On this episode of “Know Your Well,” we’re discussing water treatment. The NGWA recommends that private well owners test their water annually for bacteria, nitrate, and anything of concern in their local water system. But what happens next?
Today’s guest is Peter S. Cartwright, an engineer and the president of Cartwright Consulting Company out of Minneapolis. To contact Peter, go to Cartwright-Consulting.com.
“Know Your Well” is a production of the National Ground Water Association. This podcast was created and edited by NGWA’s Abby Valencic. and hosted by Ben Frech.
WellOwner.org is supported by the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, as part of the USEPA funded program “Improving Water Quality through Training and Technical Assistance to Private Well Owners.” To learn more about the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, go to RCAP.org.
Episode Transcript
Ben Frech:
Welcome to Know Your Well presented by WellOwner.org and the National Ground Water Association. Each episode of Know Your Well, we explore different topics that impact private well owners across the country from water quality to everyday water well maintenance. My name is Ben Frech and I will be your host as we explore the wide world of water wells.
Ben Frech:
On this episode of Know Your Well we’re discussing water treatment. The NGWA recommends that private well owners test their water annually for bacteria, nitrate, and anything of concern in their local water systems. But what happens next? Helping me to answer this question is Peter Cartwright an engineer and the president of Cartwright Consulting Company out of Minneapolis. Peter, how are you doing today?
Peter Cartwright:
I’m doing fine, Ben, thank you.
Ben Frech:
How are things going in Minneapolis?
Peter Cartwright:
About the same as everywhere else in the country.
Ben Frech:
Yeah, well, that’s good to hear.
Ben Frech:
So, let’s kick it right off here. So, can you explain to us why homeowners should be aware of water treatment options for their private wells? I mean, let’s get right to the big thing, why is this important?
Peter Cartwright:
Well, there are no two well water supplies in the world that are exactly the same as each other. So, each one is different. It’s exceedingly important that you know what is in your well. When I say what is in your well, I’m talking about contaminants, salts, microorganisms, dissolved organics. These are all contaminants in well water. And every well water supply contains various contaminants, either in very small concentrations, or significantly higher. And there are so many different contaminants that your well water supply may be very, very low in a particular contaminant, or it may be high. So, it’s, in my opinion, extremely important to have an analysis run of all of the major contaminants in your well at least once.
Peter Cartwright:
Likely they’re not going to change much except for possible microorganisms. But the other contaminants, salts and dissolved organics, are relatively constant in your well water supply. So, my recommendation is get your well water analyzed once, and then, as you said, Ben, there are certain requirements that should be evaluated every year, depending on where you are. And it’s usually things like nitrate and various pathogens, E. coli, for example. Those should be run annually. Problem you have is that some contaminants can be dangerous, or they’re called pathogenic, they will cause health issue in humans. But the vast majority of the contaminants in our well water are benign. They’ll have no effect, and some of them are even good for you to drink.
Ben Frech:
So, let’s talk a little bit about, I know you were saying there could be a variety of contaminants, and most will always be constant. What are some things of environmental changes that could bring in new contaminants that, if people see certain maybe construction, or if people should be able to look out for any kind of environmental changes around their water well, around their aquifer, or where they’re drawing water from. I mean, what would some examples of those be that introduce new contaminations into a well?
Peter Cartwright:
Well, you’re absolutely correct. Depending upon the depth of the well, and everybody knows that the shallower the well, the more likely it is to be contaminated by surface water supplies. But there are certain contaminants that may come from the surface that could significantly impact the quality of the well. Again, it depends on the kind of contaminant it is. If it’s a pathogen, let’s say for example a nitrate, that could come from runoff, an agricultural environment, or a septic tank that’s improperly located. An awful lot of water activity on the surface, heavy rain storms, flooding, this sort of thing could, certainly, impact the well by percolation through the ground, or actually getting in through the opening at the top of the ground at the surface. So, there are a number of mechanisms that could interfere with the well water quality. And these are mainly contaminants that result from, usually, human activity, right at the surface.
Ben Frech:
And I know that there’s been some issues with road salt, potentially being one of those, as well, as you’d said, during flooding. Transferring of animal feces, or other human waste into those systems can also be a problem.
Ben Frech:
And so, I guess kind of let’s get then down into this, how would a homeowner know what kind of treatment they would need for their water? Is that pretty well outlined once you know what’s in there? Or is that something that water contractor, that the individual testing your water is going to be able to tell you?
Peter Cartwright:
Yes, the short answer. Obviously, going back to what I said earlier, the only way you’ll know what your contaminants are, or be able to identify them is to have a thorough analysis run. And getting into that, it’s exceedingly important that you use a laboratory, and I’m not talking about having a water dealer do the analysis, I’m talking about a certified EPA approved laboratory run the test. Generally, this would cost in the neighborhood of $100 or so. And, if you use a local laboratory they might have a pretty good idea of what the contaminants of concern are in your particular area.
Ben Frech:
Right because they’re there.
Peter Cartwright:
So, that’s number one, you have to find out what’s in the water. Then, once you have a reliable, trustworthy contractor, and it could be a water conditioning dealer, particularly if they are certified by the Water Quality Association, they would be qualified to tell you what you need to do, what you need to install in the way of water treatment. And you mentioned earlier about chloride contamination, that’s a huge issue, particularly in, obviously, the Northern climates where road salt is a major contamination issue. And the second source of chloride that can contaminate well water is from water softener discharge into a septic system, or through percolation.
Ben Frech:
And so, when people are testing their water, is that as simple as just filling a container from your faucet and sending it away? How does that process usually work with labs, getting them the sample?
Peter Cartwright:
Well, the way to start is once you’ve identified a qualified, reliable, trustworthy lab my suggestion is give them a call and ask them what they want. Certain analyses require that they send you a particular container, because it may have a trace of acid, or something that is used as a preservative. It can be a little tricky when it comes to microorganisms because you, as a homeowner, could do it yourself. However, you have to ensure that the sample is kept refrigerated. Basically, put it in a cooler and fill the cooler with ice. And so, it depends on what you’re testing for. And the point is you’ll get all sorts of guidance from the laboratory itself.
Peter Cartwright:
Once you have this water analysis from the laboratory, then your next challenge is to identify a company that can recommend the most appropriate water treatment technology. And that is a challenge because virtually every class of contaminant, such as salts versus dissolved organics versus microorganisms, very likely would require a different suite of treatment technologies.
Ben Frech:
And so let’s get into … and now I’d like to a moment here, many of these resources will be available to private well owners on WellOwner.org, they will be able to connect you with water resources in your area. So please, if you’re listening to this podcast and you have more questions of where to find laboratories and contractors, please visit WellOwner.org.
Ben Frech:
Now, let’s go into some of these treatment systems. I mean, I know you said there’s different systems for different contaminants, but how do some of the most popular systems work? Or what are the most common water treatment systems people will encounter on their wells?
Peter Cartwright:
Well, let me back up a moment, and make a couple of general comments. The first one is that according to the EPA that has set the drinking water standards for the United States, there are two classes of contaminants. There are primary contaminants, which means these are the contaminants in drinking water that could affect your health. They’re, basically, dangerous. The second class is what’s called secondary contaminants, which is defined as those that can have an aesthetic effect within your home.
Peter Cartwright:
An example for primary contamination would be arsenic, for example, or uranium, or hydrogen sulfide, or radon, or lead, nitrates. These are just a few of the contaminants that are listed as primary. And those are the ones that, generally, have to be taken out, or should be taken out at least at the tap. Many of them will have no effect, if you take a shower with nitrate, for example. Nitrates, they can’t be inhaled and they’re not going to pass through your skin. So, you only have to worry about them in your drinking water. Therefore, the least expensive way to treat for nitrate is at the tap, at the drinking water source.
Peter Cartwright:
The secondary contaminant, an example would be hardness, softening. Everybody … well, I shouldn’t say everybody, most people that have a well have calcium and magnesium, they have hardness in the well. Hardness has absolutely no health effect. As a matter of fact, many medical experts feel you need to drink calcium and magnesium. Not that you necessarily need it from your drinking water, but it’s a healthy mineral for your body. On the other hand, it will cause scaling. Anytime you have this white deposit on the end of your faucet, or in your toilet, or your bathtub it’s almost invariably from hardness, calcium and magnesium salts that are very insoluble. To get rid of that, the most practical ways to put in a water song. So, that’s done at the entrance to the house. That’s called a point of entry treatment. And very, very traditional, works extremely well.
Peter Cartwright:
Another secondary contaminant of great concern to well owners is iron. Iron can be taken out with a water softener but, depending on how much you have in your water, you may very well need a separate treatment technology known as an iron filter, which is also installed at the point of entry. So, point of entry treatment, usually, is for secondary contaminants. Or in the case of a primary contaminant, where it could be absorbed through the skin, uranium is an example. You don’t want to take a shower with uranium.
Ben Frech:
No.
Peter Cartwright:
Radon, it can be a problem because it can be inhaled. So, again, it’s a function of what is the contaminant? And to address that issue, you really need to work with a very qualified contractor, or a consultant, who can give you advice.
Ben Frech:
Okay. And so, I know that probably the answer to this question is going to be, it varies, but we’ll go ahead and ask. How expensive are some of these treatment options that you just outlined? I mean, obviously, I would think that the ones that are at the faucet are going to be cheaper than the point of entry. But I mean, what kind of prices are we looking at here?
Peter Cartwright:
Well, I happen to be a very strong advocate, keep in mind I don’t sell anything tangible, I’m just a consultant, but I’m a very strong advocate of a drinking water treatment system called under sink reverse osmosis, or point of use reverse osmosis. This is a small system that could be installed by anybody who’s the least bit handy, normally, underneath the kitchen sink. It involves a separate faucet that only has reverse osmosis treated water. These can be purchased from a dealer, or from a DIY store like Home Depot, or Lowe’s for less than $200. And they are extremely effective. I’ve written some articles about them, some white papers on that. And it’s been proven by academic sources that have done testing that at least 65% of the contaminants in drinking water can be removed by under sink reverse osmosis.
Peter Cartwright:
Having said that, if you have a bacteria problem, iron bacteria, hydrogen sulfide generated by sulfate reducing bacteria, et cetera I would not recommend reverse osmosis. Then, you have to go to technology such as chlorination, but at any rate … So, the least expensive total treatment for drinking water would be reverse osmosis. Under sink carbon filters can be purchased for probably less than $100 and installed in a cartridge in housing. So, the low end, which is normally treating water with activated carbon, or with a sediment filter could be easily less than $100.
Peter Cartwright:
Water softener, on the other hand, again, that could be easily installed by someone who is handy. Or, again, purchased through a dealer, these would normally be in the range of at least $400 and higher, depending on whether you have it installed, et cetera. So I guess in terms of the range of treatment costs, we’re talking about something less than $100, and probably up to a 1000. There are certainly much more elaborate systems that might be put in that would be more expensive. Again, the key is to identify what your problem contaminant is, and then work with a qualified installer.
Ben Frech:
Yeah so, I guess, that brings up another point I wanted to ask you about if you’re going to be spending upwards of $400, and some of these systems possibly more, what’s the shelf life for a system? I mean, how long if you properly maintain your system, I mean, how long will a good water treatment system from a high-quality manufacturer, how long will that last a normal household with normal water usage?
Peter Cartwright:
Well, starting at the point of use single faucet area, if you’re going to remove particulates, or maybe something like a volatile organic contaminant that is found, which is very unusual, but if you’re going to use something like a cartridge filter, either a particulate filter, or a carbon filter, depending upon the quantity of contaminants, they might have to be replaced every month to three months because these filters are based on removing the contaminant inside the filter itself. So, it captures whatever you’re trying to remove. And, eventually, it’s going to load up and has to be replaced.
Ben Frech:
Just like a Brita filter would be from a Brita, right?
Peter Cartwright:
Yes. I’d rather not talk about that because they’re not high on my list of quality treatments.
Peter Cartwright:
Reverse osmosis, on the other hand, this generates a wastewater stream. In other words, the membrane, which is the key component doesn’t collect the contaminants. It can eventually become foul, but its main function is to separate the contaminants from the drinking water and these separated contaminants go down the drain.
Peter Cartwright:
Now having said that, those separated contaminants, which are in what is called a reject, or a concentrate stream can be collected, and used for non-potable applications, watering plants, et cetera is acceptable. But anyway, those membranes will, regardless of what you may hear from the company that’s selling the components, those membranes will last a minimum of 10 years.
Ben Frech:
Oh wow.
Peter Cartwright:
I’ve got a lot of experience in installing these. And I’ve had one that I recently replaced, it had never had anything done to it for 20 years. So, likewise, the life of water softening resin, particularly if it’s not full of iron, or if you have a iron filter ahead of it, and you’re not chlorinating the resin itself, which will destroy it over time, those water softening systems should last a minimum of 20 years, in my opinion, too.
Ben Frech:
Excellent.
Peter Cartwright:
A lot of these technologies are really long [inaudible 00:20:18].
Ben Frech:
And will most of these treatments, or treatment systems you get, will they come with instructions on any kind of maintenance that does need to be done? Or any things you should be looking out for with the system over that time span?
Peter Cartwright:
Yes. If you buy a system from a DIY facility, like any other appliance that you have excellent information on how to install them, how to maintain them. If you buy a system from a dealer, they may very well try to arrange a service contract. Well, they will come in and they will maintain the system for you. It depends upon how independent you are, and how much money you want to save as to whether you do all this yourself, or work through a qualified, again I want to underscore the fact that it has to be a qualified, certified reputable dealer.
Ben Frech:
Yes. And, again, we would like to encourage everyone to be checking out wellowner.org for local water resources in their area. And before we wrap up today, Peter, is there anything else on this topic of water treatment that you’d like our listeners to know, and to keep in mind?
Peter Cartwright:
I am happy to communicate with anybody who has a question. I am a consultant but I, basically, have the philosophy if I can answer a question over the phone, or with a quick email I don’t charge for it. So, I’m happy to try to help educate your viewers.
Ben Frech:
Excellent. That’s all for this episode of Know Your Well we’d like to thank you, Peter, for joining us today. Know Your Well is a production of the National Ground Water Association. This podcast was created and edited by NGWA’s, Abby Valencic. I’m your host, Ben Frech, telling you what you need to know to make that flow water flow. Thank you everybody. And to learn more about maintaining your well, go to WellOwner.org. WellOwner.org is supported by the Rural Community Assistance Partnership as part of the US EPA funded program and proven water quality through training and technical assistance to private well owners. To learn more about the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, go to RCAP.org.
