Arsenic in Water Solutions
Arsenic in water occurs naturally and is a tasteless, odorless and colorless contaminant. Other activities that could have left residuals include apple orchard spraying, coal ash disposal, and use of some pressure treated wood. Boxford homeowners can be very surprised when they get their lab test results back and see they have this contaminant in their water. While there are serious health threats associated with ingestion, there are effective methods for removing it from water.
FORMS OF AS
The primary forms are Arsenic III (AS III) and Arsenic V (AS V). Many arsenic removal media have a low capacity for removing ASIII from the water, therefore converting it to ASV (which is easier to remove) is a common approach. Determining the ratio of AS III versus ASV in water is critical as this will allow the design and implementation of a water treatment system that will effectively remove it. There are methods to oxidize the ASIII and convert it to AS V for ease of removal. Not all towns have detected arsenic in water, however, there are pockets found in Boxford which increases the importance of proper testing, follow-up, etc. For detail on potential health affects, see: who.int/mediacentre.
Arsenic in Water Filtration System
WATER TEST & ANALYSIS
Having a complete laboratory water test and analysis, including parameters that can negatively impact arsenic removal media, is critical to a well designed, safe water treatment system that will remove the arsenic in water. pH can significantly affect Arsenic media performance along with other competing ions such as Iron, Manganese, Hardness, Vanadium, Sulfate, Phosphate, Silica, Total Dissolved Solids, Suspended Solids and Hydrogen Sulfide. For a full article on this topic which was published in Water Technology Magazine, go to our publications section and click on the Arsenic removal article at https://h2ocare.com/publications/.
WATER USAGE MONITORING
Determining water usage is also critical to designing an effective removal system that will have the proper capacity. Key information would include well pump size, well pump flow rate, size of the incoming water line, number of residents in the home, the number of bathrooms, space availability for equipment installation, electrical availability and water discharge location or restrictions, among others.
TRACKING WATER USE AFTER SYSTEM INSTALLATION IS IMPORTANT
A couple of key components for consideration when designing this type of system include:
- Utilizing a meter to track flow rate and total gallons processed is critical to determine the home’s water demand.
- Gallons used readings also assist in uncovering any potential leaks in the home such as running toilets, which will unnecessarily prematurely deplete the arsenic media’s capacity.
LEAD/LAG TANK DESIGNED FOR ADDED SAFETY
Because Arsenic in water is a tasteless, colorless and odorless contaminant, it is particularly important to have two tanks in series in case the first tank is depleted prior to scheduled service with your water treatment company. Service should be scheduled at intervals determined by the water use tracking data accumulated. This combined with appropriate water testing intervals are added safeguards to prevent Arsenic from getting into the treated water entering the home.
