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[Article Title]Common Water Quality Problems
[Artical Suimmary] Methods of Treatment
[Article Contect]
The following chart is intended to serve as a general guide for consumers in determining the cause of problems with their water that can be felt, smelled, tasted, or seen. In some cases, these symptoms may indicate a serious problem -- in others, only the taste and smell of tap water (its aesthetics) may be affected.
A. Sense of Feeling
Impurity or Contaminant |
Symptom |
Cause |
Health Effects |
Means of Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Hard Water |
Soap curd, and scum in wash basins & bathtub. Whitish scale deposits in pipes, water heater & tea kettle. | Calcium (limestone) and magnesium salts. | Aesthetic only. However if consumed, could lead to kidney/ bladder stones | Cation exchange water softener or reverse osmosis. |
Grittiness |
Abrasive texture to water when washing or residual left in sink. | Excessively fine sand, silt in water. | Various -- sand could trap contaminants | Sand trap in ultra-filtration. |
B. Sense of Smell
| Impurity or Contaminant | Symptom | Cause | Health Effects | Means of Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Odor |
Musty, earthy or wood smell. | Generally, harmless organic matter. | Aesthetic only | Activated carbon filter. |
| Chlorine smell. | Excessive chlorination. | Could occur from formation of disinfection byproducts | Dechlorinate with activated carbon filter. | |
| Rotten egg odor - tarnished silverware. | 1. Dissolved hydrogen sulfide gas. 2. Presence of sulfate reducing bacteria in raw water. |
Various effects | 1. Manganese greensand filter - constant chlorination followed by filtration/ dechlorination.
2. Constant chlorination followed by activated carbon filter. |
|
| Hot water, rotten egg odor. | Action of magnesium rod in hot water heater. | Various Effects | Remove magnesium rod from heater. | |
| Detergent odor, water foams when drawn. | Seepage of septic discharge into underground water supply. | Disease-causing microorganisms may be present | 1. Locate and eliminate source of seepage - then heavily chlorinate well.
2. Activated carbon filter will adsorb limited amount. |
|
| Gasoline or oil (hydro-carbon) smell. | Leak in fuel oil tank or gasoline tank seeping into water supply. | Fuel components may be toxic or carcinogenic | No residential treatment. Locate and eliminate seepage. | |
| Methane gas. | Naturally occurring caused by decaying organics. | Various effects | Aeration system and repump. | |
| Phenol smell (chemical odor). | Industrial waste seeping into surface or ground water supplies. | Various -- compounds may be carcinogenic | Activated carbon filter will adsorb short-term. |
