Well Systems--Filtration

[DAD]

I just had our well water tested and everything came back great, except for our copper levels being elevated. Our house has copper pipes and I am trying to figure out how to reduce the numbers.

We use a waterdrop pitcher to filter all of our drinking water in home.

I would like to add a good filtration system down at the well. Is this the right move?

Also, is there filtration system that you would recommend?

Thanks!

 

[Jstumbaugh]

High copper isn't something we see here in NY. Have your sample tested through a plumbing supply house near you and see what they recommend. We deal with the WaterSoft company and they provide recommended filter systems and specific media based on sample results.

 

[EdP]

I would have the water tested directly at the well and then inside the house. Compare results to determine if the source is the actual well water or your plumbing. A Google search will get you a number of hits on how to remove copper from your drinking water. I wouldn't worry about it for any uses other than drinking. I think there could be a big difference in cost between a system that treats all your water and one that just treats your main point of drawing drinking water, such as the kitchen sink faucet.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Do you know what your ph levels are? If you have high levels of copper you probably have ph on the low/acidic side. If ph is low and you find out if the copper is high coming directly out of the well you could install something like a soda ash injection system somewhere between your well and the house to raise or neutralize your ph levels. Not terribly expensive but you would have to maintain it regularly.

If it's because copper is leaching into your water from old house pipes I'm not sure what the best solution would be, I'm guessing you don't want to have to replace your entire plumbing system with PEX but that would help.

 

[Customweld]

What did your numbers come back at?

 

[riversidejeep]

Do you know what your ph levels are? If you have high levels of copper you probably have ph on the low/acidic side. If ph is low and you find out if the copper is high coming directly out of the well you could install something like a soda ash injection system somewhere between your well and the house to raise or neutralize your ph levels. Not terribly expensive but you would have to maintain it regularly.

If it's because copper is leaching into your water from old house pipes I'm not sure what the best solution would be, I'm guessing you don't want to have to replace your entire plumbing system with PEX but that would help.

If it is leaching from copper piping in the house it's going to need to be replaced eventually anyway. The city water in a town nearby had acidic water, we would get calls for water leaks in homes and pull out the old copper that was eaten paper thin.

 

[CJ19]

Seeing all these geologists or environmental professionals is heart warming

 

[RS_Non-Res]

1) Do not have your water tested by anybody that sell solutions to what they find. Contact a real analytical lab for instructions on how to sample (yes both a wellhead and a tap sample), bring them the sample, pay a couple hundred bucks, and wait a week or two for certifiable results. Test strips are worse than useless.

2) Depending on local geology (limestone), the groundwater may be naturally acidic (low pH - "agressive"), causing leaching from /corrosion of copper pipes. Excess copper is rarely from the groundwater and the acceptable limit is based on identifying corrosion, not a health standard.

3) An easy solution to low pH is breaking head (well pumps into an above ground storage tank vented to the atmosphere), aeration to remove carbon dioxide CO2, and then represurizing (a new pump in the system) for delivery to the point of use. The resultant higher pH should allow some of the calcium carbonate to precipitate a coating inside the pipes, protecting them from further corrosion.

 

[go4thegusto]

Most all the issues are mainly a concern only for ingestion. We live in a big Ag valley and have never trusted the water. Have used an RO (Reverse Osmosis) system for all our drinking water at multiple houses for 30 years. They are available everywhere for $100 and up. I would get a top name so you can find filters in the future.
I usually install in the in a basement utility room and run 1/4 line to several sinks with the little gooseneck tap.
They flush to a drain so you need a floor drain or sump pump nearby.
I have installed many under sink units for friends and family.
Total answer for healthy taste free pure H2O. ( yes it takes out fluoride and minerals but that can be supplemented elsewhere)

 

[RS_Non-Res]

Recirculation systems for hot water exacerbate the corrosion.
My house went 12 years from new before we had to replace one 6-inch stretch of copper under the slab.
We ditched the hot water recirc system.
The water coop did the aeration amd now delivers pH ballanced water.
We've gone another 15 years w/o need to work on pipes.

 

[Nine Banger]

Put a system in the garage or service area before the water enters the house that is easy to get to.

In my AO we have one machine to handle iron, one to handle sulfur and one to soften water run in a series in the garage.

I also have a reverse osmosis unit at my kitchen faucet with lines to both icemakers in our fridges (garage, kitchen)

This works really well.

It sounds like you just need a point of use RO with an airgap faucet and teed line to icemaker.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Seeing all these geologists or environmental professionals is heart warming

Not sure about geologists, but some of us replying here are plumbers and people who manage water treatment facilities. What's your contribution to this topic, aside from sarcasm?

 

[CJ19]

Not sure about geologists, but some of us replying here are plumbers and people who manage water treatment facilities. What's your contribution to this topic, aside from sarcasm?

Im glad people are helping the guy. No sarcasm what so ever. And sorry i left out plumbers if thats why your mad. I like plumbers too.

 

[CJ19]

What was the copper concentration. If you can post a ss of the analysis sheet it would help.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Im glad people are helping the guy. No sarcasm what so ever. And sorry i left out plumbers if thats why your mad. I like plumbers too.

I guess I owe you an apology then. Whenever people say heart warming I immediately interpret that as sarcasm for some reason.

 

[CJ19]

I guess I owe you an apology then. Whenever people say heart warming I immediately interpret that as sarcasm for some reason.

no apology needed. like i said. i am glad you and others took the time to help the guy.

 

[DSchliep]

I just had our well water tested and everything came back great, except for our copper levels being elevated. Our house has copper pipes and I am trying to figure out how to reduce the numbers.

We use a waterdrop pitcher to filter all of our drinking water in home.

I would like to add a good filtration system down at the well. Is this the right move?

Also, is there filtration system that you would recommend?

Thanks!

I work for a family run Water well driller. They've been in business over 100 years. My boss swears by reverse osmosis system in the house.

 

[Muddler]

1) Do not have your water tested by anybody that sell solutions to what they find. Contact a real analytical lab for instructions on how to sample (yes both a wellhead and a tap sample), bring them the sample, pay a couple hundred bucks, and wait a week or two for certifiable results. Test strips are worse than useless.

2) Depending on local geology (limestone), the groundwater may be naturally acidic (low pH - "agressive"), causing leaching from /corrosion of copper pipes. Excess copper is rarely from the groundwater and the acceptable limit is based on identifying corrosion, not a health standard.

3) An easy solution to low pH is breaking head (well pumps into an above ground storage tank vented to the atmosphere), aeration to remove carbon dioxide CO2, and then represurizing (a new pump in the system) for delivery to the point of use. The resultant higher pH should allow some of the calcium carbonate to precipitate a coating inside the pipes, protecting them from further corrosion.

This right here. I work in a lab where we test water everyday. The test strips and dropper tests are worthless most of the time. They can get you ballpark close, but get a real lab to test it. The well head sample and tap sample will tell you where your problem lies. Without this info, you're just guessing.

 

[Rich M]

Seeing all these geologists or environmental professionals is heart warming

I been licensed geologist for 25 years - don't deal with plumbing - my specialty is chemical contamination. My dad was a plumber and taught me how to sweat pipes at an early age.

Water treatment, there are filters and cartridges that will remove the copper if it is coming from outside/naturally, if not, need to either adjust pH or change pipes to something that doesn't leach.

Best overall filter is Reverse Osmosis. 2nd best is plain old activated carbon. Using both together is gonna remove 99+% of chemical contamination from your drinking water.