Water Treatment Advice Needed

Skillie

Just built a house and its supplied by a well. What do i need to do now to make sure the water is safe, clean etc?

Don't neccessarily want it to be drinking water quality but it is very mettalic to taste (teeth brushing) and its staining the toilets orange.

Is the correct process, get it tested by a water treatment specialist, get a quoe from them for whats required. Is it advisable to source the bits they advise you need yourself and save money or is this a get what you pay for type area>

are there any grants available for getting this work done and if so where from, how much for etc?

thanks guys;)

ronaneire

First thing would be to get the water tested, this will determine what is in the water and if safe to drink.
The metalic taste and orange staining is too much iron in the water. The EU has strict guidelines when it comes to the quality of drinking water.
If you do a search on the internet you will find many companies offering solutions for your water problems.
However these can become quite expensive depending on whats in your water. The list can be endless but not daunting.

Skillie

^^ thanks i know of a place nearby that does the testing I was just told they will charge an arm and a leg then for a filtration system etc and that i'd be better off getting my own once they tell me what i need after the test

Kashkai

The local health boards used to test drinking water samples for a minor fee. Don't know if the HSE still carries out these tests.

Don't scrimp on water treatment as impure water can cause all sorts of problems from e-coli (intestinal problems), aluminium (possible cause of dementia), manganese and iron (discoloration of sinks, toilets etc), calcium (will destroy appliances overtime) etc.

Google "water treatment" and you'll get several companies that will test water and fit treatment systems in domestic households.

ronaneire

I agree with Prosperous Dave, google it. Can I ask what part of the Country your in? There are plenty of companies who test water.
You are best to get a lab to carry these out and not anyone who sell water treatment as this could be biased. The likes of the Bord Na Mona and the Health Boards as mentioned by Dave will do these.
Testing is not cheap, and the more you test for the dearer it gets.
I've worked in the water business for nearly 10 years and we only ever use independent labs to carry out tests.
You are best to have the water tested for coliforms, ecoli, iron & manganesse and total hardness. You can go on and on for the amount you want to test. But if you contact a good lab and not a water treatment company they should best advise you what to have tested.
Figure out then what treatment that suits you best.

Skillie

thank you for the input guys i'm in north cork. have the name of a decent company in the area alright. don't plan scrimping on the water treatment i want to install exactly what i need but just saying is a self purchase route bette than using the companies?

ronaneire

Skillie wrote: »

just saying is a self purchase route bette than using the companies?

No not really, depending on the complexity of the problem.

Dummy

Our water supply is also from a well. We got the water tested for €50. There was some nasty bacteria (no idea what) and the ph was high and there were a few other issues.

For €1300 I got the well disinfected (if that is the correct term) and got a water treatment system installed. I am very happy with the work.

There are a few very young kiddies in our house who brush teeth, fill paddling pool and do the things that kids do. €1300 gives me peace of mind that the water is ok for them. But we still get the water tested every few months.

We were told, although we didn't check it, that there is a grant available if the house was older than 7 years. Ours was a new build so didn't apply.

Skillie

Dummy wrote: »

Our water supply is also from a well. We got the water tested for €50. There was some nasty bacteria (no idea what) and the ph was high and there were a few other issues.

For €1300 I got the well disinfected (if that is the correct term) and got a water treatment system installed. I am very happy with the work.

There are a few very young kiddies in our house who brush teeth, fill paddling pool and do the things that kids do. €1300 gives me peace of mind that the water is ok for them. But we still get the water tested every few months.

We were told, although we didn't check it, that there is a grant available if the house was older than 7 years. Ours was a new build so didn't apply.

cheers

ours is anew house so we're prob in the same boat. will get it tested ASAP anyway and will get a system in based on their recommendations

Skillie

Got the results back, need to raise the PH and filter for iron/manganese. Bacteria are ok and coliforms non existent.

They are quoting close to €3K though to fit a dosing system and filtration, this sound high? Would i be better off going down the DIY route, i.e. buy bits and get a plumber?

ShowAndGo

I think I got quoted around the same price about 3 yrs ago for a system to solve a similar water problem. I would recommend shopping around. Fax you test results to a few companies and ask them to quote for a water treatment system.

When they quote you make sure you find out what system they are providing you with, I was offered 3 different one by 3 different companies. Ask each company about the pro’s and con’s of their system and their competitors systems. Make a decision about what type of system you want and shop around for a quote to install that particular system. Also shop around for chemical that is used to raise the pH, at the moment I am paying €65, I was paying €90 to the crowd that installed my system.

Skillie

ShowAndGo wrote: »

I think I got quoted around the same price about 3 yrs ago for a system to solve a similar water problem. I would recommend shopping around. Fax you test results to a few companies and ask them to quote for a water treatment system.

When they quote you make sure you find out what system they are providing you with, I was offered 3 different one by 3 different companies. Ask each company about the pro’s and con’s of their system and their competitors systems. Make a decision about what type of system you want and shop around for a quote to install that particular system. Also shop around for chemical that is used to raise the pH, at the moment I am paying €65, I was paying €90 to the crowd that installed my system.

thank you for the advice

Pimp Ninja

If this helps to save any money, I dont know all the tests that are performed by these companies, or if you are testing for specifics.

You may be able to cover some of the tests yourself by using aquarium water test kits. Going by previous posts, they may be able to allow you to get your own results. These can be picked up in most of the pet shops.

You can get aquarium test kits for PH, General Hardness, Carbonate Hardness, Chlorine, Copper, Iron, Carbon Dioxide among others.
Some of these tests would be close to but not laboratory quality and come in at about 10 - 15 Euro each.

Hope this helps.
-Dan

darcy.jonny

the first question shouldbe to solve this ......

what id the water supply like in your kitchen sink like (cold tap)

what is the condition of the water in the hot taps and other water points throughout the house .

Skillie

^^^Guys the water has been tested and teh results were it needs its PH raised and Iron/Manganese removed.

my question now is would i be best off sourcing the kit myself rather than paying the water tech company to do this

Pimp Ninja

What is the PH value of the water at present that it is too low ?

What hardware have you been quoted for so far ?

Well reverse osmosis (which will remove the iron and other dissolved solids) may lower the Ph further. I have ph 7 - 7.5 coming from my tap, and after Reverse Osmosis it drops to 6 - 6.5