Well Water

How
Treatment Systems 2009

7 Questions You Must Ask

Before You Buy a Home Well Water Treatment System

When purchasing a whole house well water treatment system, there are 7
key questions you must consider before making your purchase. So,
congratulations for taking the time to review this report so that you can make the
best decision for you and your situation.

In this exclusive report not available anywhere else, you will learn the key
points to cover so that your well water treatment system is the most optimal
solution at the best possible cost. The goal is to arm you with value-packed
information so that your end result is well water that is as healthful, odor-free,
and taste-free as it can be.

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Question 1: What issue(s) are you aiming to correct?

This is the first question and also the most important. Understanding your well water
issues is fundamental to being able to resolve them. Well water can have many different types
of problems. You may have one major issue or several minor issues occurring at once. The key
is to determine which problems you have and then address the concerns from there. The
following will give you some background on the types of issues that may be encountered with
well water situations.

First, assess your water aesthetically. Does it smell bad? If so, like what? Does it taste
bad? Does it leave stains, soap scum, or other undesirables behind? When do these issues
occur? Only when running the hot water or cold water? Only after setting for a period of time?
Having a good understanding of your precise issues is the first step in addressing them. Water
being drawn from a private well is raw and may contain many secondary contaminates like iron,
sulfur, manganese, tannins, and hard minerals. Of primary concern are bacteria like E coli and
coliform, which are not safe to drink. It is a good idea to have your water tested.

The BEST way to determine the exact problems your well water has it to have a
comprehensive independent testing agency conduct your water test. A reputable firm that we
recommend is natllabs.com – National Testing Laboratories. Visit
http://www.ntllabs.com/Watercheck_com/index.php. They are an independent firm and the
testing can be conducted no matter where you live; you simply mail them your water samples
and they will provide results. The cost can vary, but investing in a solid, independent water test
is the best way to ensure your problems are correctly diagnosed.

Keep in mind that there is no single test that will cover all the possible contaminants in
drinking water, and to test for all possibilities would be cost-prohibitive. There are a few basics
which the WQA (Water Quality Association) recommends you test for. These include:
- Coliform bacteria,
- Lead and copper from water that has been standing in the household plumbing for
more than several hours, and
- Nitrates (plus nitrate, measured at nitrogen; causes “blue baby” syndrome in infants
under 6 months old.)

The WQA recommends testing of your private well once per year and for nitrates every
2 to 3 years. Or, anytime there is a noticeable difference in the water quality.

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There are also some websites that sell water treatment products (including
www.puritec.com) that will also test your water for free for some of the basics such
nitrites/nitrates, pH level, hardness and iron. This is the lowest-cost option (free!) and can be a
good path to choose if bacterial or viral contamination is not a concern.

A common misconception is that private well water is tested by a water authority on a

regular basis. This is simply untrue. Private wells that service only your home or a small group
of homes are not regulated whatsoever. Therefore, the burden falls on the homeowner to test
and correct any issues – whether they be aesthetic (taste and odor), harmful to your health
(such as bacterial or viral contamination), or harmful to your home’s pipes and water-using
appliances such as the hot water tank, dishwasher or washing machine (caused by water
hardness).

In fact, recently there was a case where one home in a neighborhood had a failed septic
field -- allowing decaying human waste products to leach into a neighbor’s well, causing severe
stomach illness for the homeowners. It was the homeowner’s responsibility to correct the
situation. They installed a UV-light bacterial disinfection system with built-in carbon and
sediment filtration, and their water was safe to drink again.

If you choose not to have your water tested, the following chart will help you narrow
down the issues associated with your water.

Issue Symptoms Cause Solution

Hard Water  Your dishwasher Calcium and 1. Water Softener
(see Figure 1) leaves spots magnesium in (traditional salt-based
 You have scale build- water. system will address all
up on pipes and water- these symptoms)
using appliances
 Soap scum or bathtub 2. A salt-free system will
rings de-scale pipes but will
 Clothes gray easily and not change the
look dingy properties of the hard
water.

3. Conditioning Magnets: A
magnetic-based system
that is used to condition

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hard water. The

technology is
maintenance-free, salt-
free, electric-free, and
has no water waste.
Hardness must be below
25 gpg.
Clear Water  Orange/brown or rusty Iron - .3 ppm or Specialty backwash systems
Iron stains on plumbing more using manganese dioxide
(Ferrous) fixtures, washing media.
machine, dishwasher,
or fabrics
 May be a metallic
taste to water
 Water is clear when
drawn from faucet,
then changes color
ranging from yellow to
brown
Red Water Iron  Same symptoms as Iron - .3 ppm or Specialty backwash systems
(Ferric) clear water iron but is more using Birm/AG media.
already discolored
straight from the
faucet
Manganese  Black staining on .5 ppm or Specialty backwash systems
fixtures and laundry higher using manganese dioxide
media.
Acidic Water  Blue/green or rusty A pH level Acid Neutralizing system
stains and corrosion of below 6.5 is using Calcite for pH above
plumbing fixtures and considered 6.0 and Calcite and Corosex
water-using acidic water for pH below 6.0.
appliances.
 May see pitting on NOTE: a high
porcelain or enamel pH above 7.2 is
fixtures and dishes. Alkaline water –
 Pin hole leaks in no need to
copper plumbing lines treat
Hydrogen  Rotten egg odor is Hydrogen You have 2 treatment
Sulfide most tell-tale sign sulfide gas options – Aeration or a
 Water may also taste dissolved in Specialty backwash systems
like rotten eggs water using manganese dioxide.
 Copper plumbing lines
turn black
 Very corrosive
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Marshy,  Unpleasant tastes and Dissolved Carbon filtration including a

Metallic or odors not associated minerals or block or granulated form.
Chlorine Taste with hydrogen sulfide gases; organic
or Odors contamination
or chlorination
Turbidity  Foreign particles in Silt, sand, clay For slight issues a simple
water, dirty or cloudy or scale build- washable sediment filter.
water up For heavy turbidity use a
Specialty backwash system
using ChemSorb/AG.
Tannins  Yellow or brown tea- Decaying Chemical Feed System
like tint in water; may vegetative
cause staining and or matter
interference with other
water treatment
processes
Sulfur Bacteria  Very strong sulfur The bacteria Chemical Feed System
smell all the time break down
 More noticeable on sulfur
the hot water side compounds,
 A slimy black film in producing
toilets hydrogen
sulfide gas in
the process
Source for Symptoms and Cause: WaterGroup

Figure 1: Hardness scale build-up on pipes

The following is another chart can also help you identify issues that may be lurking in your
water. It is adopted from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website at
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/privatewells/faq.html. It will help you narrow down your well water
problems – whether they are health-related or otherwise. The last five problems listed are not an
immediate health concern, but they can make your water taste bad, may indicate problems, or could
affect your well system in the long term.

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Conditions or Nearby Activities: Test for:

Recurring gastro-intestinal illness Coliform bacteria

Household plumbing contains lead pH, lead, copper

Radon in indoor air or region is radon rich Radon

Corrosion of pipes, plumbing Corrosion, pH, lead

Nearby areas of intensive agriculture Nitrate, pesticides, coliform bacteria

Gas drilling operations nearby Chloride, sodium, barium, strontium

Dump, junkyard, landfill, factory, gas station, or Volatile organic compounds, total dissolved solids,
dry-cleaning operation nearby pH, sulfate, chloride, metals

Odor of gasoline or fuel oil, and near gas station or Volatile organic compounds
buried fuel tanks

Objectionable taste or smell Hydrogen sulfide, corrosion, metals

Stained plumbing fixtures, laundry Iron, copper, manganese

Salty taste and seawater, or a heavily salted Chloride, total dissolved solids, sodium
roadway nearby

Scaly residues, soaps don’t lather Hardness

Rapid wear of water treatment equipment pH, corrosion

Water softener needed to treat hardness Manganese, iron

Water appears cloudy, frothy, or colored Color, detergents

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Last, it is also quite helpful to have some background on your plumbing situation so that you
can give this information to the salesperson. You will want to know the following:

o Flow Rate Capacity (If you do not know it, see a simple way to test it on the next page
in Figure 3).
o Plumbing size ¾” or 1”
o Copper or PVC pipes

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o Size of home, number of bathrooms, number of people living in home

Use this chart to document your situation:

Item Your Answer

Flow Rate (see note below)

Plumbing Size (¾” or 1”)

Copper or PVC pipes

Size of Home

Number of Bathrooms

Number of people living in home

Water Complaints Circle any applicable complaints:

Hard Water
Sulfur Smell
Bacterial or Viral Concerns
Iron
Acid Water
Taste and Odors
Tannins
Turbidity
High TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)
Manganese
Arsenic
Other Concerns:
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________

Figure 2: Your plumbing chart

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Note: If you do not know your flow rate, try this simple test to calculate it.

You will need a watch with a second hand and a 1 or 5 gallon container to measure your flow rate with the
instructions below.

1. Use an outside faucet spigot or inside use a bathtub as the measuring point (if using a bathtub, open
BOTH the hot and cold water faucets). Open the faucet completely.
2. Wait until the pump kicks on, then go to step 3.
3. Place either a 1 or 5 gallon container under the faucet and measure the amount of time it takes to fill the
container in seconds. A 5 gallon bucket works best because it will be the most accurate.
4. Refer to the chart below. Find the row on the left that contains the size of the container you used to fill
with water, either 1 or 5 gallons.
5. Then, find the column across the top that is closest to the number of seconds in took to fill the container.
6. The value in the table where the row and column meet is your flow rate in gallons per minute.

Seconds to Fill Container

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 50 60 75
1 gallon bucket 12.00 6.00 4.00 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
5 gallon bucket -- 30.00 20.00 15.00 12.00 10.00 8.5 7.5 6.00 5.00 4.00

Figure 3: Calculating Your Flow Rate

Question 2: How Effective is the system you are buying

against those issues?
Many people assume that a water conditioner will correct any and all problems with their water.
This is not the case. You need to assess each product carefully to understand what its objective is and
whether it will be effective in your situation. For example, a water softener will not do anything to filter
(i.e. make it safe for drinking) the water. The only thing that will change is the hardness and TDS (total
dissolved solids). It will not address bacterial or viral contamination, taste issues or other problems.
(Also, softening the water also adds a very tiny amount of sodium to the water, which is a concern for
some people.)

There are many different methods for addressing well water issues:

 Aeration – used to remove sulfur smell and aerate iron

 pH Neutralizer - used when the pH of the water is below 6.5

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 Chlorine Injection is used when sulfur bacteria is present or to kill E coli and Coliform

 Ultraviolet Purification (UV) is used to kill E coli and Coliform – sediment and carbon
filtration can also be combined with the UV for a multi-stage ultraviolet filtration system

Figure 4: An example UV system.

The three vessels are as follows:
Vessel 1: Sediment Filtration
Vessel 2: Carbon Filtration
Vessel 3: UV light Purification (kills bacteria and viruses)

 Water Softening only – this is traditional water softening where it is necessary to

regenerate with salt or potassium. Traditional water softeners will remove hardness from
water as well as small amounts of iron and manganese.

 Secondary contaminant filtration – filter for iron, sulfur, and manganese

 Secondary contaminant filtration combined with Conditioning Technology - this is a de-

scaling salt-free Technology along with carbon or other filtration

 Descalants – salt-free technology that is used to as a descalant to pipes and water-using

appliances, but will not change the physical properties of hard water.

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Figure 5: An example of a salt-free conditioner used as a descalant for pipes

and water-using appliances.

 Reverse Osmosis: Typically used at the point of use (in a kitchen) for drinking water.
Reverse Osmosis will remove virtually all contaminants from the water, but will also strip it
of minerals. It is best to add the minerals back in with a calcite filter.

See Figure 6.

There are these and other treatment technologies available today to help you solve your well

water issues. Once you know the problem you are solving for, finding the correct solution will be easy!

Figure 6: An example Reverse Osmosis under-the-sink filtration system.

Reverse osmosis is one of the few water treatment technologies that filters virtually
all contaminants from water, both organic and inorganic, but also strips water of
beneficial minerals. Adding an inexpensive calcite filter will add the minerals back
to the water.

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Question 3: What is the Satisfaction Guarantee and Warranty?

With so many treatment well water treatment system options, you need to hone in on
the problems you wish to correct, get some assistance in choosing the right system for your
needs and then have it ordered and installed. In some cases, multiple options used
simultaneously will yield the best results. Therefore, a thorough understanding of your issues
and which treatment options will help alleviate them is necessary. Buying from a
knowledgeable company well-schooled in treatment technologies will help to ensure a
successful outcome. You must choose a company that will stand behind its products with a
strong satisfaction guarantee and a solid manufacturer warranty.

Once your new treatment system (or systems) are installed, you should in almost all
cases, notice an immediate improvement in your water. For example, an aerator will remove
the sulfur smell immediately. There are a few exceptions to this, such as with a salt-free hard
water conditioner (descalant). It will take a few weeks for the conditioned water to de-scale
the build-up on pipes and fixtures. You may even see chunks of material in your water during
that time. It is perfectly normal and safe – it just takes time to un-do the buildup to your pipes
incurred by many years of hard water damage.

When you receive your new system, inspect it for all parts and have it installed quickly.
This will allow you have to a full evaluation of the system before your satisfaction guarantee
expires. A 60-day money back guarantee is desirable to evaluate your system and ensure it is
performing as expected and displays structural integrity. However, not all problems are
alleviated within a 60-day time frame therefore you should be able to voice your issues and
concerns with your water treatment provider to ensure the best performance of the equipment
you have purchased. The warranty period is designed to protect the Consumer and it is
imperative that you purchase from a Company with a good warranty policy in place. It is a good
idea to check the BBB rating of all companies you are considering and be sure to ask what them
what their record has been in the last five years.

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Question 4: What is the Total Cost of Ownership and

Maintenance Requirements?

When a purchasing a system directly from an internet dealer (such as PuriTec), you will
find the cost-savings are hard to beat over a traditional local dealer. Of course, you will have
the expense of having it installed by a certified plumber, unless you are handy yourself with
plumbing matters. Overall, your total costs will still be much lower when buying direct vs. a
full-service local dealer. Service and maintenance fees are common with local dealers -- who
will often lose money on the installation of a system in exchange for high-priced maintenance
contracts.

You should also consider the cost and effort of any ongoing maintenance. Are there
filter cartridges that need to be changed? What is the frequency? Are you prepared to add salt
to a salt-based water softener on a regular basis? Or to change the UV lights on an annual basis
to maintain their effectiveness? Sediment filters will need to be changed frequently,
approximately every 3 months. Your maintenance needs will vary according to your water
condition and system(s) installed.

Many systems require little to no maintenance except for periodic media re-beds which
are necessary when the media expires, which can vary both by product and local water
conditions, but most will last an average of 3-6 years.
Here are a few examples of maintenance for well water treatment systems:
a. Traditional Water Softeners – add salt on regular basis
b. Descalants – Change pre-filters on regular basis and re-bed media approximately every 5
years
c. UV filtration – change filters every 3-6 months, UV lamp changed annually
d. Reverse Osmosis – change sediment filters every 3 months and other filters every 6-12
months, membrane every 2 years and calcite add-on filter annually.

Still, compare these costs to bringing in outside bottled water – no matter what the filtration
costs, you’ll have peace of mind knowing your family has better water to drink, shower and bathe in.
Your appliances will last longer and your cleaning will be easier, too!

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Question 5: How Important are Product Certifications?

There are many different certifications available for water treatment products. Most
are from reputable, credible, and established certifying agencies, such as the WQA (Water
Quality Association), NSF (National Sanitation Foundation), ANSI (American National Standards
Institute or UL (Underwriters Laboratory). Look for any of these certifications on components
or media for the peace of mind that you are buying a high quality and effective system.

Figure 7: The most well-known certifying agencies for water filtration treatment devices. Look
for these names when making your treatment selection.

Be wary of companies that advertise they are a Consumers Digest Best Buy Product.
This is not to be confused with Consumer Reports, which is a non-profit, non-partisan consumer
advocacy organization.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

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“Consumers Digest is an American for-profit magazine publication which accepts

advertisements and allows companies to use its reviews for marketing purposes. It should not
be confused with the non-profit magazine Consumer Reports. The magazine has come under
criticism for various unusual business practices. For example, the publication isn't sold at
newsstands, and to subscribe, the interested party must write to Consumers Digest asking for
more information.

The magazine awards its Consumers Digest Best Buy seal to products its staff judges to be of
the best quality for the most reasonable price. However, because Consumers Digest reportedly
receives money from many of the corporations it reviews, uncertainty has arisen regarding how
merit-based such an award can be. The name "Best Buy" also has been used by rival Consumer
Reports since the early 1970s, which may lead to deliberate consumer confusion.”

The publication has no connection to the Consumer Reports magazine published by Consumers
Union (which, unlike Consumers Digest, is an independent non-profit organization).”

When looking at water filters to purchase, be sure to question the significance of having a
Consumers Digest Best Buy endorsement. It means nothing more than a paid seal of approval.

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Question 6: Is the Customer Service Great?

In a recent customer service survey we asked our customers if they would recommend
us to a friend. As you can see by the following chart, 98% said yes. At PuriTec, we great pride
in making our customers happy, even when something goes wrong. In fact, we believe it’s the
mark of a great company how they handle a situation when something does go wrong. We
don’t like it when things go wrong either, so we go the extra mile if it does.
Now everyone says they have great customer service, but our results speak for
themselves. Try us; you’ll see we’re different.

Would You Recommend PuriTec to a Friend?

Yes
No

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Question 7: Who Are You Buying From?

Last, you want to know you are buying from. At PuriTec, we’ve been serving customers
online with low prices and exceptional service for over ten years. We have the experts on staff
willing to help you walk through the decision-making process. There is never any pressure to
buy. We are pleased to inform you of your treatment options so that you can make the best
decision for your family.

We’ve been a member of the Better Business Bureau for many years and have an
excellent reputation with the BBB and our customers.

Now that you’re armed with the information necessary to make an educated decision
on your well water treatment system, we hope you will consider PuriTec. We are eager to earn
your business and to make you a satisfied customer for life.

To your good health!

“I have purchased a few different whole house water

purification systems from PuriTec over the years and have had
nothing but the very best customer service from PuriTec. It is
always such a pleasure to talk with [them] who always gives us
the best information and very quickly too. The products are
easy to install and work very effectively. As someone who is
notoriously difficult to please, I would not hesitate to
recommend PuriTec to anyone looking to improve their health
and the quality of their water. They are simply the best!”
– P. Morgan, Sarasota, FL

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More Resources:

www.wqa.org/consumer

http://www.uldrinkwell.com/drinkwell/common_problems.html

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/index.html

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