Arsenic, Uranium and Other Trace Elements, a Potential Concern in Private Drinking Wells

A recent article published by the US Government indicates that a full 20% of residential wells contain contaminants that are above the levels set as "safe" by health officials.  Contaminants like arsenic, chromium and even lead are showing up at levels that could prove harmful to anyone drinking them.

If I had a nickel for every time I've heard someone tell me their family has lived on the land for generations and "the water was good enough for my grandpa, so it's good enough for me," well, I'd probably have a couple bucks by now anyway.  The fact is, 90% of the contaminants we have to worry about didn't even exist when our grandparents lived on the land.  We have no control, and in most cases, no idea what is happening upstream in the underground aquifers that water wells draw from.

I'm working with a client that is building a brand new home on "family" land - land that's been owned for years in Sturgeon County.  After careful consideration of the options, it was decided to dig a well instead of hauling water with to a cistern, the way most new acreage builders like to do.  In this case, some unexpected contaminants showed up and they definitely require treatment.

Probably the most-concerning was lead.  It was 20% higher than the maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) as set by Health Canada.  Fluoride was also too high, testing at 5x more concentration than the new regulations allow for city water.  Both of these are effectively treated, assuming optimal conditions, by either reverse osmosis, or distillation.

With these serious issues, this is no time to fool around with cheapo-Joe's RO - when health is on the line, the obvious choice is a system that carries the Water Quality Association's "Gold Seal" - stating that the purifier has been sent to a lab, its performance analyzed, and GUARANTEED reduction of these specific contaminants is provided by the manufacturer.

We only provide equipment that is certified by the WQA to achieve a minimum reduction, then we take the specs, compare to the water analysis, and ensure that we are in the optimal zone for making good drinking water.  This goes well-beyond just plugging in the equipment and hoping for the best.  Reverse osmosis requires sufficient pressure to meet the Gold Seal specifications - and no well water pressure system I've ever seen is sufficient in this regard.  Consult an expert in your area to ensure the system is within specifications for pressure, pH, TDS and contaminant reduction.  Anything else is taking a gamble with your health!