (RO) system is to compare it to a 'washing machine for your water.'  There are different levels of efficiencies and different systems are designed to produce the desired amount of product water each day, as well as delivering it at varying pressures and flow rates.  Residential reverse osmosis systems run using just the pressure of the water in your home to power the process.  (This is unlike commercial RO systems which need powerful pumps to force water at high pressure through the system.)

3 - Distillation.  This is a process which mimics the Earth's own 'recycling' program.  In nature, water from rivers, lakes and streams evaporates up to the sky leaving behind impurities and coming back down in the form of rain.  Pesticides, herbicides and toxic chemicals have rendered this process less-effective than it used to be, but the mechanics are unchanged since this planet came to be.

In a home, a distiller replicates this process using a powerful burner element to evaporate the water, then a series of condensing units cools the steam and turns it back into water.  Carbon filtration is now strongly recommended for distillers because many chemicals have lower boiling points than water.  This means a distiller can actually concentrate some chemicals into the 'pure' water it creates.  Fortunately, most of these chemicals can be removed with carbon filtration, but it is definitely something you'd want in your distiller system.  Most distillers also will use an electric pump to deliver the water to a gooseneck faucet up at the kitchen sink.  (Since the process does not result in any pressurized water, mechanical pumps are necessary to deliver the water to the tap.)

Distillers used to be the most popular of the in-home but with rising energy costs, they are becoming less and less attractive.  We recently had a client ask us to replace his 2-year old distiller just because of the energy usage.  Reverse osmosis water is an excellent option in terms of energy usage because in most cases, there is no power used to run the system.

In terms of maintenance, reverse osmosis is MUCH simpler to keep running properly.  Filters are changed out on a set schedule (see your manufacturer's instructions as this can be anywhere from every 3 months to 2 years depending on the brand and type of filters being used!)  The membrane gets changed when the product water quality begins to degrade and can be determined with simple and inexpensive TDS Testing Strips.  These will tell the owner if the system is working properly, or if it's time for a change.

With a distiller, chemicals like muriatic acid need to be used by the homeowner to clean out the residues left behind in the boiler.  As most city water is hard water, there is a lot of calcium that gets trapped in here and takes work to remove.  There are some greener products for cleaning distillers, but most have been reported as just making the process take longer and requiring more "elbow grease" to clean.  This is one aspect that really makes reverse osmosis an easier prospect for homeowners.  Changing filters is a simple process and takes just a few minutes to perform.

Plain carbon filtration, as previously mentioned, is a definite upgrade over plain tap water, but there are dissolved chemicals which can't be removed this way.  Lead, flouride, nitrates, metals, sodium and other water contaminants pass right through these filters.  (Because many cities have changed from adding chlorine to adding 'chloramine' these contaminants - ESPECIALLY LEAD - have become problems in the drinking water as chloramine causes a leaching action to occur.)  Maintenance on a carbon filter system is similar to reverse osmosis.  A cartridge of some sort is simply changed out - again, much easier than distillers, and again without the need for toxic and foul-smelling chemicals.

We recently had a client call us asking to replace his two-year old distiller with a new reverse osmosis system just because of the energy usage.  As soon as he started running his distiller, the family's power bill jumped noticeably.  In fact, he was able to make back all the money spent on a new RO system just with the energy savings from switching away from his distiller.  Even factoring in the filter changes (for the system he chose, annual filter changes are all that is required) he was able to get back all his money in less than two years!  He was also quite happy he would never need to use harsh chemicals to clean his drinking water system ever again.

For this client, there was a huge savings and these days, when everyone is concerned about the planet and reducing their energy consumption, reverse osmosis just makes more sense.

What's that Smell?

Just was out testing water for a family in Strathcona County yesterday. They've owned their acreage for 20 years and have had problems in the past with water. They had a competitor's system installed for almost 10 years, but had to have the entire system replaced every 18 months by the manufacturer because it couldn't keep up with their problems.

Their main complaints with water were, "its hard, there's lots of iron, and it has a sulfur smell." Eventually they just gave up, removed the system and have been scrubbing iron stains from their fixtures every week for years. I won't say the name of the system they removed, but suffice it to say, this family does know who he is and they most certainly did NOT love their water......

After testing their water, there really were no huge issues. The water was hard, there was some iron in it, and the iron was causing the sulfur smell, not actual sulfur... Its unfortunate that some companies have their "main system" and just try to apply that for every well they see. Its like the saying goes, if all you own is a hammer, everyone you meet looks like a nail. I'm sure that system has its place, but when you tell people "a little staining is normal" that just doesn't cut it.

A properly-designed system should remove ALL of the iron AND the hardness from the water. The system they had did nothing for the hardness and only removed about 75-80% of the iron, leaving them above the 0.3 parts per million (ppm) iron threshold where staining occurs. They were "close" to being below the threshold, but were not at or below it - and as a result, they had iron staining. It doesn't matter if the system can "handle" iron up to 25 ppm of iron, if it leaves 20% of the iron in the water that goes to the house.  Even if it's installed on water that's only 1.6 ppm of iron (like this family's was) it still leaves 0.3 to 0.5 ppm iron remaining - guess what - there's staining of appliances and fixtures, and laundry doesn't work very well.

Another family that recently had me out had the exact same iron levels and exact same staining problems.  They purchased their "iron filter system" (from the same company) just a year ago and were told that because "they had so much iron" that staining and regular cleaning was completely normal."  That kind of deception makes me cringe....

For the price this family paid, it should be able to do everything. Perfectly.  Luckily, we're able to design a system to completely handle all of this and do it at 30% less than what the "big guys" sold their patented iron filter for....  I wish I had their marketing dollars to be all over the radio, but guess who (in the end) really pays for that?  In this case, a disappointed client with an overpriced, poorly-configured system.

For a free 12-point checkup on your well water, please call Douglas Environmental Solutions at 780-410-0837 and have a technician test your water for no charge.  If you have an existing system, we can help configure it properly and make any recommendations necessary to keep your water running clean and clear.

"If we can't fix your water, we'll remove our equipment and refund your money."
–Greg Douglas, Owner

What About My Septic System?

We do a lot of work with rural home owners and see all kinds of different well water quality issues.  One thing most of these owners have in common is they have a septic system.  In our area, its common to have a septic field or a mound, but there are also a good number of surface-discharge or cesspool setups as well.  What these systems all have in common is the septic tank.  If you're not familiar with a septic tank, its usually just a two-chamber underground container that separates out the solids and liquids and gives bacteria a chance to do some breakdown of the materials prior to being discharged from the tank (or sucked out by a vac truck, if there actually is no discharge.)

Because these bacteria need to have the right conditions to live and enough time to do their job, its common to question whether it is appropriate to discharge water treatment equipment into septic systems.  There are concerns about salt-based systems killing bacteria or clogging up the pipes or even the soil in a septic field.  There are also concerns of "flooding" the septic tank with the water used in cleaning and regenerating water treatment equipment.  If too much water comes into the system too quickly, the bacteria will not have had a chance to work nor will separation into "sludge" (the solids,) and "scum" (the fats and greases that float to the top.) Without separation, the wrong things can go out to your field and cause massive problems - especially "biomat" - or an accumulation of a slimy layer in a septic field that clogs things up, eventually causing failure.  These are valid concerns, but that doesn't mean they are problems.

There is a lot of information available on this and there have been a LOT of studies performed.  The general consensus is: septic systems can be compatible with water treatment equipment.  Newer water treatment systems are more efficient than ever.  When they use less water to clean themselves, obviously that's less water going into the septic system.  Even the use of salt isn't a problem.  A recent study available from the Water Quality Association clearly talks to these points.

The end results actually show better operation of the septic system - including the field - when compared to not running the equipment.  Another benefit is the dramatic reduction of soaps, detergents and cleaning products that soft, iron-free water allows home owners to take advantage of.  The less these chemicals are dumped into our soils, the less impact on the environment.

To be sure, there are proponents of both sides, but it has clearly been shown that there are a lot of benefits to running rural water treatment equipment, and there is no reason that if done properly, the water treatment equipment should cause a concern for a septic system.

Resources:

• For information on Pirana aerobic septic treatment and field remediation systems, please see the following LINK.
• For information on WaterMax the most-efficient, "septic friendly" water softening and treatment systems available, please click HERE.
• For a FREE, useful PDF on this topic from the Water Quality Research Council:
  http://www.wqa.org/pdf/Consumer%20Briefs/cSoftprobseptic.pdf
• For a free copy of a paper from NOWRA (National On-site Wastewater Recycling  Association) the organization representing the septic treatment industry, please download the PDF HERE.
  

Reverse Osmosis - Fact vs Fiction, Volume 4

Today is the last installment in the "Fact vs Fiction" or "Myth Buster" series...

Myth #7: Reverse Osmosis Systems are Prohibitively Expensive

Myth Busted: Costs are always more for better quality, better performing systems. There are budget RO systems that start around $500 (or less, depending upon where you live) and go up from there. What price do you put on health??? Sure you can cheap out, but you're simply increasing the chemicals and contaminants you allow into your drinking water, as well as increasing your operating and maintenance costs... Better systems also tend to have much longer, more-comprehensive warranties.  They are often better-tested at the factory and have a lower failure rate and less chance of a problem at the time of installation.

Most dealers, like ourselves, offer different systems at different price points. Depending upon the need and budget of families, we can tailor a system that will be just right. Just bear in mind, this is kind of like insulation - you either buy it up-front, or you pay more over time to operate your system. The more-efficient systems use less water (saving money if you're on a meter, saving your septic field if you're not) and because they process less water to achieve the same production volume, they can run their filters for longer -often only requiring filter changes every year.

Inexpensive systems, due to their inefficiency, require a lot more source water to create the same volume of product water of a high-efficiency system.  Because of this, their filters expire faster and can require changing as often as every 3 months. Pay now or pay later... The choice is yours!

To put it in perspective, compare a reverse osmosis system, which can be roughly described as a "washing machine for your water" to an actual washing machine.  There are two types of washing machines currently on the market - standard "top loaders" and the new High Efficiency (or "HE") machines which are "front loaders."  The newer, more efficient HE machines cost more, but they also use less water to do the job. 

Do top loaders "waste" water?  I don't know - but they definitely USE more water to accomplish the same job.  Reverse osmosis is the same way - there are "standard" units and "high efficiency" units.  The high efficiency models cost more up front, but have lower operating costs, require fewer filter changes, have increased pressure and use less water to operate.  They are more efficient, greener systems.  Pay now, or pay later (and continuously while you operate the system.)

Myth #8: RO Creates Acidic Water, and Acidity Causes Cancer

Myth Busted: This one drives me nuts - it is a blatant ploy by marketing departments to scare people into buying their high-priced ionizers or alkalinizers... (For the record, I am NOT a doctor and will NOT touch the acidity - cancer link.  It may very well be true that acidic cells are more prone to cancer, or are consistent with those cells in a cancerous state.  

I believe it is a LEAP to go from that potential fact to attempt to link it to the pH of water you drink having the effect of raising the pH of the body and thereby putting it in a state that is more prone to cancer.  I am not qualified to comment on that, HOWEVER I can talk about water and am qualified to discuss that aspect of this myth AND comment on what happens in the body when you digest this alkaline water.)

The only way the RO process can acidify the water is if it is removing something like soda ash which was added to raise the pH. Even then, and I HAVE tested this on this type of water, the change in pH is negligible - you need a very sensitive meter to even detect the change. When I test "raw tap water" and RO processed water from the same source, right beside each other, the difference in pH is around 0.1.  (In our area, that's the difference between tap water being 7.78 and RO water being 7.6 pH.)  It is certainly not "acidic" water (acidic is defined as having a pH lower than 7.) I've seen some sales literature showing RO water as having a pH around 3.0 -strongly acidic. This is just patently false.  I'm surprised these companies are not getting sued.

Even if it were a good idea to drink this alkaline water, let's take this a step further.  Follow this process... You drink water, it goes past your mouth and heads where? To your stomach.

Your stomach's pH is around 2.0 -it contains hydrochloric acid, a necessary substance for digestion. Adding water of higher pH only serves to raise the pH of your stomach. I've seen product literature stating that your stomach's pH is only that low when you're eating, the rest of the time it is closer to neutral - around 7.0. Really??? Ask your doctor!  (Or if this is easier, check with Google!)

If you want to spend $3000 or more on a "water alkalinizer" go fill your boots. What you end up with is expensive water that has been treated with a carbon filtration unit roughly equivalent to one single stage of a multi stage RO unit.  By design, your stomach is supposed to be acidic; that's where digestion starts.  Raising the pH in your stomach is NOT a good idea.  This is pure snake oil!

(in terms of complete disclosure, one of Douglas Environmental Solutions suppliers DOES offer these alkaline water systems for sale.  I have seen their specs and I have seen their marketing literature - it is truly misleading.  I'm surprised at this ploy by an otherwise reputable company.  Although it technically is something we can make available through this one supplier, we do NOT intend to market the product nor offer it to our clients.)

Reverse Osmosis - Fact vs Fiction, Volume 3

Today's installment in this series addresses two concerns I've seen several times, mostly on "articles" which appear to be nothing more than sales letters for some other kind of water treatment system... One has to do with cleaning the system, which is an integral part of almost any "cartridge in sump" filtration setup.

The only kind of filtration appliance that doesn't need some kind of periodic cleaning and sanitizing is one where the entire assembly (basically everything except the plumbing itself) gets changed out at filter change time.  These systems can be convenient, but filter changes are more expensive and involve a lot of waste - extra plastic housings which are thrown out each filter change, instead of just the spent filter cartridges themselves.  Definitely a trade off in these days where we want to be as GREEN as possible.

Myth #5: When you Sanitize a Reverse Osmosis (RO) System, Chlorine Reacts with Organics to Create Disinfection Byproducts.

Myth Busted: I think they're really lost in the woods here... The chlorine is rinsed away after the sanitization and BEFORE the RO system is brought back online. Even if chlorine was left in the system at the time the system was re-activated, it is designed specifically to remove chlorine AND disinfection byproducts. I mean - that is the point of an RO system. To say it all the sudden cannot do it because you're cleaning it makes no sense. Again - hogwash...

Myth #6: RO is a Slow Process and Cannot Produce Enough Water for My Family

Myth Busted: RO does take time to process water, but that's why there's a storage tank! RO systems can be specified with membranes that produce anywhere from around 12 gallons per day, up to 50 gallons per day for standard residential use. There are membrane options up to 250 gallons per day that will still fit and work with a standard residential RO system.

Exactly how much water are you planning on using? Even the slowest system still can produce the equivalent of two 5-gallon jugs of water a day. Most residential systems ship with either a 24 or 50 gallon per day membrane. That is plenty for almost any family. I've even deployed a system like this for commercial use with absolutely no problems. Larger storage tanks are also available. Most come with 3-4 gallon capacity, but there's really no limit to tank size, other than whatever space limitations you may have.

HINT: Mount the RO in the basement and most-often your size restrictions go away completely since most basements aren't quite as tight on space as the areas underneath kitchen sinks (but again, most residences need no more capacity than a standard 3 gallon tank, which takes between 1 and 3 hours to completely refill from empty.)  This not only allows you to use a bigger tank, it also allows you to keep the space under the sink for garbage cans, recycling/composting bins and cleaning products.  

-NOTE: this should only be done if the RO system is ultra-efficient and doesn't lose a lot of water pressure compared to the home's normal water supply.  Some systems lose as much as one third of the home's pressure by the time the water is stored in the tank.  

If the house has 60 PSI water and the tank only has 40 PSI, by the time you run a length of plumbing all the way from the basement up to the kitchen or main floor dispenser, you could be down to 30 PSI or less - definitely could result in slow water delivery and low pressure at the faucet...  (This is one reason I especially like the Hague H3500 RO system with the non-electric permeate pump built right in - this keeps pressure at the optimal setting, makes water faster and increases the amount of contaminants removed from the water.)

This may not be possible with some 'bargain brand' RO systems. 

Reverse Osmosis - Fact vs Fiction, Volume 2

Back again today with the next installment of our myth-busting series on reverse osmosis systems.  There's a lot of bunk out there, and we're going to wade through it point by point.  As a consumer, you have a right to make an informed decision, not just having to buy-in based on some slick sales literature.  So here are the facts versus the fiction of what's out there...  Remember, if they need to back up their documentation with words like, "technically speaking...." then your guard should be up.  So here's round two:

Myth #3: RO Wastes a LOT Of Water

Myth Busted: RO is just like a washing machine for your water. Does your dishwasher "waste" water? How about your washing machine? No - it simply uses water to clean things. In this case, an RO system uses water to produce clean water, rinsing impurities down the drain just like soil on clothes and remnants of food from your plates. Because it is able to rinse away impurities instead of having to trap them in filters, a typical RO system's filters last a LOT longer! Think about it. A filter can only hold so much. Once it is full of contaminants, it needs to be discarded. If you were able to design a filter that trapped the contaminants RO systems separate from water and rinse away, you'd need to not only buy additional filters, but also change them more often.  

Myth #4: RO Units are Not Customizable

Myth Busted: Any filter you can add into one of the often-recommended "multi-stage filtration units" can be added into an RO system. As long as the chlorine (and iron, if you're on a well) is removed prior to the membrane, you can use any combination of filters you want. An RO is basically the same as the multi-stage system several manufacturer's seem to recommend, but with the addition of a reverse osmosis membrane. To suggest this is somehow less flexible is hogwash...

...to be continued!

Reverse Osmosis - Fact vs Fiction

Today we're going to start debunking some of the urban legends out there surrounding reverse osmosis (RO.) RO was invented years ago as a way to desalinate water for the US Navy submarines. Its a stable technology that has had numerous advancements in terms of efficiency and performance over its life span. There is a lot of confusion over RO technology out there - claims that it can't do this, shouldn't do that, requires something else, etc.

I have done a lot of research not only on water purification, but also on water and its effect on health. There are a lot of people shucking half-truths out there, so let's get started....

Myth #1: Reverse Osmosis is inferior to Carbon Filtration at Chemical Removal

Myth Busted: RO is NEVER (NEVER EVER EVER) used with a membrane alone. They always have PRE and POST filters to treat the water before and after the membrane (always.) -Anything an under-counter filtration system can remove, an RO SYSTEM can remove. To say the membrane can't remove certain chemicals is true, but to say an RO SYSTEM can't remove them is a flat out lie...

Myth #2: RO Removes Calcium and Vital Minerals from the Water

Myth Busted: There's not a shred of medical evidence that shows your body can process inorganic (or non-chelated) minerals such as calcium. These minerals are in the same form as limestone rock, or chalk.

You need calcium in your diet, but it needs to be organic calcium - bonded with amino acids (the process that happens in plants like broccoli, and inside the 9 stomachs of cows that makes the calcium bioavailable.) No doctor would recommend eating chalk or sucking on rocks to supplement the calcium in your diet.

Furthermore, the minute amount of calcium your body could absorb (even if it were possible) is vastly outweighed by the chemicals and disinfection byproducts/trihalomethanes the RO process removes from the water. The argument that these minerals are essential is akin to suggesting its ok to eat an entire bag of unlabelled pills because you're sure there are a few vitamin C's in there... No-one has any idea what chemicals are in the water - digesting them all just to get a few bits of calcium is ridiculous. Take supplements, eat green veggies, cheese or yogurt - you'll get what you need without the chemicals (assuming its organic, that is...)

...to be continued! 

In the meantime, if you have any concerns about RO or other water quality concerns, visit us at www.douglasenviro.ca and submit your question via the "Ask The Expert" section at the bottom of the Contact Us form, or email directly at info@douglasenviro.ca!

What's this Build Up??

I visited with a gentleman yesterday in Sherwood Park. He called me over out of frustration. He's lived in his home for 20 years and has constantly been battling scale build-up, especially in recent years. Edmonton's water (Sherwood Park gets its municipal water from Edmonton) used to be quite a bit softer, but in the 1990's, that changed and the water is, according to the Water Quality Association, hard. But what does that mean???

Hardness in this area is mostly dissolved limestone rock. Water, a "universal solvent," picks up a bit of everything it comes in contact with. As it runs over the rocks in mountains and all the way here via the North Saskatchewan river, it picks up limestone and dissolves it in the form of "water hardness." Hardness is measured in "Grains Per Gallon" -an old measurement of weight, but the one still used today in industry. 7000 grains is one pound, and by comparison, an aspirin tablet is about 5 grains.

Testing his water, we found the hardness in his home to be 10 grains per gallon, or for every gallon of water going through the home, about two aspirin tablets worth of dissolved limestone rock. With two people in the home, and an average of 150 gallons per day of water being used, that's about 1/5th of a pound of rock going through the home's water system every single day. (That's more than 75 pounds a year!!!)

Dissolved calcium is a bit of a different creature - unlike most things dissolved in water, it actually is LESS soluble with increased temperature. That means that when water is heated, it causes even more of the dissolved rock to come out of the water both coating anything it comes in contact with, and building up in the bottom of things.

If you've ever had to change your hot water tank, you know what I'm talking about - one small person can carry in and install a new hot water tank, but because of the several pounds of rock that builds up in the bottom of a "used" hot water tank, it takes two grown men and usually a cart to remove it...

Anyway, his staining and damage from hard water was quite extensive. His humidifier, which had just been cleaned recently, was already caked with white scale. The floor under his humidifier (beside the furnace) also had white rock formations on it, as did the inside of the furnace where the water connection was made.

He also pulled out the aerators on his faucets and showed me the little white pebbles and chips that were getting caught there. This is another area where hard water buildup can accumulate - not just as the white pearly/seashell kind of effect you see around most sinks and faucets. These are all evidence of hard water damage. He showed me how his faucet would sputter and spurt as the water fought to get through the clogged up system.

The prognosis here was quite simple, we discussed two options to fix this issue. The Watermax City Water Conditioner, as well as the "Puratech" system - basically the Watermax's little brother. Both will do an excellent job and remove all the hardness from the water going through all the plumbing in the home - this will eliminate the cause of the buildup my client was concerned about. The Watermax goes a step further and removes all the chlorine and disinfection byproducts that come from the chlorination of water. Health Canada has shown this to be cancer causing at certain exposure levels. Unfortunately, most municipalities don't test for these levels, and those that do test them, NEVER publish them.

In this case, the gentleman's concerns were strictly over maintenance, not specifically over health, so we decided on the Puratech system which will solve the problem and do it using the least amount of salt and water possible. PROBLEM SOLVED!

My Well Water is Bad & the Well is Going Dry - Help!

I received a call last week from a person that was in a panic about their well water. They have a lot of hardness in the water, but have another problem - many wells in the area are going dry. They've noticed that running water constantly for an hour or more depletes the well and are concerned about the trend in the area.

The water is so hard, they have to replace their fixtures about every two years. They have made arrangements for a trickle system to be installed (this is a set up where city water from a nearby municipality is delivered at low pressure and flow rate into an atmospheric holding tank at the property, from which the water is then pressurized and delivered much the way someone with a cistern's is.) The problem is, that water is at least a year away, and when it comes, it still will be hard water, and will have the added problem of chlorine. What to do, what to do???

We visted the gentleman on Tuesday afternoon and tested the water. Sure enough - its very hard water. There wasn't much for iron or other contaminants, but there was a fair amount of sediment coming thru. This made the diagnosis rather simple - a Hague Watermax water conditioner.

The system recommended for this gentleman will filter out sediment down to 20 microns (smaller than the eye can see) for the whole home using a built-in "Ultra-Fil" module - whole-house dirt and sediment filter that never needs replacement filters or maintenance; it cleans itself automatically each time the conditioner regenerates - slick, eh?

Using Hague's patented "Zero Soft" approach, all hardness will be completely removed by the fine mesh resin, and "Bacteriostat" inhibits growth in the resin bed, keeping the Watermax fresh and clean for the life of the appliance.

Next year, when they migrate from their well water to a city water supply, "Chlorostat" is added to completely remove the clorine, and activated coconut shell carbon will be installed into the empty media chamber to remove organics and disinfection byproducts - an unwanted result of the chlorination system that has been linked to cancer.

The nice thing about working with the Hague line-up is the flexibility. With this system, when water conditions or even water supplies change, there's a good change Watermax can change with you. Two days after the initial visit, he had spoken with the other water companies in the area (I was the first one to come out) and liked what he saw with Hague. We're welcoming him to the Hague family next Friday when his system is going in!

Cisterns: But I Have City Water, Right?

I was doing a routine reverse osmosis maintenance yesterday for a client of mine in Strathcona County. Anyway, they do a lot of water testing for this facility as they rent this particular hall out for parties, weddings and other group gatherings. They were having problems passing the microbiological tests because the water in their cistern (for those not familiar with this concept, if you don't have municipal water piped into your home and you don't have a well, the alternative is to have a buried storage tank that gets filled by delivery trucks filled with city water to run your property) kept showing bacteria.

The client had been performing regular cleanings (something most cistern owners rarely do) and they have spent a LOT of money sealing the cistern so leaves, dirt, bugs, mice, etc don't find their way in. Despite these steps, the tests kept coming back FAIL... Douglas Environmental Solutions was called in a little over a year ago to make recommendations.

The client initially was inquiring about ultraviolet (UV) sterilization to take care of this. Sounds good, but there are certain water quality requirements that must be met for that to work. The water must be:

- filtered to finer than 5 microns - sediment creates shadows and places for bacteria to "hide"
-there cannot be any colour, turbidity, iron, H2S or manganese present. (This is normally not a problem with city water supplies.)
- less than 7 grains hard (Edmonton/Sherwood Park water is HARD, between 9 and 12 grains, so that won't work)
- there must be minimal "turbidity" (basically a murkiness in the water) that prevents light from passing through and can inhibit UV's effectiveness at killing germs.

Needless to say, since raw city water doesn't meet these requirements, if they wanted UV, they'd need to filter and soften the water. Because of particular installation confinements at this facility (its so incredibly tight) we opted instead to create a potable water supply using reverse osmosis. This treatment would filter, soften and clean up the water effectively removing bacteria from the supply.

As added protection, we incorporated a UV sterilization chamber for the product water - just in case something physically happened to the RO system, the UV would still be there as back up and sterilize any germs.

The system has been operating for over a year now and even though the cistern is continually cleaned and the seal on the cistern rivals the one my grandma used when she made jelly, "stuff" is still getting into the tank.

How do I know? When we change the filter, you can see all the organics that are trapped by the prefilter. When new, these filters are pristine and white. The post filters (final stage of filtration before the water goes to the faucet) still look nice and white - although when wet, you can see the black carbon behind it, kind of like when you get a t-shirt wet - but that's another story...

Anyway, we've had to cut the filter change time in half for this facility and we're still getting a great deal of staining on the pre-filter. That's what its there for though - you can see by the post-filter the organics are not making it through the system.

We employ Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Monitoring at this location as well. TDS is a measure of purity of the water. A meter reads impurities in the water and gives a number. The closer to zero the number, the better the water. When we installed the system last year, we were getting ZERO TDS water; indicative of very high quality. A year later, the meter still reads ZERO. The system is still doing its job - despite all the 'stuff' in the cistern.

I literally cringe when I hear people telling me they can drink water from their cistern because its "pure city water." Those people have, I guarantee you, either not cleaned their cistern, or not WATCHED the cistern getting cleaned. What comes out of there is enough to make you sick - just by looking at it. Its not uncommon to see frogs, mice and all kinds of organic material just decaying in there. That is running into your home and out the tap - unless you take measures like our clients!

Changes in the wind

Just looking back, it appears as its been forever since the last blog posting. Yes, I hear there's a recession going on, but no - that's not why there hasn't been an update since May. Its been quite the opposite of a recession around here, actually. Things are really busy and there's no signs of change - a great thing, in the midst of all the doom and gloom.

Douglas Environmental Solutions is adding to the product and services being offered. We've always offered air treatment and odour elimination services, but in some cases, I felt we could do better - especially with odours. Yes, for people installing our purification systems, odours are not going to be a problem as the active purification we deploy will continually scrub both air and surfaces not only destroying any and all germs & viruses contacted, but also oxidizing chemicals. Most odours we come across are caused by organic molecules - some referred to as "volatile organic compounds" or "VOC's" for short. These are simply carbon-bearing molecules that our noses can detect.

Purification works here by oxidation - breaking apart the long-chain molecules into shorter and shorter ones. This eventually will break down most substances to CO2, H2O and NO2, or the components of over 99% of outdoor air. (This is one of the reasons one of our brand names carried is actually called "Fresh Air" - because that is exactly what it creates.)

This part of the equation remains unchanged, we are still offering the complete activTek lineup. Where I have felt we fell a little short was for properties that needed dramatic air quality improvements in a really short period of time. Fire damage, flood damage, mold remediation, properties that have been smoked in, or have perhaps had pets and associated lingering odours.

We are now offering ozone "Shock Treatment" for these properties. This is different from our typical lineup, in that while we're performing these shock treatments, the homes cannot be occupied. We bring in large, industrial ozone generators and bring the levels in the entire property up to about 10 parts per million (ppm) or above for a matter of hours, or perhaps days - as the case by case situation warrants. (By comparison, if you were to go outside after a thunderstorm, that fresh smell you probably love is actually ozone - but that would be at a concentration of about 0.05 ppm. For shock treatments, this is about 200X more ozone per cubic inch than what is considered "healthy.")

Ozone is ideal for this purpose because it is not a "masking agent" like Febreeze or some other spray deodourizers. This actually converts whatever the odour is into simpler, non-odour-causing molecules - eventually converting them to fresh air.

There is no lingering smell or after-effects from ozone either. Most people know that Oxygen is represented by "O2" as an element. Ozone is simply an oxygen molecule that has one more atom of oxygen bonded to it - it is represented by "O3." Ozone is very unstable it really "wants" to go back to the natural state of "O2" and will react with many types of things - in this case, smoke and other odour problems. The same process that eliminates the odours causes the O3 to convert back to O2 - which we can't smell and we know will not cause problems in homes and offices.

The process is relatively simple; we determine the amount of time and the level of ozone required to eliminate the problem, we evacuate the property and turn on the equipment, which runs on a timer. The ozone generator runs for as long as it needs to, then we let the ozone do its work. After a day or two, the ozone and the odours are permanently eliminated, and the property is left smelling fresh and clean.

This also will kill germs, viruses and molds in the property, leaving the place properly sanitized. We then just remove the equipment and people can return to using the property however they need to - just now without the odours!

For more information on this service, please contact us at info@douglasenviro.ca or call the office at 780-410-0837.

Environmental TASC Force Creation

Its almost here - the first meeting of the Edmonton chapter for the NORMI Pro Environmental TASC Force is tomorrow. I have been selected to organize and launch the chapter for Environmental (aka "Green") professionals for the Greater Edmonton Area. The first meeting for prospective members is being held tomorrow night (Thursday May 14th) at Second Cup on Whyte Avenue, at 7pm.

NORMI has created this group as an international professional organization and will be seeking trades, contractors and professionals representing all the areas where homes and work environments are affected by anything environmental. All members will be bound by a strict Code of Ethics and the professionals will meet to organize and collaborate on projects.

Group members will benefit by having access to co-op marketing, ongoing training, guest speaking opportunities and a way to truly differentiate themselves from their competition. All serious professionals should examine this opportunity as it will be extremely limited once the TASC Force is operational. People with an interest in community and collaboration are ideally-suited to this membership.

Potential categories include: (but are not limited to)

• Licensed Mold Remediation Contractor (NORMI Certified)
• Licensed Mold Inspector or Assessor (NORMI Certified)
• Licensed Asbestos Abatement Contractor
• Licensed Radon Inspector
• Licensed Radon Abatement Contractor
• Licensed Indoor Air Quality Solutions Provider (NORMI Certified)
• Licensed HVAC Contractor
• Licensed Water Restoration Company
• Licensed Waterproofing Contractor
• Licensed Weatherproofing Contractor
• Licensed Home inspector
• Licensed Real Estate Broker or Realtor
• Licensed Residential Building Contractor
• Licensed Residential Remodeling Contractor
• Licensed Commercial Builder
• Licensed/Certified Architect
• Licensed Biocide Applicator (NORMI Certified)
• Licensed Plumbing Contractor
• Licensed Pesticide Applicator
• Licensed Painting Contractor
• Licensed Electrical Contractor
• Licensed Duct Cleaning Contractor
• Licensed Carpet Cleaner
• Licensed Water Quality Solutions Provider
• Alternative/Environmental Medicine Doctor
• Chiropractor
• Licensed General Cleaning/Maid Service

If you work in these areas or are able to recommend an ethical, reliable professional in any of these areas, please contact Greg Douglas at 1(877)751-3100 ext 81009.

For more information on the program details please see www.normiproetf.com and for the Edmonton local chapter, information sessions are being scheduled through the Meetup service.

Constant Pressure is a Thing of Beauty

Last week, we had a failure at our home - our water pressure system (bringing water in from our cistern and pumping it up through our entire home) failed. We knew it was coming - we had been limping along with the system that came with the house (sort of an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it kind of thing.) This was a "Canadian Tire Special" kind of deal - a small 1/2 Horsepower Jet Pump attached to a 4 gallon pressure tank. This is the kind of system you'd expect to find at a cabin that sees a few visitors every couple of months, not for a family of three with a baby (lots of laundry, baths, etc.)

Anyway, the old system was loud, ran WAY too often (because of the under-sized pressure tank) and the lights dimmed every time ole Betsy kicked in (about every 20-30 seconds of running the water. To be honest, I was glad it happened. It gave us a chance to try out the new technology from Grundfos - a "constant pressure system." This is still a Jet Pump system, but with their new technology, it no longer requires a pressure tank.

For those not familiar with rural water systems, here's a quick overview. (Well water or cistern, the process is similar.)

Water is drawn into the home by a pump (either a submersible, or in our case, a "jet pump.") The water is pumped into a storage tank under pressure where it accumulates. The tank has a pressure switch that controls the pump based upon how much water (and therefore how much pressure) is in the tank.

When the water pressure reaches a maximum point (usually 50 PSI) the pump kicks off and the home is ready to use water directly from the pressurized tank. The water is drawn down from the tank until it reaches the minimum pressure point (usually 30 PSI.) At that point, the pump kicks in and runs until the pressure tank again reaches 50 PSI.

In theory, this is designed to run the pump for fewer but longer cycles (instead of having it kick in and out every time any water is drawn and burn out the pump.)

The new Grundfos technology eliminates the need for the pressure tank as it is set up to provide a constant pressure to the home and runs the pump in an manner to keep that pressure constant. Installing the pump was relatively simple - I got to cut out a lot of archaic looking plumbing connections and run brand new PEX from the pump to the Watermax conditioner.

I also replaced the disgusting looking supply plumbing that connects the cistern to the inlet on the pump with brand new braided vinyl tubing. I should have taken a "before" picture - my apologies. You can tell from the picture here what a large "footprint" the former setup had.

(The black tank you see there is for our Hague H3500 Reverse Osmosis system - a separately-installed drinking water system we have to purify the water for drinking and cooking. Cistern water tends to be GROSS! We had ours cleaned just 2 years ago and there were leaves, mice and frogs in the tank. I truly get scared when I hear people drinking that water - or having a false sense of security because they use a Brita filter, or there is some sort of filter in their fridge - YIKES! Those do NOT eliminate bacteria!!!)

So the end result???

We went from a loud pump that cycled all the time, dimming the lights each time it kicked in (and kicked out) to one that is quiet, runs continuously at different speeds to ensure constant pressure. The old system would cycle between 30 and 50 PSI. The new Grundfos pump is supposed to deliver a constant 60 PSI. I put a gauge on the system upstairs to measure what was actually being delivered (not just the pressure at the pump itself) and measured a "city-water-like" 62 PSI. That, my friends, is a THING OF BEAUTY!

The only "down side"??? We'll have to go out and put "low flow" showerheads on the system now. Previously, the pressure was so low that it was not only unnecessary, but also impractical. Now, the pressure is almost enough to peal off your skin. I love this thing! If you have a pressure system for your home, when the time comes to replace a jet pump, I would strongly consider you take a look at this new technology. Contact us for more info on this amazing new system.

"I am against Water Softeners...."

I was just out at the Chamber of Commerce "After Hours" -this week it was held at Albert's Restaurant. Unfortunately, due to a check up that took (WAY) too long, I was late for the event and missed most of the attendees (and my MC duties - SORRY Karlee!!!)

I was, however, lucky enough to meet a new member representing a new company operating in Sherwood Park. After the typical exchange of greetings and "What do you do?'s" he made a comment to me, one that I could immediately tell by the look on his face, that he regretted. I'm not one to force issues, but when he told me, "I'm against water softening" I was a bit taken aback. I'm used to the concept of people making comments about not seeing the purpose, or arguing that salt usage for this purpose is an environmental issue, but I felt like finding out what he was wanting to say.

Apparently my tact wasn't quite right as he seemed somewhat apologetic at the possibility of having insulted a perfect stranger. (It takes a lot more than that to insult me, and to be honest, I was intrigued by the comments. In my line of work, dealing with "objections" is just part of the territory.) Anyway, when I pressed a bit, searching for what it was that he was against, he commented that he didn't like the idea of adding things to the water.

At this point, I was captivated - softening removes things (mostly calcium, magnesium and iron) from water. It does, depending on the overall water's hardness, add a bit of sodium (or potassium, if that's the regenerant used) to the water, but the industry has come a long way from the 1950's where you could literally taste the difference. Now, with the Hague "Absolute Brining" technology, you literally would need a TDS meter to determine the change in sodium content.

Unfortunately, my new colleague was already on his way out, and didn't seem too interested in elaborating on his comments, so for now, it remains a mystery. At any rate, I absolutely love to hear new reasons why something won't work or is a bad idea. I'm open-minded enough to have that conversation and if something comes up which is a legitimate concern (as opposed to one of the millions of urban myths out there) then I can change my views and adapt.

In the meantime, my opinion remains that the trace amounts of sodium introduced to the water are well-worth the energy and savings in chemical additives that are required to offset the effects of hard water, not to mention the time, convenience, and "soft" advantages like time saved cleaning, smoother (not itchy) skin, whiter whites, brighter colours, and spotless dishes....

Some interesting facts: (all based on the current levels of "hardness" of Edmonton city water)

-Softened water requires 29% less energy to heat. (21% less if you have electric hot water heating.) All that dissolved rock in the water has to be heated, in additoin to the water. There is also the scaling that builds up on the heating elements in the hot water tank. This in effect coats the elements, causing them to use a LOT more energy to heat the water (picture your stove, then put a brick on the heating element. then place a kettle on the brick and turn on the stove... you get my point.)

-Softened water requires 75% less soap and detergent. It also allows for natural products to work. If you've seen the new Tide commercials, they PROUDLY explain how their "concentrated" product has more detergent in it - now almost half the container is detergent. (the rest being chemical water softeners, acids, dyes and phosphates.) -Did you think they were just adding water to boost their profits???

-Water using appliances last twice as long! Again, back to the build-up mentioned above in reference to saving energy heating water. That accumulation of calcium (dissolved limestone rock in our case) builds up at the bottom of hot water tanks, steam irons, kettles, dishwashers, toilets, refrigerators/icemakers, kettles, etc. The appliances with smaller internal plumbing benefit the most, but the shear volume of water processed by a hot water tank makes that appliance the most noticeable. (Try lifting a new hot water tank - they are very light. Then try lifting your "failed" hot water after all the water has drained out into your basement - with all the dissolved rock in them, they weigh a TON!

There are a lot more advantages, but for now, I feel I've gone on long enough. Stay tuned for more!

Soft Water for Dry Skin?

Friday morning, I had an appointment with a family living in rural Alberta. They operate a trout farm and live in a log cabin - not the "typical" clients I bump in to on a regular basis, so right off I should have realized I was in for an interesting day.

The husband and wife had some concerns about their well water quality and wanted recommendations for what could be done. That always leads to a water test - without checking the chemistry and composition, its pretty near impossible to make any recommendations (regardless of what any patented "iron eater" system salesman tells you!!!)

Walking through their concerns, the home owners were unable to use their well water for cooking and were going thru a LOT of bottled water from a nearby supplier in Tofield. I tested their bottled water too and had an interesting discovery. The water tested at 17 parts per million (ppm) of total dissolved solids (TDS.) That's a measure of the purity of the water, and 17 is kind of in "no mans land." Reverse Osmosis (RO) water, off a properly-selected water source, should be lower than that - probably should be under 5 ppm. "Spring water" really isn't regulated, so its all over the place. Usually it tests higher than city water does - typically 250-300 ppm, so that leads me to believe this was "low quality RO water" the family had.

Anyway, the last company out to make recommendations had suggested putting a well chlorination system in, followed by a dechlorination system, and a filter to remove any oxidized contaminants. This family really wanted to remove chemicals from their lives, not add them in. After reading about all the carcinogens in city water (including chlorine, chloramine and the 'disinfection byproducts' like trihalomethanes and other poisons,) this family was not interested in looking at a system like that.

Our recommendation here was to go with the "Watermax" system from Hague Quality Water. Because of the type of media deployed, it would not require chlorine or any other oxidizer added to remove all the iron, and the same unit will also remove all their hardness. Hague offers what they refer to as "zero hardness" water. That is water with ALL the dissolved limestone rock and magnesium removed. Even a little bit of this will forfeit your soap savings, and start to accumulate on the skin and in clothing and linens. The rock causes soap to stick, and that leads to dry skin and eczema, something the the wife was having problems with.

Another great benefit of this system is the whole-house sediment filter. Included in the same unit is a media that filters all the home's water down to 20 microns - smaller than the human eye can perceive. This filter never needs replacement or maintenance, instead it just purges sediment each time the iron and hardness components regenerate - very slick!

I have a mini version of this system and let her try washing her hands with the tap water, then washing them after running thru the miniature conditioner. She could immediately tell the difference.

This system would do everything they need, removing all the iron, all the dissolved rock, and filtering their water down to 20 microns, and do it all without adding, storing, or handling chemicals like chlorine.

The fact that Hague stands behind the system with the industry's longest warranty - a 25 year warranty (including all the media) made this an easy decision!

To finish my visit off, they walked me thru their trout farm. I'd never seen an operation like this and I would never have guessed they had something like this going on from driving up to their home. What a neat setup!

If you've got some problem water, or just not sure what to do - give us a call at 780-410-0837 or contact us through the website: www.douglasenviro.ca -we don't charge for these analysis, so whether you are looking for a solution, or just trying to figure out what's coming out of your taps, we're happy to help!