Water treatment is any process that improves the quality of water to make it appropriate for a specific end-use. The end use may be drinking, industrial water supply, irrigation, river flow maintenance, water recreation or many other uses. Whole house water treatment systems will address potential water quality issues experienced in Sudbury. Not only is matching the right technology important, sizing the system to meet the water usage demands of your home is also key. Additionally, a professionally plumbed system is also critical for proper functioning and ease of service. Consistent maintenance of the system throughout the years will optimize the useful life and proper functioning of your new equipment.
While symptoms of water quality issues such as bad odors & taste, staining of laundry, bathroom fixtures, etc. are indicators of problems, the preferred starting point is to get a water test to identify the minerals or contaminants in the water and at what quantity they exist. This will lead to an effective system recommendation and excellent water quality.
WATER SOFTENERS
A water softener is a type of whole house water treatment system that is designed for removing hard water minerals (magnesium & calcium) as well as dissolved iron and manganese from the water. For water with high levels of iron or manganese (“the stainers”), an “up-flow” water softener is recommended to prevent mineral build-up in the bottom of the water softener. Also, high efficiency water softeners that are more efficient with both water and salt usage are preferred.
WHOLE HOUSE WATER TREATMENT – Radon & Arsenic in private wells
Other contaminants found in New England well water include Radon and Arsenic. A water softener will not remove these health threat contaminants. Radon in water is safely removed with an aeration system that agitates the incoming well water, releasing the gas from the water in a sealed chamber. This gas is then safely vented to the outside ambient air.
Arsenic in water can be removed at the point of entry into the home by installing tanks filled with arsenic specific resin that captures the arsenic before it can get into the home’s water supply. Point of use systems for drinking water can use reverse osmosis technology to effectively remove arsenic as well. Speak to a water treatment professional to decide which system is right for you.
BAD TASTES & ODORS, SEDIMENT
In addition to the above, there are many other systems to remove bad tastes & odors, sediment and many other objectionable minerals and contaminants in the water. Starting with a water test will lead to the right approach.
For more information on common bad odors & tastes in New England water supplies, see the link at http://bad-odor-taste/. For more about hard water, see https://water.usgs/edu/hardness.
REMOVAL OF PFAS IN WATER
There are technologies effective in removing PFAS from drinking water, especially Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluoro octane sulfonic acid (PFOS), which are the most studied of these chemicals. The most effective technologies include ion exchange, activated carbon adsorption and reverse osmosis. For whole house filtration of PFAS, Ion exchange is proving to be a better approach. See link for more detail on removal options at https://h2ocare.com/what-are-pfas/
For information on the town water supply in Sudbury, Massachusetts, see https://www.sudburywater.com/.