Hard water is not unhealthy to drink, but it may have undesirable effects on your water-using appliances, your skin and hair, and your household plumbing. With hard water: minerals from the water may build up and form scale deposits in your pipes, water-using appliances, and fixtures. soaps and detergents won't lather as well, so it will be necessary to use greater amounts of them. your hair and skin may feel dry and coarse.

An ion-exchange water softener will effectively solve your hard water problem. The water softener works by replacing the hardness minerals in the water with sodium ions.

Many public water systems use chlorine as a disinfecting agent to kill pathogenic bacteria or other potentially harmful organisms. If your water comes from a private well, then a chlorination system in the well may serve the same purpose. While chlorine is important in effectively treating water, by the time it has reached your home it may cause your water to take on a strong taste and odor. More information is available about bad taste and odor in your water supply

Chlorine may cause your water to taste or smell unpleasant, and this in turn affects the taste of any food or beverage you make using that water. It may also dry your hair and skin.

Activated carbon filters will reduce chlorine taste and odor, leaving you with great-tasting water. Filters for taste and odor are usually installed at the point-of-use under or near the kitchen faucet. It is also possible (but less efficient) to place a carbon filter on the main cold water line

A variety of factors may cause your water to taste or smell unpleasant:

Chlorine: Many public water systems use chlorine to kill bacteria and other potentially harmful organisms. At times, however, excess chlorine in the water supply may cause the water to take on a strong taste and odor. More information is available about chlorine.

Hydrogen sulfide: Most common in well-water, hydrogen sulfide gas may result in a "rotten-egg" odor and may also corrode plumbing fixtures. Even small amounts of the gas can make water smell terrible. Water filters will not solve your hydrogen sulfide problems; it is necessary to contact a water conditioning dealer.

Organic matter: When present in your water, even in small quantities, organic matter may cause a musty or earthy odor.

Minerals: High mineral content may result in a salty or soda-like taste, while iron and manganese may contribute a metallic taste to the water. For more information about reducing iron and manganese, visit our Water Softeners page, or contact a water conditioning dealer.

In most cases, water that smells or tastes unpleasant is not unhealthy to drink; however, it is often undesirable to drink. Poor tasting water can adversely affect the taste of your food and beverages as well.

Activated carbon filters will improve the taste and odor of most water supplies* by reducing chlorine and various chemicals. Filters for taste and odor are usually installed at the point-of-use by the kitchen faucet.

Activated carbon filters will improve the taste and odor of most water supplies* by reducing chlorine and various chemicals. Filters for taste and odor are usually installed at the point-of-use by the kitchen faucet; Ametek offers under-sink filter housings, countertop filter systems, and small carbon filters which install directly onto the faucet. More information is available about Culligan /AMETEK retail water filters.

*NOTE: Hydrogen sulfide ("rotten-egg smell") will not be removed by carbon filters.

How does lead get into my water?

Until it was banned by the EPA in 1986, lead was commonly used in home plumbing applications. Even if your pipes aren't made of lead (some are), lead solder may have been used. Over time, the lead from your plumbing system may leach into your water supply.

Ingestion of lead provides a greater health risk to children than it does to adults. Lead ingestion has been linked to learning disabilities in young children as well as delayed physical and mental development. In addition, lead may impair the formation of red blood cells in children and contribute to high blood pressure in adults. Pregnant women also face significant risk from lead, which can cause premature birth and low birth weight. At higher levels of exposure, lead ingestion may cause anemia, kidney damage, and mental retardation in both children and adults.

Lead is measured in parts per billion (ppb). New EPA standards suggest that optimal levels of lead should be below 10 ppb (15 ppb is the current action level; 10 ppb requires notification). If you are on a community water supply, you can call your community water department to receive a copy of your water analysis. If your water supply comes from a private well, you will need to have your water tested. More information is available about finding out community water quality and well-water quality. Because water may pick up lead after it has left the city water treatment plant or well, it may also be beneficial to test your water at the tap. Water can be tested by a local health authority or a reputable laboratory, in the same way you would test for well-water quality.

Lead can be reduced at the tap with an activated carbon filter certified for lead reduction.

Cryptosporidium and Giardia

Giardia (G. lambia) and Cryptosporidium (C. parvum) are waterborn protozoan cysts that may be present in some water supplies. When ingested, the cyst-shell is shed and the organisms infect the intestines, causing illness. Because Giardia and Cryptosporidium cysts are resistant to traditional disinfection agents such as chlorine and ultraviolet light, the organisms are often not removed by municipal water treatment.

Ingestion of water infected with Cryptosporidium cysts causes cryptosporidiosis, a disease characterized by symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, headaches, and low-grade fevers. Symptoms may last from one to two weeks before the body’s immune system stops the infection. Young children, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems face greater risk of serious illness and possible death resulting from infection. Cryptosporidiosis was brought to national attention in 1993 when the city of Milwaukee’s water supply became contaminated with Cryptosporidium cysts, resulting in 400,000 cases of the disease and 100 related deaths.

Ingestion of water infected with Giardia cysts results in giardiasis (commonly know as "beaver fever"), one of the most common causes of diarrhea in North America. Infection is more common among children and may last for up to three weeks. Giradiasis may be effectively treated with antibiotics.

Surface water supply sources (lakes, rivers, and reservoirs) are at a greater risk for Cryptosporidium and Giardia cyst contamination than well water supplies because the cysts are often spread through animal feces. Call your local water company and ask where your water comes from, whether your area has had any recent problems with Cryptosporidium and Giardia contamination, and how efficient your municipal filtration is. Cryptosporidium and Giardia cysts are often difficult to detect and remove at the municipal level.

Carbon block filters will remove Crytosporidium and Giardia cysts. Carbon block filters may be installed in an under-sink housing for use with a separate faucet, in a countertop filter system, or as part of a chemical contaminant filtration system.

Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs)

Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs) are synthetic organic chemicals capable of becoming vapor at relatively low temperatures. Among these chemicals are a number of common pesticides (such as lindane) and herbicides (such as atrazine), as well as byproducts from chlorination such as trihalomethanes (such as chloroform).

VOC's may enter the water supply through agricultural or industrial run-off. In addition, some VOCs (trihalomethanes) are actually formed as a byproduct of chlorination, when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter.

Certain VOCs are suspected to cause a variety of health problems, including cancer.

If you are on a community water supply, you can call your community water department to receive a copy of your water analysis. If your water supply comes from a private well, you will need to have your water tested. More information is available about finding out community water quality and well-water quality

It may also be beneficial to test your water at the tap. Water can be tested by a local health authority or a reputable laboratory, in the same way you would test for well-water quality.

Lindane and Atrazine, a common pesticide and herbicide, can be effectively reduced with several carbon filters.

Fecal coliform bacteria are found in the intestinal tract of all warm blooded animals. They serve a vital role in the digestive process and are not harmful to humans or other animals. They are monitored solely because of their association with pathogenic organisms.

Since normal surface waters are used and inhabited by birds and mammals some amount of fecal coliform will always be present. These levels will usually be low, as will be the pathogenic organisms that are associated with them. Exceptions to this would be situations where unusually high concentrations of warm blooded animals (usually birds) wound be inhabiting surface water. For example, wildlife refuges and other migratory bird staging areas often have high coliform levels during spring and fall migration.

High concentration of fecal coliform bacteria are usually associated with human related land use practices. The sources vary dependent upon the population demographics, types of industries, and the amount of agriculture within the river's watershed. These characteristics change considerably within the ecoregions of Minnesota and this is reflected in what is considered standard or normal for each ecoregion. In areas of high population density the most common sources are overloaded of malfunctioning waste water treatment facilities. Densely populated residential areas with private on-site septic systems can also leak sewage effluent into nearby streams, especially if they are placed over a shallow water table. Agricultural practices are some of the major sources of coliform bacteria in rural areas. Poor manure management from feedlots, and drainage of runoff from fields contribute very high concentrations of bacteria during heavy rains and snow melt. Strong correlations exist between coliform levels and precipitation, resulting in seasonal fluctuations that follow storm events.

Pathogens are often found in the feces of warm blooded animals. Where there is a high concentration, pathogens would also likely be present. Consequently, waters with a level above 220 colonies/100mL are considered unfit for swimming. Obviously fecal coliform bacteria are of vital concern to rivers which are used for recreation.

Sampling and Analysis

Directions for sampling and analysis is very specific and precise and will only be treated briefly in this section. Containers for sampling must be sterile, usually disposable whirl-packs are used. All apparatus must be sterile and laboratory technique must assure no contamination of bacteria.

Usually 100 mL of the water sample is filtered though a special filter membrane. A fecal coliform bacteria nutrient is poured onto an absorbent pad and the filter membrane is placed over the pad in a petri dish. The petri dish is ten put into a water bath incubator at 44.5û C for 24 hours. Bacteria present will colonize and develop into visible blue dots on the filter membrane. They are counted and reported as colonies per 100 mL water.