This Week in Water

The bare bones water news of the week, link free, commercial free.

In Rio, Olympic water event athletes were warned by officials against putting their heads under the water.  Canoe sprint, marathon swimming, rowing, sailing, and triathlon all take place in open water that is dangerously polluted. Two canoers from Serbia took a spill in the dirty water on the first day of competition.

California Delta Tunnel officials have decided that they put their billion $ straws in the wrong place.

In the UK, unautorized animal medicinal products were seized from World of Water vets.

Studies show that the decline in salmon began with and resulted from the development of water power in the Middle Ages.

Cornell University will be required to cut back its water use by 30% because the city of Ithaca, NY is running out of water.

New Hampshire officials have banned outdoor water use in 50 towns and cities because of drought conditions.

Researchers at the University of Ghent in Belgium have developed a solar-powered machine that converts urine to drinkable water  that is then used to brew beer.

Although Californians used 21.5% less water in June than they did in 2013, usage was up 6% from 2015 due to relaxed regulations.

After restricting oil and natural gas operations in certain hotspots, Oklahoma has an average of two earthquakes a day, compared with about six a day last summer. Kansas has increased restrictions on natural gas operations and is getting about a quarter of the quakes it once did.

The EPA estimates that some 775 municipalities around the country have antiquated combined sewage and stormwater overflow systems. When it rains heavily or snow melts, the systems are overwhelmed and dump untreated sewage and stormwater into rivers and lakes.  One New York city dumps thousands of gallons of untreated sewer discharge into the Hudson River as many as 30 times per year.

An Oregon-based  company is using solar technology to reduce Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria contamination in agricultural runoff.

The water supply at Dog Ridge, Texas was cited for multiple drinking water violations.

It was reported that 60 percent of coral reefs in the Maldives have fallen victim to bleaching because of rising sea temperatures.

The Silent Highwayman

(Click picture for a larger view.)

Published by Punch magazine in July 1858, “The Silent Highwayman” serves as a grim reminder of the rank state of the River Thames, which in mid-nineteenth century London doubled as open sewer and drinking water source.

“The Silent Highwayman” serves as a reminder of a memorable time in London known as The Great Stink of 1858.  The great stink occured as the result of an intense heat wave and a spectacularly inadequate waste disposal system that created a stench of human excrement so noxious that it was said to be unbearable.

It was a time of typhoid and cholera. Londoners distrusted the drinking water, which came from the same river that received the city’s raw sewage. One cleric observed: “He who drinks a tumbler of London water has literally in his stomach more animated beings than there are men, women and children on the face of the globe.”

The Great Stink episode prompted action and London began work on a monumental sewage disposal system known as the Crossness Pumping Station. Opened on April 4, 1865, during a lavish ceremony attended by British royalty and the top celebrities of London society,  the new facility featured four mighty steam engines that pumped the city’s sewage into a 27 million gallon reservoir where it sat covered until high tide at which point it was released into the Thames and carried out to sea. While this approach only exacerbated pollution levels downstream, it certainly proved effective in curing London of the unholy stink that plagued the city for a great part of the 19th century. Improved over the years, the Crossness Pumping station (now a museum) operated for around a hundred years. The original four mighty steam engines were not retired until 1956.

The Crossness Pumping Station is now an impressive museum in London. The four great steam engines, which were given names of royal family members, are on display.

Those who complain today of stricter regulation of water and air quality and increasing water treatment costs should remember that things were once a lot worse. Modern waste water treatment plants not only protect water supplies but are increasingly used to recycle waste water for reuse as potable water. So, quit bitching about increasing water rates. Pay up and be thankful you don’t have to live with The Great Stink and fear of cholera.

More information from the Mother Nature Network.

FilterSorb SP3 Advanced Salt-Free Scale Prevention Units

FilterSorb NAC (“Nuclear Assisted Crystallization”) technology is the leading rival of OneFlow TAC (“Template Assisted Crystallization”). The two competing technologies both have many strong points and we now offer both. Either FilterSorb, shown  below, or OneFlow, on our main website,  will do an excellent job of salt-free scale prevention.

FilterSorb is NSF 61 certified. It adds no chemicals to the water, needs no regeneration, needs no electricity or drain connection. It is trouble free, and the expected media life is three to five years. FilterSorb not only prevents formation of hard water scaling, it also helps to reduce previously formed scale. FilterSorb does not add sodium to water and it does not remove calcium and magnesium from drinking water. It does not alter pH or total dissolved solids of the treated water.

Here’s how one author explains the NAC process:

The Filtersorb SP3 acts as a catalyst by accelerating the transformation of the calcium and magnesium minerals into harmless “Nano” particles. When the inlet water goes into the water conditioner tank, the up flow pulls the water through the fluidized Filtersorb SP3 media which then acts as a catalyst and pulls the hardness minerals of calcium and magnesium out of the solution and then transforms these minerals into inactive Nano crystal particles. Because the hardness minerals have been transformed into Nano particles, these Nanoscopic particles make their way through plumbing systems without attaching on to pipes, fixtures, valves, or heating elements. Filtersorb SP3 is also a maintenance free system that does not require cost for salt, costs for water or for regeneration material.

Because of the simple in/out design without electrical or drain connection, FilterSorb units are especially easy to install. We highly recommend installing a sediment filter in front of the FilterSorb system to guard against intrusion of particulate.

Basic FilterSorb Unit with Optional Bypass (red-handled valves). In this upflow system, water flows upward from the bottom of the tank through the treatment media.  No backwashing is required, so, unlike conventional water softeners, the FilterSorb system does not require water for backwash, rinse, or brine circulation. No connection to drain is needed.

FilterSorb units are made with only a few liters of high potency media in a large tank, so there is virtually no pressure drop. The larger-than-necessary tank enhances performance by allowing the FilterSorb media to fluidize freely and have more contact time with the water.

FilterSorb can be used in water temperatures from 38 to 140 F and up to a hardness of 75 grains, although sizing for the residential units offered on this page is for water up to 25 grains hardness. If your hardness exceeds 25 grains, we can help with sizing the unit.

FilterSorb can tolerate high salinity (up to >2000 grains). Acceptable pH range is 6.5 to 9.5. Maximum iron content recommended is 0.2 ppm, and maximum manganese 0.5 ppm. Up to 1.3 ppm copper can be tolerated, but the medium requires zero oil, phosphates, and hydrogen sulfide. Although FilterSorb is fairly chlorine tolerant, the life of the media will be prolonged if a carbon filter is installed in front of the scale prevention unit in city water or chlorinated well water applications.

Standard FilterSorb Treatment Unit with the optional bypass. No electricity or salt are needed. The standard Filtersorb unit is built in a Vortech mineral tank with an upflow Clack head.

Pure Water Products FilterSorb Residential Units

Free Shipping to Lower 48 US Addresses.

Rebedding Softeners and Filters

In general, putting new media into a water softener or tank-style filter is like screwing the lid off of a bottle, dumping out the contents, then refilling the bottle. What complicates the procedure is largely that it is a very big bottle and it is often located in an inconvenient place. It doesn’t have to be a hard job, but it can be a messy job.  Here are suggested steps:

• Start by disconnecting from your house plumbing. If you have a bypass valve on the filter or softener, put it in bypass. If not, turn off the water source. Disconnect the control valve from house plumbing. With Fleck controls, simply remove the two clips that hold the bypass (or yoke) to the control valve. The drain line will also have to be disconnected from the control valve.
• Move the filter/softener away from the plumbing connection so that you have room to work, then screw the control valve off the tank (like screwing the lid off of a bottle). It screws out counter-clockwise. You should not need a wrench, but this is often a two-person job, with one person holding the tank in place while the other unscrews the control valve.
• Next, you’re going to get the filter media out of the tank. This may be easy or very difficult, depending on where the filter is located, how large it is, and the condition of the media bed. If the filter is small enough and relatively clean, you can simply move it to a convenient location–near a drain, or outdoors–turn it over and dump out the contents. However, if it’s a heavy tank or the media is laden with iron or dirt, you’ll have to improvise. Sometimes with very dirty iron filters it’s more practical to replace the tank than empty it. Some tricks that can make this job easier include siphoning out some water to lighten the tank so it can be moved outdoors or to a floor drain or using a shop vac to suck out the water and the media. Except in exceptional cases, like arsenic filters, the old media in the tank is not regarded as a hazardous material, so you can dump it on the lawn or dispose of it as you see fit. If you have a conventional filter tank, the center tube (dip tube or riser) can be removed to make it easier to dump out the media; with a Vortech tank, the riser is attached to the bottom of the tank, so it stays in place and you’ll have to work around it. If  you’re outdoors and can get the tank propped mouth-down at a 45 degree angle, you can insert a running garden hose into the tank and in most case wash the media out easily.

Using a media funnel. Note that the dip tube is covered to keep media from getting inside the tube (and subsequently into the home’s service lines).

• When the tank is empty, rebed by pouring in media using the same procedure you would use for filling a new filter. Before you pour in gravel or media, be sure you cover the top of the riser tube with tape or a small plastic bag to keep media from entering the riser tube. If it’s a standard tank, be sure the riser is in place in the bottom of the tank, pour in gravel, if needed, then pour in the filter media. With standard tanks, you’ll need  gravel underbedding for filter media; with residential-sized softeners, gravel is usually optional.  With Vortech tanks, except in rare cases, no gravel is needed for filters or softeners.  Since dry filter media often puts off dust, it is recommended that you wear a face mask while filling the tank to avoid breathing in dust. Filling the tank is most easily done by two people. Using a media funnel greatly facilitates the task. Without a funnel, you may have to scoop it in.
• When the tank is full (“full,” in most cases, means about 1/2 to 2/3 deep in the tank), replace the control valve.  It is important to lubricate the o ring that makes the seal between the top of the tank and control valves with silicone. Also, lube the o rings inside the bottom hole of the control valve so that the riser can slide in easily and make a good seal. Be sure to clean media dust out of the threads on the tank before screwing on the valve to prevent damaging the threads. Screw the head on snugly. No tool is needed.
• When the control valve is back on the tank, reinstall to your plumbing, then follow the startup procedure you would use for a new filter or softener.
• Check for leaks.

Roundup

Glyphosate, known better as Roundup and sold under several other brand names as well, a product of Monsanto, has been around since 1974.  It is a potent and popular herbicide, registered for use in 130 countries. The world consumes more than 720,000 metric tons annually, so there is plenty to get into water. Glyphosate was detected in 36% of stream samples from 9 Midwestern US states as far back as 2002.

Although Roundup has always been viewed with suspicion, there had been little evidence that it poses a cancer risk to humans. Recent studies, however,  have shown mixed results. Currently, the EPA sets its MCL at 700 parts per billion. The World Health Organization has for years insisted that regulatory guidelines are not necessary because Glyphosate poses  low risk in drinking water.

Despite such assurances, most prefer not drinking Roundup.  There are many options for getting rid of it. These include chlorination, ozonation, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and filtration with granular activated carbon.

Reference: Water Technology magazine, July, 2016.

Gazette Afternote:  In August of 2018, a California jury found Monsanto liable in a lawsuit filed by a man who alleged the company’s glyphosate-based weedkillers, including Roundup, caused his cancer and ordered the company to pay $289 million in damages.This case has certainly cast doubts on the “low risk” assessment.  As early as 2015, the World Health Organization’s cancer arm classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” 

Gazette Afternote 2: In June 2020, Roundup maker Bayer AB announced a blockbuster $10 billion dollar settlement to resolve cancer lawsuits connected to its weedkiller Roundup. This after Bayer faced tens of thousands of claims linking the active ingredient in RoundUp– glyphosate– to increased risk of developing Non Hodgkins Lymphoma.

The lesson here, of course, is that experts, including the World Health Organization, don’t always get it right. It is always best to err on the side of caution. Having a good drinking water system in the home serves as protection against mistakes by the experts.

The Meaning of “Temporary” and “Permanent” Hardness

Gazette Water Wizard Pure Water Annie Explains Why You Have to Watch Out for Temporary Hardness

What we call hardness in water–the property that causes hard scale to form on appliances and inside pipes and water heaters, spots on dishes, and soap scum–is caused by the presence of calcium and/or magnesium ions in the water. The more calcium and magnesium, the harder the water. The sum of the concentrated calcium and magnesium is often called “total hardness.”

All hardness, however, is not created equal. The hardness that gives you trouble in the home is what is called “temporary” hardness, as opposed to “permanent” hardness. That’s because temporary hardness, also called carbonate or bicarbonate hardness,  breaks down when it’s heated and forms hard scale. Permanent hardness, on the other hand, does not break down when heated and does not cause problems.

The test, then, for whether hardness is “permanent” or “temporary” is how it behaves when heated. Needless to say, in the home, hot water heaters and any appliances that use hot water are very vulnerable to the effects of temporary hardness.

In general terms, temporary hardness is the predominant form. Most water hardness is either all temporary or a mixture of temporary and permanent.

If you look at a water analysis, the way to determine the type of hardness is to compare the total hardness with the total alkalinity of the sample. Most water tests report both hardness and alkalinity “as CaCO3.”  Reporting “as if it were Calcium Carbonate” is simply a way of putting the items in a common frame of reference so they can be compared, the way we find a “common denominator” when we add fractions.

If the total alkalinity of the water is greater than the total hardness, then all the hardness in the water is temporary.  However, if the total alkalinity is less than the total hardness, both permanent and temporary hardness are present and the the amount of temporary hardness is equal to the alkalinity.

Here are examples:

Hardness — 150 ppm.

Alkalinity — 250 ppm.

Result: Temporary hardness=150 ppm.  (Alkalinity exceeds hardness, so all hardness is temporary.)

Hardness — 150 ppm.

Alkalinity — 100 ppm.

Result — Temporary hardness= 100 ppm.  Permanent hardess = 50 ppm.  (When hardness exceeds alkalinity, temporary hardness is equal to alkalinity and permanent hardess equals total hardness less alkalinity.)

What does all this matter?  Not much for residential water users, since most hardness is reported as “total hardness” and both types are treated with a water softener.  It might matter, though, if you were manager of a municipal water system, since temporary hardness can be reduced by a process called “lime softening” that isn’t used for residential treatment.

The The “Light Commecial” Reverse Osmosis Unit

by Gene Franks,  Pure Water Products

Although small application RO systems, units in the 200 to 400 gallon-per-day range, are not new, they are definitely gaining in popularity. They are especially handy for small businesses that need a limited amount of high quality water. Although they are too small for most water vending or whole house applications, they work great for small private car wash or window washing applications, small restaurants that want great water for drinking, cooking, and making beverages, greenhouses, laboratories, coffee shops, company break rooms and cafeterias, etc.

Here are some general observations on the various brands available:

• Most are multi-membrane units.  Two to four small membranes running in parallel is standard. One company’s simple design advertizes two 100-gallon-per-day membranes for a 200 gpd unit, three membranes for 300 gpd, and five membranes for 500 gpd. This system works in theory but can be awkward in practice, especially when troubleshooting performance issues. A single, large membrane is probably a more practical arrangement.
• Most RO units in this class use at least two booster pumps to bump up  water pressure to the membranes. This system works well, but can become an issue unless a single electronic shutoff system is used to start and stop the pumps together. When using small pumps on multiple membranes, the pumps usually put out less pressure than the theoretical expectation.
• Most use 2.5″ X 20″ filter housings (see all units pictured on this page), although standard 2.5″ X 10″ cartridges are offered as an option in a few systems.  Standard cartridge arrangment is sediment, pre-carbon, and post-carbon, although a DI option for the postfilter is sometimes offered.  Remineralizing cartridges are also getting popular.
• Standard in/out tubing is 3/8″, but 1/4″ is often used for interior connections.
• Some units come standard with pressurized storage tanks; some offer tanks as an option. Most small RO units in this class can be used either with a pressure tanks or an atmospheric tank.
• Most, but not all, come with such electronic control features as low pressure shutoff and high pressure shutoff. Some have electronic autoflush drainline flow restrictors.
• Other options include ledge faucets, mounting stands, TDS monitors, delivery (demand) pumps, and UV lamps.

Depending on your needs, the best system may be the simplest. Most RO units in this class depend on multiple electrical control components and there is a lot that can go wrong.

This 300 GPD unit uses a single membrane.  Most systems in this category use multiple small membranes. 

A multi-membrane arrangement (membranes mounted behind filter housings)

It’s Istanbul Not Constantinople

Just as Constantinople was renamed Istanbul, Watts Water Quality’s star descaling product ScaleNet is being rechristened as OneFlow. The popular TAC medium is being rebranded to share a  name already in use by another branch of the company.

In addition to the name change and a couple of minor alterations in the delivery hardware, the new OneFlow product will be offered at a higher  price.

The new OneFlow unit looks exactly like the old ScaleNet unit, except for the decal and the  price tag.

Look for the new ScaleNet (OneFlow) pricing on our main website.  We will also be adding FilterSorb to our website offerings.  FilterSorb is a competing salt-free conditioning system that will be priced lower than the OneFlow units.  Here are the main residential sizes and prices:

More about Filtersorb.