Joe Samples Well Drilling strives to provide the best quality groundwater possible. However, water from wells may, at times, have high concentrations of minerals that must be treated and removed prior to use. If you have water that causes staining or has a bad odor or taste, Joe Samples Well Drilling can help. With over 25 years of experience in treating groundwater, we can recommend and provide a solution. Our water treatment experts can design a system to take care of any problem that may arise.

• State licensed to install and repair water treatment equipment.
• Free water analysis and on-site consultation.
• PDA Data Tracking on all Installations and Records.
• One Year Money-Back Satisfaction Guarantee.
• Warranty Program is second to none -- No Fine Print!.
• No Commission Sales.
• Water treatment technicians are factory trained to perform repairs on-site.

The Nature of Water

The need for safe, healthy water is critical to all human life. We need to consider the nature of water. Water has the ability to dissolve some portion of nearly everything with which it comes in contact. No matter if the material is natural or man-made, water seems to always dissolve, and hold in solution, some part of what it passes through or is contained in. In fact, water is referred to as the 'universal solvent'. Unfortunately, the substances that water dissolves can be unhealthy or even toxic. These substances can also ruin expensive plumbing fixtures and clothing. In addition, they can be offensive to our senses of taste, smell and aesthetic appearance.

Water can also "carry along" with it particles of sediment, dirt and rust. These are not dissolved in the water, but simply carried with the flowing water, or held suspended in standing water. Nevertheless, they can do damage just the same.

If we think back to our school days, most of us can remember studying the "hydrological cycle". You remember the process of how water vapor condenses in the atmosphere and falls to earth as precipitation. Once on the surface of the earth, most of the water evaporates back into the atmosphere, where it will again condense and fall back to the earth as precipitation. About 30% of the precipitation, however, does not evaporate. Instead, it seeps into the ground or runs off into streams, rivers, or lakes. As the water seeps into the ground or as it flows over the surface, it dissolves minerals and other substances contained in the ground. Under the surface, the water tends to collect in porous portions called 'aquifers.' These aquifers are the source of our well water

Points to keep in mind

• Water as found in nature, will always have some substances dissolved in it.
• It will always have the potential to have particles suspended in it.
• It will always have the potential to be suitable home to disease causing organisms.

This is true of "fresh" mountain streams, well water, and even municipally treated water systems. To achieve "pure water", or anything close to that goal, water must be filtered or treated in some way.

As you now can begin to see, the problem for us to solve will depend upon what the water has had contact with. These conditions can vary greatly, not only from one region of the country to another, but also within the same general location. Water drawn from wells in the same area may not be exactly the same. The quality of water from a municipality owned treatment facility will depend upon the age and condition of the equipment. Even though the water may be classified as safe to drink, the aesthetic quality may be less than desirable. Fortunately, our knowledge of the nature of water has increased steadily over the years. The most frequently occurring problems have been studied very closely. We now know symptoms, the cause of the symptoms, and how to cure the problem itself.

Let's examine these water problems...the symptoms you see, taste, smell or fear. Along with the symptoms we will provide the cause of the condition so that you can understand what is going on with your water supply.

COMMON WATER PROBLEMS

HARDNESS

Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg)

The term hardness refers to the quantity of dissolved calcium and magnesium in water. These minerals, which come primarily from limestone type rock formations, are found to some degree in almost all natural waters. Calcium and magnesium cause problems for two principal reasons:

• When the water is warmed, they precipitate out of solution and form a hard, rock-like scale. This scale accelerates corrosion, restricts flow, and reduces heat transfer in water heaters and boilers.
• When they combine with soap, they react to form a curd, which interferes with cleaning, dries out skin, and leaves deposits on plumbing and clothes (bathtub ring; ring around the collar).

Hardness is measured in parts per million (or the equivalent mg/L) or in grains per gallon (gpg). Note: if the water analysis is given in ppm as CaCO₃ then 1 gpg = 17.1 ppm. A common aspirin tablet weighs 5 grains). There is no established limit for the acceptable level of hardness in water, but is generally considered to become problematic at around 3 gpg.

Levels of hardness are referred to as follows:

Waters which naturally contain very little hardness can also be problematic because they may be corrosive in some applications (see acidity).

The only practical method for hardness removal above 15 gpg in residential applications is through cation exchange process employed by water softeners.

Acidity (pH)

Water which contains excess acidity tends to act aggressively towards plumbing and fixtures, causing corrosion and staining (ie. blue-green stains on fixtures from copper pipes). Relative acidity/alkalinity is measured on the pH scale, raging from 0 - 1.4, where 7 is neutral, numbers lower than 7 are progressively more acidic, and numbers higher than seven are increasingly alkaline (basic). The pH value refers not to the quantity of acidity, but rather to the relative acidity/alkalinity of a particular sample.

Alkalinity acts as a buffer to deactivate the acidity, a process called neutralization. For example, limestone (calcium carbonate) is often applied to soil to offset the acidity which comes from acid rain and decaying organic material. The accepatable range for water is 6.5 - 8.5. Acidity cannot be removed from water. However, it can be neutralized by raising the pH with alkalinity. This can be done by injecting a highly basic (alkaline) solution with a feed pump or by passing the water through a bed of processed limestone or similar material.

Iron (Fe)

The presence of Iron is a very common water quality problem, particularly in water from deep wells. Water containing even a significant quantity of iron may appear clear when drawn, but will rapidly turn red upon exposure to air. This process is called oxidation, and involves the conversion of ferrous (dissolved) iron, which is highly soluble, to ferric (precipitated) iron, which is largely insoluble. The ferric iron then causes red/brown staining of clothes, fixtures, etc.

Iron concentration is measured in ppm or mg/l (milligrams per liter, where 1 ppm = 1mg/l). Staining usually becomes a problem at concentrations greater than 0.3 ppm. Removal is through ion exchange (water softener) or oxidation/filtration (APIR).

Hydrogen Sulfide (H₂S)

Hydrogen Sulfide is a gas which smells strongly like rotten eggs. It results from the decay of organic matter with organic sulfur and the presence of certain types of bacteria. Even very low concentrations are offensive as well as highly corrosive (silver tarnishes almost immediately upon contact with H₂S).

Because it is in a gaseous form, H₂S cannot be collected in a sample bottle for laboratory analysis. Therefore, its presence must be reported when a sample is submitted for treatment recommendation. Depending upon the test results, it can be removed by oxidation/filtration, aeration, or well sanitization.

Turbidity

Turbidity is a measure of suspended particles in water and can range from large particles which settle out of solution rapidly (such as sand), to extremely fine sediment which may stay suspended in solution even after standing for hours. Treatment depends upon size, which is measured in microns.

Tastes and Odors

Most tastes and odors are caused by the presence of organic matter and chlorine. The vast majority of these can be removed with activated carbon.

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)

TDS is the sum of the mineral salts in water and if too high can result in objectionable taste, cloudy ice, interference with the flavor of foods and beverages and scale left behind in cookware. Generally speaking, the lower the TDS the more acceptable the drinking water. TDS of 1,000 ppm or more is unacceptable for drinking water. Reverse Osmosis (RO) process has proven itself as the most practical and cost effective method of correcting problems caused by high TDS.

WATER TREATMENT SOLUTIONS

MacClean NS 1001 Water Softener

• For Hardness above 3 gpg and Iron less than 2 ppm
• Dependable Motorized Piston Control Valve. Can be programmed to condition the hardest water, and at the same time provide maximum salt efficiency.
• UNIFLEX Fiberglass Resin Tank. No seams or heat wielded bonds to fail or leak. Will never rust or corrode.
• Ion Exchange Resin of Highest Quality. Stable and uniform, assuring excellent exchange capacity and long life.
• CYCLONE Distributor. Not only turns over the resin bed, but also spins the resin with powerful cyclonic action. This action scrubs the resin clean!
• Safety Brine Valve. Float actuated, prevents overflow of brine maker during power outage.
• Heavy Duty Brine Maker. Has a hefty 300 pound salt capacity that minimizes frequency of salt refill.

MacClean MCA1001 Chem-Free Iron Filter

• For Iron above 1.5 ppm and Hydrogen Sulfide less than 2 ppm
• Patented Process. Developed by Dr. John McLean. This system has surpassed all other filters in its ability to remove iron. There is little, if any, cost of operation.
• No Chemical Regeneration. No Salt, potassium permanganate, chlorine or any other chemical is used. This system oxidizes iron and collects it in the filter media.
• Increases pH. The system increases the pH to aid iron reduction.
• Conserves Water. MacClean filters use only a fraction of the water required by ordinary filters to regenerate. As little as 50 gallons is required for the most popular model.
• Removes Sulfur Odor. Rotten egg smell and corrosion resulting from hydrogen sulfide is eliminated. Can remove up to 2 ppm of sulfur if an air-to-water tank is installed in-line.

MacClean SX1001 Sulfur Removal System

• For Hydrogen Sulfide removal above 2 ppm
• Consists of Two Major Components. An electronic chemical pump and an automatic backwashing filter containing a special media.
• No Chlorine. A proprietary chemical solution (SUL-X) is fed into the water supply by the feed pump. Instantly, the sulfur is precipitated, thus eliminating the odor.
• No Retention Time Necessary. Once the sulfur has been instantly precipitated, the precipitant is then removed by passing through the filter media.
• No Need for Carbon Filtration
• No Potassium Permanganate

Sterilight S12Q Ultraviolet Sterilizer

• 99.9% destruction of bacteria, virus, and protozoan cysts
• All Stainless Steel Construction. 304 stainless steel reactor chamber. Suitable for laboratory or medical applications.
• Easy Servicing. No need to disconnect water flow to change UV Lamp.
• No Harmful Chemicals Added. Nature's way to protect your water without adding harmful chemicals, such as chlorine.
• Visual and Audible Alarms. Visual lamp-on indicator and audible lamp failure indicator.
• Economical Efficiency. The most ecological way of treating your water for just pennies a day.