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Common water quality problems and their methods of treatment Page 2

D. Sense of Sight

Impurity or Contaminant	Symptom	Cause	Health Effects	Means of Treatment
Turbidity	Dirt, salt, clay.	Suspended matter in surface water pond, stream or lake.	Turbid water may contain disease causing microorganisms	"Calcite" or Neutralize (media) type filter - up to 50 ppm
	Sand grit, silt or clay substances.	Well sand from new well or defective well screen.	Turbid water may contain disease causing microorganisms	Sand trap and/or new well screen
	Rust in water.	Acid water causing iron "pick-up."	Turbid water may contain disease causing microorganisms	Neutralizing calcite filter to correct low pH acidity and remove precipitated iron
	Gray string-like fiber.	Organic mater in raw water algae, etc.	Turbid water may contain disease causing microorganisms	Constant chlorination followed by activated carbon filter to dechlorinate.
Acid water	Green stains on sinks and silver, porcelain bathroom fixtures. Blue-green cast to water.	Water which has high carbon dioxide content (pH below 6.8) reacting with brass and copper pipes and fittings.	Could lead to health effects if acid water causes leaching of lead and copper	1. Neutralizing calcite filter down to pH of 5.5, or 2. Calcite/ Magnesia - oxide mix (5 to 1) for higher flow rate and to correct very low pH water. 3. Soda ash chemical feed followed by filtration.
Discolored water red, "Iron" water	Brown-red stains on sinks and other porcelain bathroom fixtures. Water turns brown-red in cooking or upon heating. Clothing becomes discolored.	Dissolved iron in influent (more than 0.3 ppm Fe+) water appears clear when first drawn at cold water faucet. Above 0.3 ppm Fe causes staining.	Various effects	Can remove 0.5 ppm of Fe+ for every grain/gal of hardness to 10 ppm with water softener and minimum pH of 6.7. Over 10 ppm Fe+ chlorination with sufficient retention tank time for full oxidation followed by filtration/ dechlorination. In warm climates residual aerator and filtration will substantially reduce iron content.
		2. Precipitate iron (water will not clear when drawn).	Various effects	Up to 10 ppm iron removed by manganese greensand filter, if pH 6.7 or higher, or; Manganese treated, non-hydrous aluminum silicate filter where pH of 6.8 or higher and oxygen is 15% of total iron content. Downflow water softener with good backwash, up to 1.0 ppm Fe. Above 1 ppm to 10 ppm use calcite filter followed by downflow water softener. Calcite media type filter to remove precipitated iron.
	Brownish cast does not precipitate.	Iron pick-up from old pipe with water having a pH below 6.8. Organic (bacterial) iron.	Various effects	1. Treat well to destroy iron bacteria with solution of hydrochloric acid then constant chlorination followed by activated carbon media filtration and dechlorination. 2. Potassium permanganate chemical feed followed by filtration.
	Reddish color in water sample after standing 24 hours.	Colloidal iron.	Various effects	Constant chlorination followed by activated carbon media filter dechlorination.
Yellow water	Yellowish cast to water after softening and/or filtering.	Tannins (humic acids) in water from peaty soil and decaying vegetation.	Various effects	Adsorption via special macro-porous Type I anion exchange resin regenerated with salt (NaCl) up to 3.0 ppm. Manganese greensand or manganese treated sodium alumino-silicate under proper set of conditions.
Milky water	Cloudiness of water when drawn.	Some precipitant sludge created during heating of water. High degree of air in water from poorly functioning pump. Excessive coagulant-feed being carried through filter.	Various effects Aesthetic only Various effects	Blow down domestic or commercial hot water heater tank periodically. Water will usually clear quickly upon standing. Reduce coagulant quantity being fed, service filters properly.
Very high chloride content in water	Blackening and pitting of stainless steel sinks and stainless ware in commercial dishwashers	Excessive salt content. High temperature drying creates chloride concentration accelerating corrosion.	Various effects	Use other chloride resistant metals. Reduce total dissolved solids by reverse osmosis.

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