Testing Your Well Water, Wisconsin & Minnesota
FACT: One million Minnesotans utilize private wells.
Private wells are a great source of water. A properly designed well
will provide years of worry free service to your family. It should be
noted, though, that private wells are not put through the testing that
public water systems receive. It is up to the well owner to conduct
well water testing to be sure the water being consumed is safe.
“Special types of water treatment systems, which are proven
effective in removing arsenic from drinking water include "reverse
osmosis" with pretreatment.”
–The Minnesota Department of Health
Multiple Layers Of Protection
The Kinetico K5 Drinking Water System utilizes not only the
Minnesota Department of Health recommended Reverse Osmosis and
Pretreatment Filtration stages, but it also adds three more layers of
protection, including a Post-Filtration process and Duel Flex Filters.
The K5 Drinking Water System Duel Flex Filters allow for total
system customization to meet all the needs of your particular drinking
water situation. From BioPure water that is 99.99% free of viruses and
bacteria to an added level of protection from organic compounds,
Kinetico Flex Filtration is the answer.
The Minnesota Department of Health recommends the following procedures to be sure your well water is safe from contaminates.
- Test your well water at least once every year or two for nitrates.
Well water containing nitrate at levels above the state health
limit (10 milligrams per liter as nitrogen) should never be given to
infants less than six months old. - Test your well water at least once for arsenic.
Arsenic occurs naturally in about 50% the wells in Minnesota.
Nearly 15% of Minnesota wells produce water, which exceeds the
Minnesota Department of Health levels of 10 micrograms per liter. - Testing your well water for other contaminants.
Rural areas may be more prone to higher levels of pesticides in
well water. This is to not say that suburban areas are immune. While
pesticides in Minnesota wells are usually very low, less that 1
microgram per billion, there are always exceptions. When in doubt, test
your water!
Volatile Organic Chemicals, or VOCs are common components of gasoline
and other fuels, as well as products such as solvents, paints,
cleaners, and degreasers. It is estimated that 2 to 5 percent of
private Minnesota wells may have detectable levels of one or more VOCs.
If you live near a commercial or industrial area, a gas station, or a
landfill, and especially if your well is old or shallow, you should
consider having your water tested for VOCs.
What's In Your City & Tap Water?
Depending
on what city you are in or even where you are located on a particular
city water system your water can take on some very unpleasant
qualities. In fact, some water problems are undetectable by just taste
or color. A comprehensive analysis by Aquarius Water Conditioning will
give you all the information you need to help you determine if your
water if safe and just how healthy it is for you and your family. Here
are a few common problems with city water.
PROBLEM: CHLORINE
City
water contains chlorine. Sometimes this is very evident in drinking
water. Have you ever sipped a glass of water from the tap only to have
it smell like a swimming pool? That’s the chlorine. While chlorine
for the most part will not hurt you, it smells and tastes bad. In
addition, it dries out hair and skin leaving you itchy and
uncomfortable.
PROBLEM: HARD WATER
You may not know
if you have hard water, but you definitely know the effects of hard
water. Hard water causes soap scum to form in tubs and showers and
results in spots appearing on faucets and fixtures. Hard water is also
hard on appliances by creating scale build up inside pipes. It can
result in very costly repairs. Hard water also makes it very difficult
to effectively launder clothes.
PROBLEM: CLOUDY WATER
Cloudy
water is caused by the suspension of solids in the water. While
sometimes the cloudiness can be confused with harmless air bubbles,
some cloudiness can be a reason for concern. In drinking water, the
cloudier the water appears the higher the risk that your water contains
impurities in the form of suspended solids. Suspended solids interfere
with water disinfection with chlorine because the particles act as
shields for the virus and bacteria.
PROBLEM: SMELLY WATER
The
presence of hydrogen sulfide in water results in a fowl smelling water
similar to that of a rotten egg. In addition, musty, earthy or fishy
tasting or smelling water is the result of algae, molds and bacteria.
While it is mostly harmless, smelly water is virtually useless for
drinking, cooking and cleaning.
PROBLEM: METALLIC TASTE OR SMELL
Metallic
tasting water is usually the result of elevated levels of actual metals
in your water like iron and manganese. They not only taste bad but
they can be bad for you!
PROBLEM: FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN
What
you can’t see can hurt you. Bacterias, viruses, cryptosporidium,
giardia lamblia, lead, mercury and many other very harmful impurities
can be found in tap water. These elements can cause unspeakable
illnesses and even adversely affect the young and elderly where immune
systems are less developed or compromised.
