To test your water for color, take a deep white bowl or a white margerine container and fill it 2/3 with your water. When looking into the container, compare the color of the container above the water line, to the color of the container (water) below the water line. Suddenly water which looked clear previously, shows some color in it. This is because you did not have a medium to test against. Now when your water is compared to a white container, the difference becomes apparent.
The color in pure water varies from clear blue, to clear green, to just clear. It usually depends on the water source. The key word is clear.
CONSUMER REPORTS WATER SOFTENERS
Color in water generally comes from one of 2 sources. Iron or Tannin. This article deals with IRON. 0.3 mg/ltr is the level at which staining from IRON begins. 0.3 is also considered the drinking water guideline. Again I will remind readers that IRON, as found in water, is not chelated, and therefore not assimilated by the body. Iron is dissolved into the water as water passes through iron deposits in the ground. It is often brown in color, especially when found in higher levels. But the water may remain clear unless allowed to sit in an open container for varying amounts of time. Then the dissolved iron precipitates out of the water because it is exposed to oxygen and oxidizes. The water will change to a brownish color and eventually the iron will settle to the bottom of the container leaving clear water at the top and colored water at the bottom. Often the iron turns to a particle which can be clearly seen at the bottom of the container. This oxidization process is why water which looks clear when first drawn from the tap, can still leave very pronounced staining in toilet bowls, sinks and bathtubs. Cloths, especially whites and light colors often absorb the iron and come out of the laundry with permanent stains and discoloration. Adding chlorine bleach does not resolve this problem. In fact it makes it worse because chlorine is an excellent oxidizer and creates an even more aggressive problem.
Removing iRON from water can be a nightmare for the consumer. If 4 water treatment equipment salesmen come into your home, you can get 4 different approaches and all of them might work. Some technicians will suggest a chemical using filter called a Greensands filter which uses Potassium Permanganate to regenerate the filter media, not unlike how a water softener uses salt. Another might suggest an air injection system often called an Air Birm filter. It too regenerates but uses water flow rather than a chemical to clean itself. Sometimes a chlorine system is necessary with ample retention time to give the chlorine time to work at oxidizing the iron to a particle which can then be filtered out. And of course Ozone can be used in some applications as well. The discrepancy always shows itself in the salesmans attitude towards the other technologies. Each salesman wants to promote his or her system, when they really should be offering all of the above systems and explaining the pros and cons of each. A chlorine or ozone system for example will achieve other benefits at the same time as removing the iron.
Removing bacteria, or odors is an example of additional benefits. And none of these systems will work all the time on all iron applications. The study of competent water treatment applications is too complex to address in this article. I can only suggest three avenues for the consumer to take in this regard. 1. Get more than two opinions from experience water treatment technicians. Although there are certification programs available for water treatment technicians, often pure experience is the best qualification a technician can offer. 2. Look for similar approaches from the technicians. Three different stories should make you a wary consumer. 3. Contact us and we will test your water for free and make recommendations on proper applications as well as where you can locally obtain the right equipment from a reputable dealer. And there are many reputable dealers. But if you look in your past yellow pages, you will also notice how many of these water treatment companies spring up one year and are gone 2 or 3 years later.
A word of caution; don't be a guinea pig for testing new technologies. You cannot afford it. You will be left with a bad taste ( no pun intended!) for the water treatment industry. Use tried and proven technologies that many dealers provide. Granted, there are always new technologies springing up. I read about them all the time. Many of them I have tried on my own well. ( I have rotten water coming from my drilled well!) But you do not want to go down that path. There are organizations that do protect the consumer by offering good sound advice regarding water treatment technologies. If you wish to contact a consumer protection organization which specializes in water treatment but does not sell anything, please contact us an we will steer you towards these agencies, which are there to protect the consumer.
In closing this article, I will again remind you; A wise consumer makes wise choices. Don't be a fool and later complain that you were taken advantage of. Do your homework. There is a fool born every minute, and someone to take advantage of the fool is born every 59 seconds. Good water is available to every person. Get yours now.
David Jollymore, B.SC
http://www.cellutions.ca
Water Color and Staining CONSUMER REPORTS WATER SOFTENERS
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