The subject line says it all: I have acidic well water, and I’m not sure how to deal with it, or even what causes it. This is in my own home, in the mountains of Western North Carolina, and was first brought to my attention by a turquioise trail left by faucets. I subsquently purchased a pool Ph test kit. The results were beyond what the kit could handle.
My first thought, a trip to the local home center, was for naught. The deparment personal knew no more than I did about my problem or a solution.
The home is being replumbed while we remodel it, so the damage to the existing pipes doesn’t concern me, but I need to remedy the situation before the new fixtures, RO filter, and tankless water heater are installed.
Since it is a well, I’m assuming that my water is becoming acidic as it perculates through the ground. Can I stop this problem at the source by treating the ground? Or are there filters/devices which will take care of this after the water enters the house? How much will this hurt my wallet? Will my well pump withstand the acidic water with reasonable lifespan?
In addition, Is this a DIY type of solution, or should I call in professionals? If I need a pro’s help, am I looking for a plumber, or a water treatment company? I’m confident with plumbing and sweating copper, and we’re using mostly PEX for the new plumbing anyway, so that’s not really an issue of plumbing skill.
Thanks in advance for all suggestions
Gregory Paolini
Replies
Greg, I am on a well right now that has VERY hard water and has total coliform in it.
The solution for my water is different than for yours though.
Asking for help from locals usually brings on blank stares or tilted heads. There might be someone around who knows but i wouldn't count on it.
You need to look at it as part of the expense of owning a well.
Small towns that provide water to comunities run into these issues all the time so there are people out there that deal with this on a larger scale. You could contact the county about it. The towns have wells and water treatment plants.
I did a google using the works acidic well water and came up with a bunch of hits.
Have you checked with the local well drillers? They probably have at least a direction for you to follow. How deep is the well? Is it a surface well just down to bed rock or is it a deep well drilled into an aquifer?
I don't really have an answer for any of those questions. I purchased the home about 14 months ago, and it's my first real experience with a well.
I figured you were a new well owner. That's why I mentioned general ideas about wells. There is a whole body of knowlege about wells and water quality.
Most people who think of well water think it is free and pure. No and no.
Maintaining a well is going to require some knowlege and work.
We are moving soon and the RO we have isn't doing the job we would like it too. So we are on bottled water for drinking.
The next owners might think the water is fine though.
Did you google acidic well water?
Even if you have someone come in and service your well it would be a good idea to bone up on this subject. Buyer beware! There are a lot of cons around water systems. A lot of bogus claims. So regardless of how you get this done you need to know what is going on in your system.
Edited 5/18/2007 5:17 pm ET by popawheelie
The depth of the well and other details should be on record with the county or local jurisdiction. Here it's the Health Department IIRC (at least they're the ones that control the permitting for wells). A surface well will be affected by rain water and is only collecting water that seeps down through the soil. I always refer to those as 10-10-10 well, as in the fertilizer you use on your grass is what may end up in your well.
Like someone else stated, a well is a whole other system to your house that you really need to understand to ensure you're getting good water. An engineer and the local well drillers ought to be able to lead you in the right direction for your PH issues, maybe even better than what you can find on the internet since every region seems to have it's own idiosyncrasies.
"..since every region seems to have it's own idiosyncrasies."" That is very true. I know from first hand experience of an instance in which some wells started to smell and taste like gasoline. Nearest source of gasoline was over 200' ft. below and 4 miles away in the local town.
Some type of very high tech tracing was done and the source was a leaking gas tank at a local lumber mill, the gas followed the aquifer up the hill and the four miles distance. Aquifers follow the layer of the impervious rock , and that can mean to just about anywhere.
"Poor is not the person who has too little, but the person who craves more."...Seneca
If the water is acidic it needs to be neutralized. That can only be done by addition of chemicals, and requires a fairly sophisticated system to add just the right amount.
Asking local experts, like well drillers, or the municipal engineer is a good way to start. If you get to the point where you are ready to purchase something you may want to consult for half an hour with a local licensed engineer, one who deals with water all the time.
pH of well water is a function of the geology in the aquifer. It can be treated with soda ash or calcite. It's not real unusual in the western Piedmont and mountain regions of the eastern US. Any local water treatment company should be able to help. Here's a link to some general info http://www.watersystemscouncil.org/VAiWebDocs/WSCDocs/3531585PH.PDF
...like what a few people have already mentioned, you need a water neutralizer. I had one replaced a couple of years ago and I think it was around a thousand dollars, maybe a little less.
You can see the effects of acidic water in copper pipes by the greenish stains in the sink basins. Acidic water also attacks the brass parts inside of fixtures and leeches lead....which you can't see.
I had the water tested in my sister-in-law's house and it was over the top because of acidic water. The water was unsafe to drink because of the lead levels. She had PVC pipes and there was no visible signs in the sinks.
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you want to install an acid neutralizing tank immediately after your well pressure tank. The tanks are filled with calcium to neutralize the acidity. You can either go with a timed unit which backwashes itself every set number of days or a metered demand unit which backwashes based on the water usage of the home. Installation is quite simple, water in, out and a one half inch drain line plus somewhere to plug into an outlet. Just make sure to use a surge protector
Where in NC? There is a NC Dept of Environment and Natural Resources. I can give you a contact with the title of Hydrogeological Technician in the Ground Water Section. He is in Swannanoa but probably can steer you in your area. Their office # is 828-293-4500.
Your county Health Dept should be able to point you in some direction (hopefully not circles), I believe it is really the Soil and Water Conservation District that is a regional thing but here works out of the Cty Health dept.
Bob (in McDowell county mile marker 73 off I-40)
When it comes to water quality, & filtration I never trust word of mouth or " I have a friend of a friend that knows a guy who does............."
Anytime you are treating or filtering water you need to know what exactly you are treating for or filtering out.
Take a sample as close to the well head as possible, then send it out to be tested.
Environment INC. & Environmental Maintenance both located in Cullowhee should be able to tell you exactly what you have & don't have in your water.
Once you know what you have then you can look into treating or filtering it.
I do a lot of "ultrapure" systems for hospitals & labs, these system would give you the purist water you have ever seen, but 100K to 1.5 million might be a bit out of your price range. ;-)
Smaller commercial systems & Starbucks¯ I use a lot of EVERPURE systems, & I have a triple 5 micron system for my sink & chilled water tap with a 10 micron prefilter for the whole house.
Point of use systems & smaller residential applications I do quite a bit of AQUAPURE systems.
Both of these companies will have a list on their websites on what filter/ treatment device you will need depending on your water test results.
I fear no man & only one GOD. Me
These guys will do a free analysis and recommend a remediation system:http://www.masterwater.com/main/results.asp Outside of the gates the trucks were unloadin',
The weather was hot, a-nearly 90 degrees.
The man standin' next to me, his head was exploding,
Well, I was prayin' the pieces wouldn't fall on me.