Pure Water Annie’s FAQ Series

Gazette Technical Writer Pure Water Annie Answer’s the Persistent Questions about Water Treatment

This Week’s Topic: Regenerating Water Softeners with Potassium Chloride

Why do some people use potassium chloride rather than salt to regenerate their water softener?

The main reason is to avoid using  sodium–for health or environmental reasons.  In fact, some cities require its use in an effort to limit sodium levels in wastewater.

How does the cost compare with standard softener salt?

Potassium chloride (KCl) is more expensive, considerably more expensive in some areas. Also, salt is more readily available.  Since potassium is used in farm fertilizer, it’s in much shorter supply and it may eventually get very expensive.

I’ve heard you have to use more potassium chloride than standard softener salt to regenerate the softener.  Is this true?  

In theory, it would seem to be true, but research has shown that this isn’t a big factor.  In one study, when using 15 lbs. of salt per cubic foot of resin for regeneration, standard salt was only about 2% more efficient than potassium chloride.

Are there problems with potassium chloride?

Other than the cost and in some areas the lack of availability, one issue is the tendency under certain conditions (mainly temperature swings when softeners are installed in unheated areas) for a condition called recrystallization to occur.  This is similar to the condition called “salt bridge,”  with regular salt, but when temperatures fluctuate potassium chloride can precipitate and drop to the bottom of the brine tank forming a solid mass beneath the salt grid platform. There are strategies to alleviate this which include insulating the brine tank or elevating the tank on a wooden platform.

I have a reverse osmosis drinking water system.  They told me it takes the sodium out of my softened water.  Is this true?

Yes.  It will also remove potassium, so if you have an RO unit for drinking water, your choice of a regenerant has no health implications.

And if I don’t have an RO unit?

The amount of sodium you ingest in softened water is pretty insignificant when compared with your total sodium intake, so drinking softened water normally isn’t important. For people trying to eliminate all sources of sodium, of course, it may be a different story.

If I want to try potassium chloride in my softener, do I need to make modifications?

No,  salt and potassium chloride both work well in standard water softeners.

How razing the rainforest has created a devastating drought in Brazil

Twenty million people in Sao Paolo now face severe rationing due to the disruption of the far-away Amazon’s rain-making machine,

by Geoffrey Lean

 ^{The vast forest generates its own rain, which then falls across the country.}

Arsenic, nitrates among pollutants in California drinking water

California’s public drinking water systems violated safety levels for contaminants more than 1,000 times during the 2012-2013 fiscal year says a report that cites high levels in some water systems of arsenic, nitrates and other pollutants.

The report, ordered by the state Senate’s Environmental Quality committee, is part of a broader effort to improve compliance with drinking water regulations, prompted by criticism of the state’s oversight and a court settlement.

“Although the vast majority of Californians who receive drinking water from a public water system receive water that met quality standards in recent years, there are still many who may have consumed unsafe water,” Senate researchers said in the report, which was released on Wednesday.

According to the report, about 98 percent of water provided by the state’s public water systems met standards for water quality in 2013. But the systems regulated by the state, which provide water to 38 million Californians, were subject to about 1,800 enforcement actions by state regulators during the fiscal year 2012-2013.

Water in California violated federal quality standards more than 1,000 times during the fiscal year, triggering reports to the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the report said.

The most common violations were for high levels of such contaminants as arsenic, nitrates, naturally occurring radioactive minerals and perchlorates, which are natural and man-made chemicals used in rocket fuel and explosives, the report said.

The nitrates, which can cause serious illness, including blue-baby syndrome in infants, tend to come from fertilizer run-off, sewage leaks and erosion, the report said.

Arsenic, which causes skin damage, circulatory system problems and increased cancer risks, occurs naturally, but when present at high levels usually involves a human component, the report said.

“Water is a basic human right and we need to do everything possible to protect it,” said Senate Democratic leader Kevin de Leon, who said the report will guide policy decisions as the state grapples with a drought that is entering its fourth year.

Lawmakers will use the report in deciding how to spend revenues from $7.5 billion in bonds authorized by voters to pay for projects to shore up the state’s water supply, de Leon said.

The State Water Resources Control Board, which last year assumed oversight of drinking water quality from the Department of Public Health, said Wednesday it was reviewing the report and would soon submit its own safe drinking water plan.

Source: Reuters.

Pure Water Gazette Fair Use Statement

Pollution concerns heighten hog conflicts

by David Pitt

From Washington state to North Carolina, federal lawsuits are challenging the efficient, profitable livestock industry to change its ways. The arguments found in the lawsuits are based on studies that increasingly show the impact phosphorous, nitrate and bacteria from fertilizer and accumulated manure have on lakes and rivers as well as air pollution that may be harmful to respiratory health.

Large-scale livestock farmers insist they’re using techniques to keep manure and fertilizer from draining into waterways, though fifth-generation farmer Bill Couser of Des Moines says, “We realize this is not going to happen overnight or in two years.”

However, those who rely on rivers and lakes for drinking water or live near such farms — especially in the top two hog-producing states of Iowa and North Carolina — are growing impatient, and their lawsuits serve to highlight the debate between the right to raise livestock and the right to clean water and air.

Earlier this year, a federal judge in eastern Washington ruled that an industrial dairy farm’s manure management practices posed an “imminent and substantial endangerment” to the environment and to thousands relying on well water. And Des Moines Water Works has filed a notice of intent to sue farmers in three counties populated by 1.2 million pigs and a million turkeys, as the water it sources from two central Iowa rivers must be run through a costly system to strip out nitrates.

About 68 percent of the nation’s lakes, reservoirs and ponds and more than half of its rivers and streams are impaired, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, whose reports show the main culprit is agriculture.

“Pork is cheap and cheap to produce in large factories because they don’t pay for cleaning up the Des Moines water supply and they don’t pay for the asthma neighbors get, they don’t pay for polluting downstream water that used to be potable and they don’t pay for the loss of property values,” said Steve Wing, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill epidemiologist.

The hog industry’s national shift from small family farms to large-scale farms is dramatic — from more than 200,000 in the early 1990s to just over 21,600 in 2012. A driving force behind some of the farms is Murphy-Brown LLC, which is part of China-based WH Group — the world’s largest pork producer. WH Group aims to feed China’s appetite for meat with cheaper hogs from the U.S., according to lawsuits.

Advocates of locally grown food and animal-rights and environmental activists are behind many of the suits, but in some cases, farmers are going after farmers.

Barb Kalbach has fought against the construction of huge hog operations in Iowa, where pork is a $7 billion industry and there are seven times more hogs than humans. “I have in the back of my mind this idea that we have thousands of miles of clean water, which is a gift in this state and we just throw manure in it,” the 61-year-old crop farmer said.

Hog farmer Matt Schuiteman said farmers care about the environment and are willing to work on improvements that will minimize impacts, but doesn’t think lawsuits are the best course of action. “Maybe we can all get to where we want to be together instead of drawing the battle lines and forcing the issue,” the 40-year-old from Sioux Center said.

In North Carolina, 10 million hogs produce as much fecal waste in a day as 100 million people, and Duplin County is the nation’s top county for hog production, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.

Treated, liquefied manure and urine is pumped to large sprinkler systems and flung on fields for fertilizer. The resulting odor is a daily drag for Richard Brown, whose home is nearly surrounded by fields that soak up hog effluent. Brown is among the roughly 500 people in who’ve joined the lawsuits against Murphy-Brown, alleging that the farms deprive them of enjoying their property.

Murphy-Brown encourages residents to raise concerns about operations, but only a handful do in a given year, the company said in a statement.

The choice, said Iowa State University economist Catherine Kling, will come down to consumers: “We don’t know how to produce food and fuel from this incredibly rich land without having nitrogen and nutrient pollution, so society has to figure out what balance it wants.”

Source: Des Moines Register.

Pure Water Gazette Fair Use Statement

Pure Water Annie’s FAQ Series

Pure Water Gazette Technical Wizard Pure Water Annie Answers All the Persistent Questions about Water Treatment.

This week’s topic: Quick Connect Fittings

Why do they call these things John Guest fittings?

The British company, John Guest, was the originator of the popular quick connect fittings used almost exclusively in small water filtration equipment these days. In the same way that all soft drinks are referred to as “cokes,” the brand name John Guest has become generic. Actually, there are several very good brands of “John Guest” fittings on the market.

How do they work?

When a piece of tubing is inserted into the fitting it passes through an o ring and is grabbed and held tightly in place by metal teeth that are mounted on a small collar called a collet. The tube is held tightly by the collet. Outward pressure makes the fitting tighter–something like a Chinese finger puzzle. It’s the small o ring that makes the seal. The metal teeth on the collet hold the tube in place. To release the tube, push in on the collet toward the body of the fitting and at the same time pull out the tube.

Do they leak?

Yes, but not often. They’re probably more reliable than standard threaded compression fittings because they aren’t as susceptible to installer error. Best of all, leaks are usually small drips–not the catastrophic blow-outs you can get with a poorly installed compression fitting.

What causes leaks?

New fittings seldom leak. Usually leaks occur after o rings in the fittings have been degraded by chemicals (chloramine is the worst) or by physical stress caused by improper placement. For example, if the installer fails to leave enough “slack” in a tube, causing the tube to be pulled hard to one side, a leak will usually occur because the o ring is flattened by physical stress. Fittings equipped with double o rings are less likely to leak than standard quick connects,  

When the fitting leaks, can it be replaced?

Yes, it’s easy to replace fittings.  There are many good brands on the market and they interchange well.  But you really don’t have to replace leaking fittings because they are just as easily repaired.  Replacing the o ring(s) almost always fixes the leak.  Here’s a good article that tells how to fix them.

Once the collet has been popped out, the o ring is easy to remove and replace.

Sometimes they don’t release easily.  Why?

If there’s any pressure at all on the fitting,  it won’t release.  You have to have the inlet water of your unit turned off an a downstream faucet open. And some fittings are harder to release than others.  The double o ring variety–the ones that never leak–are also the hardest to release. Another of life’s tradeoffs.

John Guest Fittings

Mur-lok Fittings

Brazilians hoard water, prepare for possible drastic rationing

Brazilians are hoarding water in their apartments, drilling homemade wells and taking other emergency measures to prepare for forced rationing that appears likely and could leave taps dry for up to five days a week because of a drought.

In São Paulo, the country’s largest city with a metropolitan area of 20 million people, the main reservoir is at just 6 percent of capacity with the peak of the rainy season now past.

Other cities in Brazil’s heavily populated southeast such as Rio de Janeiro face less dire shortages but could also see rationing.

Uncertainty over the drought and its consequences on jobs, public health and overall quality of life have further darkened Brazilians’ mood at a time when the economy is struggling and President Dilma Rousseff’s popularity is at an all-time low.

After January rains disappointed, and incentives to cut consumption fell short, São Paulo officials warned their next step could be to shut off customers’ water supply for as many as five days a week – a measure that would likely last until the next rainy season starts in October, if not longer.

State officials say they have not yet decided whether or when to implement such rationing, in part because they are still hoping for heavy rains in February and March. Indeed, thunderstorms in recent days have caused lakes to rise a bit.

Still, independent projections suggest that São Paulo’s main Cantareira reservoir could run out of water as soon as April without drastic cuts to consumption.

As such, the race is on to secure water while it lasts.

Large hospitals in São Paulo are installing in-house water treatment and recycling centers, among other measures, to make sure they can still carry out surgeries and other essential tasks if regular supply stops.

Meanwhile, companies are competing with each other to secure deliveries from large water tanker trucks, which have already become a common sight on São Paulo’s gridlocked streets.

“It’s like seeing 10 liters in your gas tank and knowing you won’t make it to the next station,” said Stefan Rohr, environmental director for industry group Ciesp in Campinas, a metropolitan area of more than 3 million people just north of São Paulo.

Many large water-intensive industries, including beverages, cellulose and steel, long ago made contingency plans to truck in water or use underground wells, which may stave off a full-fledged economic disaster.

But smaller ones, ranging from beauty salons and restaurants to car washes and light industry, may have to close or severely restrict activity.

“The economic impact will be job losses,” Rohr said.

40 Million Could Be Affected

Sabesp, São Paulo’s state-controlled water utility, told Reuters it did not yet know when or if rationing would begin. State Governor Geraldo Alckmin, who has also seen his popularity plummet due to the water crisis, declined requests for an interview.

A member of Rousseff’s Cabinet told Reuters earlier this month on condition of anonymity that some degree of water rationing is expected in Brazil’s three largest metropolitan areas – São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte, with a combined population of 40 million people.

Even without rationing, health problems are being felt.

The official number of dengue fever cases in São Paulo tripled in January from the previous year to 120. Officials blamed the rise in part on residents collecting rainwater in open buckets, which attracts mosquitoes.

Many richer Brazilians have large storage tanks built into their apartment buildings or houses which, combined with more conscious water use, may allow them to survive severe rationing without ever seeing their taps go dry.

But most working-class families can’t afford such measures. Some unions are planning demonstrations for next month to protest the government’s handling of the crisis and demand the poor don’t bear the brunt of it.

“We will not accept paying for the government’s irresponsibility with our jobs,” said Adi dos Santos Lima, president of the São Paulo state branch of Brazil’s largest umbrella union, the CUT.

Brazil’s economy is already expected to post zero growth this year. Worse yet, since Brazil depends on hydroelectric dams for about three quarters of its electricity, power shortages are also possible due to the drought, federal officials have said.

Combined water and electricity rationing could lop an additional 0.5 percent or more off of economic growth in 2015, according to Ilan Goldfajn, chief economist at Itaú Unibanco.

Inflation, which is running above 7 percent a year, could also rise as companies face increased costs.

São Paulo’s shopping centers are standing by for potential rationing and have signed contracts to truck in water as soon as needed, said Glauco Humai, who heads Brazil’s mall association Abrasce.

“Our plan is not to close the malls. Obviously this will raise costs,” he said.

Some local chicken processors and pasta makers will also likely raise prices for those products as a result of trucking in water, a local food workers’ union said.

 Even Carnival Cancelled

Sírio Libanês, one of São Paulo’s premier private hospitals, said it cut reliance on Sabesp from 65 percent of its water needs to 25 percent by recycling and installing its own treatment system. Another large upscale hospital, Albert Einstein, said it had increased storage capacity to last four days and would rely on trucks for emergencies.

Many neighborhoods have already experienced daily water outages as Sabesp turns down pressure in pipes to save consumption. Some residents of the Brasilândia slum said this week they were often without water 13 hours a day.

At least two towns in Minas Gerais, a massive coffee producing state adjacent to São Paulo, even canceled Carnival celebrations this month because of the lack of water.

In an upper-class neighborhood of São Paulo, a grocery delivery boy reported bringing 170 two-liter bottles of water to a single apartment over the weekend.

Ronaldo Guellen, who runs a small construction store, recently ordered 70 200-liter tanks that can be used to store water. They sold out in three days, he said, and he hasn’t been able to order any more because supplies are running short.

“People are really getting scared,” Guellen said.

Source: Reuters.

Pure Water Gazette Fair Use Statement

 Bacterial Growth in Water Heaters

Which Heaters are Safest, and What’s the Ideal Temperature?

Harmful bacteria can grow in water that is up to 122º F.  At temperatures of 140º or higher, they are almost completely eliminated. When heaters run at low temperatures (about 99º –human body temperature–would be the worst) water heaters can become virtual hotbeds for bacterial growth.  An example of an organism that thrives in the water heater is Legionella (the microbe that causes Legionnaires’ Disease).  Surveys have shown that a third of water heaters tested contained Legionella.  The organism can cause illness when it is either breath in or ingested during showering.  Though you don’t hear a lot about Legionnaires’ Disease, there are between 10,000 and 20,000 cases each year in the US.

In addition to temperature, the type of heater matters in assessing the risk of Legionella. Gas heaters, which are heated from the bottom and not subject, therefore, to stratification in the tank (hot water rising to the top because it is lightest), are far less likely to support Legionella than electric heaters.  Though not a lot of research has been done,  bacterial growth in tankless water heaters regardless of the heat source seems unlikely.

The best temperature for your water heater is something of a tradeoff which must consider energy savings (the hotter you run the water, the higher your energy bill), the danger of scalding, and the possibility of bacterial contamination.  If you have a tankless heater or a conventional gas heater, low temperatures can be used.  With electric, you might choose to run the temperature at 140º and install anti-scald faucets.

Should You Test Your Well?

Editor’s Note:  The article below is adapted from a 2013 Water Technology article by Jake Mastroianni. — Hardly Waite.

Pure Water Annie’s FAQ Series

Pure Water Gazette Technical Wizard Pure Water Annie Answers All the Persistent Questions about Water Treatment.

This week’s topic: Faucet Diverter Valves.

 What are diverter valves used for?

The main use in water treatment is to change the direction of flowing water–to send a water stream a in a different direction for a purpose.  The most common usage is with countertop water filters, where the valve is used to divert the stream of water flowing into the sink so that it flows instead through the water filter.

The countertop filter sits beside the sink and gets its water from the diverter valve attached to the sink faucet.  It’s circled in the picture.

Are there different kinds of valves?

Yes, the most standard is the type that diverts water running from the sink faucet through a single tube to the water filter. Another style, called a “return” diverter, diverts water to the filter, then dispenses the filtered water that has been returned to the valve through a separate tube. With the standard diverter water is dispensed through a spout on the water filter itself.  With the return style, a double hose assembly is needed, but there is no dispensing spout.

Standard diverter valve.  Tube that sends water to the filter is attached with the compression fitting on the right. (Cheaper valves often use “barbed” connectors to which the tube is pushed on.)  Pulling the knob on the left sends water to the water filter and the knob springs back to “off” position when the sink water is turned off.

“Return” diverter valve sends water to the filter exactly like the standard model, but filtered water is returned through a second hose to the small spout attached to the side of the valve.  The return hose attaches to the barbed connector in the picture.

What causes diverter valves to fail?

The most usual cause is calcium scale buid-up on the spring and other inner parts.

How do you fix a diverter valve if the knob sticks open and the spring fails to turn it off?

Suggested methods (sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t) include soaking the entire valve in a weak acid like vinegar to dissolve the calcium buid-up on the spring, using a chemical descaler like LimeOut, or removing the valve from the sink faucet and dropping a couple of drops of vegetable oil into the small hole in the top of the valve where water enters the valve from the faucet. One of the best ways is to simply ignore the problem.  You’ll find that manually turning off the water with a push of the finger really isn’t a big deal. Or, you can replace the valve with another like it (Pure Water Products offers lifetime parts replacement on its countertop filters), or, you can replace the standard valve with a springless model that requires pushing for both on and off, as we’ve always done with light switches.  A springless, toggle-style diverter is shown below.

This diverter has no spring, and if you’re up to this much exercise, you can push the plunger one way to turn the valve on and then push from the other side to turn it off.

Which is better, the “compression” diverter valves pictured on this page or the conventional diverters that are attached with a barbed fitting and in some models even clamped on with a machine so they can’t be removed?

Since this is a part that, no matter how good it is, almost never lasts as long as the rest of the water filter, it’s obvious that being able to replace it easily is a big advantage.  With some countertops, the entire hose assembly has to be changed in order to replace the diverter valve.

I tried but can’t put the hose on a new barbed style diverter that I bought.  How do you do it?

The best way is to soak the tubing in fairly warm water for a few minutes.  This will usually expand the tubing and allow you to push it onto the barb.  When it cools,  the barb will hold it tight.

Other topics covered by Pure Water Annie’s FAQ Series.

Drought-hit Pakistan turns to solar water treatment

By Saleem Shaikh and Sughra Tunio