|
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 arises.
- State licensed to install and repair water treatment
equipment.
- Free water analysis and on-site consultation.
- One Year Money-Back Satisfaction Guarantee.
- Warranty program that 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 ‘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
the 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 a 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 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
Water Treatment Solutions
- Sterling IM Series Water Softener
- Sterling OXY3 Series Iron and Sulphur Filter
- Sterling Automatic Backwash Filter
- Sterilight S12Q Ultraviolet Sterilizer
Common Water Problems
HARDNESS – Calcium
The term hardness refers to the quantity of dissolved
calcium and magnesium in water. These minerals, which
primarily come 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
collar etc).
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 it is generally considered to become
problematic at around 3 gpg.
Levels of hardness are referred to as follows:
|
Soft Water |
0 – 1 grains per gallon (gpg) |
|
Slightly Hard Water |
1 – 3.5 grains per gallon (gpg) |
|
Moderately Hard Water |
3.5 – 7 grains per gallon (gpg) |
|
Hard Water |
7 – 10.5 grains per gallon (gpg) |
|
Very Hard Water |
Over 10.5 grains per gallon (gpg) |
Waters which naturally contain very little hardness can also
be problematic because they may be corrosive in some
applications (see Acidity) Hardness removal is possible
using a Sterling IM Series Water Softener.
Acidity
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, ranging 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 acceptable 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 is
possible using an automatic backwashing filter
with appropriate media.
Iron
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, Sterling IM series) or
oxidation/filtration (APIR/sterling OXY3 series)
Sulfur/Hydrogen Sulfide
Hydrogen Sulfide also called sulfur 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 hydrogen sulfide.
Because it is in a gaseous form, H2S cannot be collected in
a sample bottle for laboratory analysis. Therefore it must
be tested for onsite. Depending upon the test results, it
can be removed by oxidation/filtration,
Sterling OXY3
series,
aeration or well sanitization.
Turbidity
Turbidity is a measure of suspended particles in water and
can range from large particles which settle out of a
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. Removal can be performed using an
Automatic
Backwash Filter and the appropriate media.
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. See Automatic Backwash
Filters
WATER TREATMENT SOLUTIONS
Sterling IM Series Water Softener
Cleaner Laundry ~ Sparkling Dishes ~ Improved Protection ~
Plumbing Protection
- Metered Controlled Backwash.
- Use 20% - 40% less salt than traditional mechanical heads.
- Adjustable Regeneration Cycle Sequences.
- Programming can be adjusted to handle your exact water conditions.
- Adjustable Regeneration Cycle Durations.
- Allow the flexibility to maximize salt efficiency and
conserve water usage.
- Vortex Backwash System
- Scrubs iron and turbidity from the resin bed with each
regeneration.
- Non-corrosive Construction
- All components are made of fiberglass, stainless steel or
similar materials to provide years of service without rust
or corrosion.
Our unique microprocessor – based control head monitors
system performance, water consumption and more…
- Days since last regeneration
- Gallons since last regeneration
- Reserve based on water usage over last 21 days
- Water flow rates
- Peak flow over last seven days
- Total days since start-up
- Total regenerations since start-up
- Total gallons used since start-up
- Program cycle times
- Program sequence of cycles
If the power fails, you only need to reset the clock. All
the settings and historical data will remain unchanged.
Automatic Backwash Filter
Available with the following media:
- Works great for sediment and odor removal
- Activated Carbon (A-10) For the removal of chlorine; taste
and odor reduction
- Filter Ag (F10) Sediment removal down to 20 micron
- Filter Sand (FS10) Sediment reduction down to 17 micron
- Calcium Carbonate (C10) Raises the pH of acid water and
removes turbidity
 |
Sterling OXY3 Series
Reduces Staining ~ Eliminates Odors ~ Brighter Laundry ~
Protects Plumbing ~ Corrects Acid Water Conditions
- No Chemicals - A chemical regenerant is not required
- No In-Line Venturi to Plug or Adjust
- No Air Compressor - The noise and expense of compressors are eliminated
- No Excess Air
- No Air Release Valve Required
- Less Maintenance – The only maintenance required is the
occasional replenishment of media if the raw water pH is
below 7. An easy to use fill port is provided.
- New Model has digital head similar to the IM Series
|
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.
|
Joe Samples Well
Drilling, Inc. | 1029 Highway 25-32 | White Pine, TN 37890