we have a solution to every water related problem
contaminants
Ammonium
Levels of Ammonia in some well water can be over the advised ammonia limits. Water with a high ammonia level can be removed easily with cation resin used in an ion exchange water softener. Click the link here to the water softeners section.
See below the accepted levels of Ammonia. (Note that the unit of analysis shown is mg/l , some test labs show results in ug/l , so in that instance divide the ug/l x 1000 to get the mg/l result)
Ammonia -N(Mg/l)MAC value EU (0.23)
If there are other contaminants like turbidity, colour, odour, iron, manganese, magnesium to name a few ,that are over the recommended levels in addition to Ammonia, we would require checking these levels also before advising the solution required as the treatment could require a Filter Ag
Unit and/or CrystalRite unit, if the other levels are high in addition to Ammonia.
arsenic
Arsenic can be present in your well water supply due to a number of reasons. Either the Arsenic is from natural deposits in the earth or even due to industrial or agricultural pollutants. Boiling your water will not remove Arsenic , in fact it may indeed increase its concentrated levels as water is evaporated during the boiling process.
Bleaching , chlorinating or any adding of chlorine will not remove Arsenic either. There is 2 options available. One is to remove the Arsenic for one tap only at your kitchen sink .
To do so , the best solution is the Irish Model NSF Reverse Osmosis system
However, many people opt to remove the Arsenic levels in the entire house. This is achieved by installing in a 10×44 filter vessel with a Clack Auto back wash head valve , containing a special mix of Bayoxide media inside.
This is installed after the pump and expansion vessel but before the water enters the property. After this 10 x 44 Arsenic Bayoxide Filter unit is installed, the arsenic will be removed from the water. Contact us below to talk with a professional on arranging Arsenic removal from your water.
chlorine
A chemical we all know is inserted into our public water supplies at the treatment centres is the chemical called chlorine. There is many chemicals inserted but one that is obvious to us due to the actual quantities inserted and to the pungent smell is Chlorine. The same chlorine is put into swimming pools to treat the water. In fact, its hard to believe although it is true, the EPA allows a higher level of chlorine in tap water (4 parts per million/ppm) than the recommended chlorine levels for public swimming pools (1-3 ppm). To remove all the chlorine and other chemicals from your drinking water only , the best solution is the Irish Model NSF Reverse Osmosis system
However, with the increase in skin (etc itchy rashy skin ) and hair complaints (etc: hair going yellow or green after getting expensive highlights or hair dye) being attributed to chlorine and chemicals In the water, many people are now also looking to remove the chlorine from the entire house ensuring that they can bathe comfortably in baths and showers knowing that their skin is not absorbing all the chlorine into their bodies. The Filtercal Chlorine and Chemical removal system is an amazing system to alleviate this issue
colour & odour
A lot of the colour and odour in water can be caused by organic matter. There is many issues that can also be causing colour issues such as iron and manganese , heavy suspended matter , ammonia and turbidity . If the colour and odor is organic matter causing turbidy and suspended solids then we recommend the installation of a Filter Ag Unit to combat this completely.
If the odor is a rotten egg smell then you can be sure that there is high levels of Sulphur in the water which is extremely unpleasant. (See Suplhur section to learn more on how we can treat this for you)
To remove all tastes and odours from your drinking water only, regardless what is causing them , we can remove them all entirely. The best System for this is the Irish Model NSF Reverse Osmosis system.
To remove tastes or odours from your entire house, we will need to decipher the exact cause and treat accordingly. Please attach your water test results get a test carried out if you have not done so already by contacting us.
Nitrates and Nitrites
Nitrates and nitrites are commonly found in well water supplies on or close to farmland in rural areas. The chemical fertilisiers used on farmland contain a lot of nitrates and/or nitrites and this is one factor in it entering the water table. Nitrate is a chemical seen in most fertilizers, manure, and liquid waste discharged from septic tanks and soak pits. Nitrite is prevalent in most fertisilers and in liquid waste from septic tanks also. There is very little difference between nitrates and nitrites other than the number of oxygen atoms is different to one another.
Drinking water with high levels of nitrates and/or nitrites is not advised, particularly for babies.
Boiling your water will not remove the nitrates or nitrites, it actually could make the concentration higher as the water evaporates.
To remove all the nitrates and nitrites from your drinking water, the best solution is the Irish Model NSF Reverse Osmosis system.
See below the accepted levels of Nitrates and Nitrites. (Note that the unit of analysis shown is mg/l , some test labs show results in ug/l , so in that instance divide the ug/l x 1000 to get the mg/l result)
Nitrates(Mg/l)
MAC value EU (11.3)
Nitrites(Mg/l)
MAC value EU (0.03)
For wholehouse removal of nitrates and nitrites, we install a strong nitrate specific resin inside an 8×35 Litre vessel with a Clack auto backwash volumetric head with ion exchange and a 35L brine tank. This will reduce the levels of nitrates and nitrites all over the property. It is advised to install both the wholehouse nitrate filter unit as well as the point of use Reverse Osmosis system when nitrate levels are high.
ph correction
For a water supply with a pH lower than 6.5, it is considered acidic water, and water with a pH greater than 7 is considered basic. The normal range for pH in surface water systems is 6.5 to 8.5. Water with a PH over 8 would be considered to be more Alkaline.
The ph of the water is critical in a number of ways. Firstly, a low ph (below 6.5) is not recommended as it can be very corrosive to metal or any appliances. In some cases, it can leave green or blue stains on baths, taps , copper pipes and radiators which can be an indication that the ph is low and the water is acidic. Extreme cases of low ph acidic water have damaged the pipework and appliances so much that it has cut open the metal itself.
With this being the case, it is obviously not recommended to drink water with a low ph level below 6.5. We can increase the ph level around your home quite easily. We first need to determine the exact ph of the water and from this, we will custom build the filter vessel with the necessary media to rectify the issue.
The media used for this range from calcite, Juraperle and Corosex . Depending on the pH level , all of one media or a mix of the multiple media are used.
Contact us below to talk with a professional on arranging PH Correction for your water.
Iron and Manganese
Iron and Manganese are prevalent in many well water supplies around Ireland. Generally, it is fairly obvious that there is iron or manganese in the water as there can often be staining of various colours from red/brown/yellow/red/black depending on the exact make-up of the water. We can remove the iron and manganese from your water professionally and safely to ensure all your household appliances are protected fully
Bacteria Total Coliforms / Enterococci / E-coli
Over the last number of years, there has been a massive increase in the contamination of well water due to a multitude of factors resulting in levels of total coliform bacteria, enterococci and e-coli being found in the water. It is not advised to drink or bathe in water that is known to have any coliforms in it whatsoever. The good news is that it is fairly easy to protect against
fluoride
If you are on the mains public water supply in Ireland then you are 100% certain to have plenty of the chemical called Fluoride in your drinking water. In Ireland, the public water treatment suppliers have been inserting the chemical Fluoride for many years which has brought about much bickering from anti-fluoride lobby groups who continue to lobby the government to stop the Fluoridation of the public tap water supplies.
Other products that have fluoride in them include many cleaning products and varnishes, toothpastes, mouthwashes, cement, pesticides and many other general items. The argument from the pro-fluoride groups is that Fluoride is good for tooth enamel. However, anti- Fluoride lobby groups question why we are forced to swallow the water containing the Fluoride (as we spit out toothpaste and mouthwash!). The reason the anti-Fluoride groups are so unrepentant and are growing in numbers is the continuous links of our excessive exposure to Fluoride to Bone Disease, cardiovascular complications, acne and even the likes of Neurological concerns such as ADHD etc. Each side has the arguments and various papers to stand by their corner.
The one thing that is obvious is that it is certainly little or no advantage in swallowing water with the chemical Fluoride in it and there is only one way to remove the Fluoride from your drinking water fully.
The solution is to install the only drinking water system to remove both Organic Fluoride (found naturally in water through the ground) and Chemical Fluoride (which is a by-product from other chemicals mixed to make Chemical Fluoride as we know it ) added in Irish Mains water supplies.
The Irish Model NSF Reverse Osmosis System is the safest and best solution to this and will ensure to remove all the chemical Fluoride from your drinking water
Bacteria Total Coliforms / Enterococci / E-coli
Over the last number of years, there has been a massive increase in the contamination of well water due to a multitude of factors resulting in levels of total coliform bacteria, enterococci and e-coli being found in the water. It is not advised to drink or bathe in water that is known to have any coliforms in it whatsoever. The good news is that it is fairly easy to protect against
Limescale Hardness
Hard limey water is very easy to see visually if present in your water. By looking inside your kettle you can tell if you have limescale in your water as when heated the limescale creates a whitish scale which attaches itself and sticks to the element eventually causing the kettle to stop working. With hard water the lifespan of all of the appliances around your house are greatly reduced. However, we can easily treat this issue to ensure all your appliances are protected fully
sulphur
There are many areas around Ireland with an increased level of Sulphur in the well water. Sulphur water is a very distinctive condition in that it gives off a very strong rotten egg smell which is quite unpleasant. The reason is that the water contains a high amount of hydrogen sulfide gas that escapes into the air when the tap is opened, giving the terrible pungent bad eggy smell. The Sulphur is asexual and grows itself on the soil and earth other around wells where it is prevalent, so the only way to stop it from causing unpleasantness is to install the filter discussed below.
The only real meaningful test required for Sulphur is the smell test, which can be done yourself in your own home. Simply pour a glass of water from your tap into a glass and leave it sitting for 30 minutes. If, after 30 minutes, the rotten egg smell is still present, then that is 1mg. If it is gone, then it is less than 1mg. Continue for more than 30-minute intervals until the smell has completely gone. The rule of thumb is that if the Sulphur test is anything from 1mg (30mins) to 6mg (3 hours), then we can altogether remove it from the entire property using a very specific type of carbon known as Centaur carbon, mixed with air inside a large 56” vessel and a Clack auto backwash head, which sucks in the air as well the water passing through the media to eliminate the Sulphur. A standard carbon will not suffice. It requires specific Centaur carbon and % of air versus media to remove the issue entirely.
Contact us below to talk with a professional about arranging Sulphur removal from your water.