Southern Ontario – The 5 Things We Test For In Your Water
Southern Ontario is home to some of the hardest water in Canada due to its underground geological makeup consisting of thick layers of limestone and dolomite. Rural communities draw water from underground aquifers within the bedrock where water remains in constant contact with the rock, gradually leeching calcium, magnesium and manganese into the water. While
generally harmless for consumption, these minerals will significantly affect your quality of life, modern appliances and your home plumbing infrastructure.
Why Test Your Water?
Since 1974, Manax Plumbing has serviced Orangeville, Caledon, Alliston, Fergus and the surrounding areas, our plumbers have confirmed many interesting test results. We frequently install and maintain water softeners, iron removers, reverse osmosis filters and ultraviolet water purification systems for our clients. Not only do we perform the installation for our clients, but
we also provide annual maintenance for each system as well.
We’ve found that water quality can vary from tap to tap even within these communities due differences in water sourcing such as private wells in rural areas or municipal water systems. It is important that water treatment systems are prescribed and sized appropriately for contaminants and concentrations of elements in your drinking water. In addition, seasonal changes from rain and temperature will affect the contaminants and bacterial content in your drinking water.
Water Testing provides us with the ability to precisely identify the level of softening, filtration and purification that your water source requires to meet local water regulation specifications for safe drinking water and the longevity of your home plumbing. It is an important first step in the process when you want to improve your water quality. This may be particularly interesting to you
if you are a restaurant or manufacturing facility that requires strict adherence to local water regulations in southern Ontario.
The 5 Properties That We Test In Your Water Sample
1. Water Hardness
Water Hardness is natural in ground water & is affected by how much calcium, magnesium & Manganese naturally occurs in the water table you are sourcing. Water Hardness is measured in Grains per Gallon (GPG). The higher the number, the harder your water. Typically, a hardness level of under 5 GPG is fine for normal home consumption. Anything above that will cause a
taste to occur and when heated, a white or slightly grey colour deposits on your fixtures, appliances & cooking pots. These deposits are particularly noticeable on your plastic panels in your shower. The natural hardness in your water is safe to consume, but can be detrimental to your appliances, faucets & pots etc. It also affects the potency of your detergents & soaps!
2. Sulfide Content
Sulphides/Sulfides in water are compounds containing sulfur in its lowest oxidation state. They can exist in various forms, including hydrogen sulfide (H2S), bisulfide (HS−), and sulfide (S2−) ions. Hydrogen sulfide, a colorless gas with a characteristic rotten egg smell, is highly soluble in water and can be toxic at high concentrations.
Sulfides in water can originate from natural processes such as the reduction of sulfate by sulfate-reducing bacteria in anaerobic environments, or from human activities like wastewater discharge and landfill leachate. In aquatic environments, sulfides can decrease water quality, affect the taste and odor of water, and be harmful to aquatic life.
Sulfides can also have therapeutic benefits when present in low concentrations in mineral waters, which are traditionally used to treat skin, respiratory, and musculoskeletal disorder
3. Ferric & Ferrous Iron
Ferric Iron also known as oxidized iron r red-water iron, is a form of iron found in well water that appears as visible reddish-brown particles, often referred to as “red water iron”. It is insoluble and does not dissolve in water, making it visible as suspended articles or sediment. Ferric iron is the result of ferrous iron reacting with oxygen from the air. This form of iron can be filtered out
using advanced filtration systems.
Ferrous Iron, also known as “clear-water iron,” is a form of iron that is soluble in water and does not appear visibly in the water until it is exposed to oxygen and oxidizes, turning into ferric iron. When water containing ferrous iron is left standing, it can turn red or brown due to this oxidation process.
We discussed this topic in a previous post titled “The 4 Hidden Faces of Iron in Your Well Water — And How to Spot Them”
4. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in water refer to the amount of organic and inorganic materials, such as metals, minerals, salts, and ions, dissolved in a particular volume of water. These materials are so small that they pass through a filter with 2-micrometer (nominal size, or smaller) pores.
TDS can originate from natural sources like mineral springs and salt deposits, as well as from human activities such as sewage, urban and agricultural runoff, and industrial wastewater. Common constituents of TDS include calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, carbonate, bicarbonate, chloride, and sulfate.
The level of TDS in water can affect its taste, smell, and appearance. For instance, water with a TDS level between 300-500 parts per million (ppm) is considered ideal, as it likely contains minerals and does not taste flat. However, water with a TDS level between 1000-2000 ppm is not recommended for drinking.
Water quality standards for TDS vary by region. In the United States, a secondary water quality standard of 500 mg/L has been established to ensure palatability of drinking water. In Canada, an aesthetic objective of ≤500 mg/L has been set for TDS in drinking water.
5. Water pH (potential Hydrogen)
pH (Potential of Hydrogen) is a measure of how acidic or basic a solution is, indicating its hydrogen ion concentration. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14: A pH of 7 is neutral, which means the solution is neither acidic nor basic. Pure water at 25°C
(77°F), for instance, has a pH of 7.
How we use the water test to recommend your water treatment system?
With high hardness levels, though the minerals are good for your body, they aren’t great for your water systems or fixtures. This is where you see the collection of white build up on your faucets and the need for more soap & detergents for your cleaning & laundry. The higher the levels, the more you need to counteract the hardness for soft, smooth skin and clothes.
Stain-free clothes and dishware is only dealt with by a water softener that removes the hardness attributed to the amount of calcium, magnesium & manganese in your water. Typically water under 2 GPG is acceptable, it will take a long time or a lot of use to see a build up. Even at 5 GPG, you’ll start to see the white crusties form.
Iron is a no-brainer. That brown/orange stain you’ll see almost immediately with levels higher than 0.1 ppm! Yeah, it’s that bad. So the removal of iron in your water is paramount, especially for any of your water systems (water heater, washing machine, dishwasher) and fixtures (toilet included) so they operate efficiently without costly repairs well before their
warranty expires.
Even with iron bacteria – that cannot be removed with an Ultraviolet sterilizer – can be handled by an iron remover. The good thing is, municipal water uses chlorine to dissipate it and it flushes out of the supply before it gets to your home – BUT – the additive now needs to be dealt with. More on that in a moment. With higher levels of iron bacteria, the combination Ozone
Generator removes it and keeps your water safe and clear.
That additive that dissipates iron bacteria tends to be chlorine, the cheaper product in most towns across Canada, but it doesn’t mean it’s good for YOU. That is why we recommend a carbon filter, which is conveniently a part of the Chlor-A-Soft line of water softener. It removes that not-so-great chlorine and provides pure softness and safety for daily use.
When your TDS readings are above 250, it usually means there is silt or granulars that need to be removed. We provide clients with finite water filters that can go down to 0.1 micron to help reduce the number of sediment in your water. It can’t get it down to zero, but that’s where a reverse osmosis system comes into play.
An RO system at your kitchen sink is the best defense against all the other little things in your ground water after all the previous filtration is used. It can reduce your water to the clearest, cleanest form possible. You can even bring the pH level back up to or above 7.0 to have purely neutral water if you want.
In closing, as you can see from all the details we shared with you above, getting a water test done can help you identify a lot of what your water has in it and what needs to be removed. Aside from chemicals and heavy metals – which is a separate professionally performed test – we can help you get the best water quality options possible with this one simple test.
If you have any questions or wish to have a test done, please contact us or pop in store and we’d be happy to share this with you!
Have a great day!