Other Water Options
System Combinations
There is usually more than one contaminant to be eliminated from the water. Often multiple systems must be combined in order to remove all contaminants. No one system will take care of everything. For example, a compressed carbon block filter will remove chemicals and bacteria, but it won’t remove minerals. An ozone system will remove iron, manganese, sulfur, bacteria and particulate matter, but it won’t remove hardness or tannin. Tannin is acidic, so when a tannin resin is used it may change the pH of the water so much that a pH stabilizer is required. Some water is so high in virus or bacteria or coliform that sometimes an ultra violet sterilizer is required. However, UV will not filter anything out, so pre-filters and post-filters are required. Sometimes the water is so full of sand, silt or large particles that a roughing filter or coarse pre-filter is necessary so as to prolong the life of the main filtration system.
Filters For Specific Contaminants
- Oxygen Iron, manganese, sulfur, dissolved minerals, bacteria, particulates, chlorine, hardness, arsenic, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, color, odor, staining
- Ozone Iron, manganese, sulfur, dissolved minerals, bacteria, particulates, chlorine
- Chlorine Heavy iron bacteria, tannin, iron, manganese
- Reverse Osmosis Chemicals, minerals, bacteria, arsenic 3, pharmaceuticals
- Granular Activated Carbon annin, light minerals, chemicals, residual iron
- Compressed Carbon Block Chemicals, bacteria, particulates
- Ultra Violet Sterilizes bacteria & virus
- Water softener Calcium, magnesium, hardness
- pH Stabilizer Neutralizes pH (must be periodically replenished)
- Arsenic system Arsenic
- Tannin resin Tannin
In other words, it is necessary to know what is in the water by sending a sample of water to a professional water testing laboratory. Once we know what is in your water, we then know which technologies will remove each item. There is a certain order for systems. Assuming the worst, a number of systems might need to be combined in order to get your water crystal-clear.
Sequence
Below is a logical sequence for an example of ten in-line systems:
- Pre-filter/roughing filter/coarse filter/sand filter/15-50 micron filter cartridge
- Chlorine injector
- pH stabilizer
- Ozone injection
- Off-gas tank to remove all gases (sulfur, ozone, methane, ammonia, etc.)
- Filter media tanks (remove particulates, iron, manganese, etc.)
- Arsenic tank
- Water softener with tannin resin (removes hardness, tannin, color)
- Ultra-Violet sterilizer
- Point-of-Use Filter at the sink (compressed carbon block or reverse osmosis)
In addition to this hypothetical list of systems, some other systems might be necessary instead. If arsenic is an issue, there is a completely different system that will remove arsenic, iron, and everything else. If minerals are not an issue, the water is clear, but it is high in bacteria, sometimes nothing more than ultra-violet treatment is needed. This is particularly the case for treating rainwater, and might be the case for people using shallow hand-dug wells. The problem with rainwater is that it is highly acidic. Pond water, on the other hand, is extremely alkaline. Consequently the pH might need to be altered. If there is dirt in the water, at least a coarse filter might be required. Then we get back into the issue of multiple systems.
There are several ways to oxidize iron and manganese:
- With chemicals, such as chlorine injection, which is relatively inexpensive, or hydrogen peroxide injection, which is more expensive, the drawback is that chemicals are toxic, plus they must be purchased continually.
- With air, which contains a small percentage of oxygen. This system is inexpensive but not as effective as ozone or oxygen. The air is either injected into the water with an air compressor, or sucked in with a venturi.
- With ozone — a form of oxygen — which is low-maintenance, effective, and consistent. The ozone is either pumped into the water with an ozone-resistant pump, or sucked in with a venturi on a recirculating pump. Ozone is produced either with ultraviolet light or with powerful corona generation.
- With oxygen, which is highly effective even though it is initially more expensive, it is the easiest of all the systems to maintain, requiring only ten minutes a month. Oxygen is created with two electrically charged titanium plates.
Both iron and manganese are easily removed 100% with an ozone or an oxygen system. Aeration systems, chemical systems, green sand and other media filters are not nearly as effective.
Oxygen
The Ecosmarte oxygen system will not only treat house water, but is also very effective with:
- multiple structures
- rain water
- pond, stream and lake water
- swimming pools
- spas and hot tubs
The ECOsmarte system consists of three tanks; more tanks can be added for treating excessive hardness, tannin, or arsenic. The farthest tank is a retention tank to allow maximum contact of oxygen in the water. The second tank removes iron, manganese and dissolved minerals. The third tank removes color, flavor, odor, and chemicals. The only maintenance, which takes about ten minutes, is to remove and clean the two electrode chambers once every one to three months.
