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Did
you know?
Reverse osmosis is the finest water filtration method known. This process will
allow the removal of particles as small as ions from a solution. It is used
to purify water and remove salts and other impurities in order to improve the
color, taste or properties of the fluid. R.O. uses a membrane that is semi-permeable,
allowing the fluid that is being purified to pass through it, while rejecting
other ions and contaminants from passing.
This technology uses a process
known as crossflow to allow the r.o. membrane to continually clean itself. This
is the reason of why an r.o. element can last many years before clogging or
need replacement. This
water purification process requires a driving force to push the fluid through
the membrane, and the most common force is household water pressure or pressure
from a booster pump. The higher the pressure, the larger the driving force and
efficiency.
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37. Is It Safe to Drink The Water Directly from a Private Well?
For most people, their drinking water is regulated by federal and
state governments since they receive their water through community supplies. However, about 15% of Americans have their own source of water, through
a private wells or springs on their property. The government does not
regulate these water sources, and therefore, homeowners need to pay closer
attention to the safety of their drinking water.
Most groundwater is dubbed safe, but people should have it tested
periodically.Groundwater
that fills wells can sometimes become contaminated, although the deeper
the well, the less likely it is to be ridden with bad things. Some elements
it picks up from rocks. But run-off pollutants can also seep into groundwater. Things like microorganisms, heavy metals, lead, copper, household waste,
fluoride and more can all be found in traces in ground water.
The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 does not include private wells. However, looking at the requirements for that on the EPA website can give
well-owners an idea of what the acceptable levels are for these many contaminants. Local health departments are also very helpful in providing information
and assistance with well testing. Even some local college with environmental
science programs can sometimes aid in testing water quality.
Risk of contamination depends on many things, such as how well
your well was built, where it is located, and how well you maintain it.
It also depends on your local environment, which includes the quality
of the aquifer from which water is drawn and the human activities going
on in the area near the well. An example could be being near farm animals,
industries, etc.
It is important to test your well for pesticides, heavy metals
and organic chemicals before you use the water for the first time. Also,
annual tests for nitrate and coliform bacteria should be done annually,
especially in areas without sewers. If you use a private laboratory to
conduct the testing, nitrate and bacteria samples will typically cost
between $10 and $20 to complete. Testing for other contaminants will be
more expensive, such as testing for pesticides or organic chemicals--
they can cost from several hundred to several thousand dollars.
In short, we do not recommend drinking water directly from your
wells without any filtration/ protection, due to industrial contamination
nowadays. We highly recommend that homeowners test their well water annually-
make sure you've got safe drinking water, before consumption. After all,
you OWN your well. So, you have the chance to always know what is in
your water and can control the safety- without having to wait for a private
company to tell you too late the water has a bug! Test annually and when
you think there could be a problem. Otherwise, drink away.
Of course, it never hurts to play it safe and give yourself an
extra piece of mind by installing
a filter in your home system.
Healthy and Convenient!
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