http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/ Sat, 19 May 2012 16:57:32 +0000 MyBB http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=44 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 02:49:31 -0600 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=44
E-cigarettes are plastic and metal devices that heat a liquid nicotine solution in a disposable cartridge, creating vapor that the "smoker" inhales.

In the letter to Sen. Frank Lautenberg, LaHood said the department has been informing airlines and the public that regulations banning smoking include e-cigarettes, AP says. Lautenberg, who wrote the 1987 law that banned smoking on airplanes, had asked the department to clarify the rule because some air travelers are still confused over their use.


__________________
electric cigarette
electric cigarettes
electric cigarette starter kit
]]>
E-cigarettes are plastic and metal devices that heat a liquid nicotine solution in a disposable cartridge, creating vapor that the "smoker" inhales.

In the letter to Sen. Frank Lautenberg, LaHood said the department has been informing airlines and the public that regulations banning smoking include e-cigarettes, AP says. Lautenberg, who wrote the 1987 law that banned smoking on airplanes, had asked the department to clarify the rule because some air travelers are still confused over their use.


__________________
electric cigarette
electric cigarettes
electric cigarette starter kit
]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=43 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 10:05:29 -0600 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=43 November 24, 2010



The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 issued one emergency administrative order, 20 administrative orders and settled seven penalty actions under the Safe Drinking Water Act in Wyoming from April 1 through Sept. 30, 2010.

On June 6, EPA Region 8 issued an emergency administrative order against the town of Dixon after the system ran out of water in its storage tank, leading to a loss of pressure in the distribution system. In such situations, potentially harmful contaminants can enter the distribution system through cracks and leaks in the pipes. Dixon took necessary precautions to protect the residents during the pressure loss, and implemented a plan to prevent future loss-of-pressure events in its water distribution system.

EPA issued administrative orders to the following public water systems:

• A Bar A Ranch, Encampment;
• Ashley National Forest (Firehole Recreation Area), Sweetwater County;
• B&K MHP, Riverton;
• Baggs Man Camp, Casper;
• Bennor Subdivision, Gillette;
• Bentonite Performance Minerals/Colony, Colony;
• Bryan’s Place, Rozet;
• Burlington Resources, Lysite;
• Cozy Mobile Home Park, Riverton;
• Flying J Inc., Cheyenne;
• Four J School, Gillette;
• Little Bear Inn, Cheyenne;
• Lodore Supper Club, Sheridan;
• Town of Manville;
• Rawhide Resort, Dubois;
• Recluse School, Gillette;
• Sawmill Lodge, Dubois;
• Snowy Range Ski Area, Laramie;
• Turpin Meadow Ranch, Moran; and
• Wapiti Elementary School, Cody.
EPA settled penalty actions with the following public water systems, with the penalty amount noted:

• Evanston Port of Entry - WY Department of Transportation, Rock Springs, $4,500;
• Grand Teton Park RV Resort, Moran, $5,000;
• Q Roadhouse - BBQ-5, Wilson, $2,500;
• Town of Rock River, $4,500;
• Southside Well Improvement and Service District, Gillette, $1,200;
• Sunnyside Mobile Home Park, Riverton, $3,000; and
• Wycolo Lodge, Laramie, $1,200.


Source: U.S. EPA November 24, 2010]]> November 24, 2010



The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 issued one emergency administrative order, 20 administrative orders and settled seven penalty actions under the Safe Drinking Water Act in Wyoming from April 1 through Sept. 30, 2010.

On June 6, EPA Region 8 issued an emergency administrative order against the town of Dixon after the system ran out of water in its storage tank, leading to a loss of pressure in the distribution system. In such situations, potentially harmful contaminants can enter the distribution system through cracks and leaks in the pipes. Dixon took necessary precautions to protect the residents during the pressure loss, and implemented a plan to prevent future loss-of-pressure events in its water distribution system.

EPA issued administrative orders to the following public water systems:

• A Bar A Ranch, Encampment;
• Ashley National Forest (Firehole Recreation Area), Sweetwater County;
• B&K MHP, Riverton;
• Baggs Man Camp, Casper;
• Bennor Subdivision, Gillette;
• Bentonite Performance Minerals/Colony, Colony;
• Bryan’s Place, Rozet;
• Burlington Resources, Lysite;
• Cozy Mobile Home Park, Riverton;
• Flying J Inc., Cheyenne;
• Four J School, Gillette;
• Little Bear Inn, Cheyenne;
• Lodore Supper Club, Sheridan;
• Town of Manville;
• Rawhide Resort, Dubois;
• Recluse School, Gillette;
• Sawmill Lodge, Dubois;
• Snowy Range Ski Area, Laramie;
• Turpin Meadow Ranch, Moran; and
• Wapiti Elementary School, Cody.
EPA settled penalty actions with the following public water systems, with the penalty amount noted:

• Evanston Port of Entry - WY Department of Transportation, Rock Springs, $4,500;
• Grand Teton Park RV Resort, Moran, $5,000;
• Q Roadhouse - BBQ-5, Wilson, $2,500;
• Town of Rock River, $4,500;
• Southside Well Improvement and Service District, Gillette, $1,200;
• Sunnyside Mobile Home Park, Riverton, $3,000; and
• Wycolo Lodge, Laramie, $1,200.


Source: U.S. EPA November 24, 2010]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=42 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:49:28 -0600 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=42 Agency announces draft policies and procedures for testing
November 17, 2010


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified a list of 134 chemicals that will be screened for their potential to disrupt the endocrine system. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interact with and possibly disrupt the hormones produced or secreted by the human or animal endocrine system, which regulates growth, metabolism and reproduction. Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has made it a top priority to ensure the safety of chemicals, and this is another step in this process.

The list includes chemicals that have been identified as priorities under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and may be found in sources of drinking water where a substantial number of people may be exposed. The list also includes pesticide active ingredients that are being evaluated under EPA’s registration review program to ensure they meet current scientific and regulatory standards. The data generated from the screens will provide robust and systematic scientific information to help EPA identify whether additional testing is necessary, or whether other steps are necessary to address potential endocrine disrupting chemicals.

The chemicals listed include those used in products such as solvents, gasoline, plastics, personal care products, pesticides and pharmaceuticals, including benzene, perchlorate, urethane, ethylene glycol and erythromycin.

Also being announced today are draft policies and procedures that EPA will follow to order testing, minimize duplicative testing, promote equitable cost-sharing and to address issues that are unique to chemicals regulated under the SDWA.

After public comment and review, EPA will issue test orders to pesticide registrants and the manufacturers of these chemicals to compel them to generate data to determine whether their chemicals may disrupt the estrogen, androgen and thyroid pathways of the endocrine system.

EPA is already screening an initial group of 67 pesticide chemicals. In October 2009, the agency issued orders to companies requiring endocrine disruptor screening program data for these chemicals. EPA will begin issuing orders for this second group of 134 chemicals beginning in 2011.



Source: U.S. EPA November 17, 2010]]> Agency announces draft policies and procedures for testing
November 17, 2010


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified a list of 134 chemicals that will be screened for their potential to disrupt the endocrine system. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interact with and possibly disrupt the hormones produced or secreted by the human or animal endocrine system, which regulates growth, metabolism and reproduction. Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has made it a top priority to ensure the safety of chemicals, and this is another step in this process.

The list includes chemicals that have been identified as priorities under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and may be found in sources of drinking water where a substantial number of people may be exposed. The list also includes pesticide active ingredients that are being evaluated under EPA’s registration review program to ensure they meet current scientific and regulatory standards. The data generated from the screens will provide robust and systematic scientific information to help EPA identify whether additional testing is necessary, or whether other steps are necessary to address potential endocrine disrupting chemicals.

The chemicals listed include those used in products such as solvents, gasoline, plastics, personal care products, pesticides and pharmaceuticals, including benzene, perchlorate, urethane, ethylene glycol and erythromycin.

Also being announced today are draft policies and procedures that EPA will follow to order testing, minimize duplicative testing, promote equitable cost-sharing and to address issues that are unique to chemicals regulated under the SDWA.

After public comment and review, EPA will issue test orders to pesticide registrants and the manufacturers of these chemicals to compel them to generate data to determine whether their chemicals may disrupt the estrogen, androgen and thyroid pathways of the endocrine system.

EPA is already screening an initial group of 67 pesticide chemicals. In October 2009, the agency issued orders to companies requiring endocrine disruptor screening program data for these chemicals. EPA will begin issuing orders for this second group of 134 chemicals beginning in 2011.



Source: U.S. EPA November 17, 2010]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=41 Wed, 03 Nov 2010 11:23:09 -0500 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=41 Ion exchange resins are susceptible to damage just like other plastics.

This article, which started out as a story on winterizing ion exchange systems such as water softeners, morphed into a discussion of some of the things that can be done to protect ion exchange resin from harm. Simply put, ion exchange resins are “tiny plastic beads that take salt out of water and put other salts back in.” The plastic is the same material that phonograph records used to be made of, nowadays the jewel case a CD is stored in might be made of styrene plastic, although not the CD itself.

This is relevant because ion exchange resins, being plastic, are susceptible to damage by the same sorts of things as other plastics. What happens if a jewel case gets stepped on? It breaks of course. What happens if plastics get exposed to the sun? They get damaged by the UV light and ozone. What happens to plastic left for a long time in a swimming pool? Chlorine weakens it and eventually breaks it down chemically.

The same sorts of things damage resins. If enough force is put on a resin bead, it will break. Sunlight, ozone, chlorine, exposure to air — all these things damage resin over time. All these types of damage are fairly unlikely to happen when a resin is safely encased inside a tank; therefore, the safest place for the resin is inside the tank it came in.

Sterilization

So what can happen to a resin when it is sitting inside a tank? It’s warm, dark and wet in there — a great place for bacteria to grow. While bacteria may seem dangerous, almost all of them are harmless. We are surrounded by bacteria and they outnumber us by billions or trillions to one. In most cases, harmless bacteria build up in a resin bed and then stabilize, never doing any harm. And most of the time an ion exchange bed that is left in the tank for a long time will be just fine. Yes, there will be some bacteria in the resin, but they probably won’t cause any harm.

Don’t like that answer? Let’s consider sterilizing the resin. If one could boil the resin, that would be good; pasteurization remains a very effective way to sterilize things including resins. But it is impractical and if the resin temperature isn’t taken up real close to 212° F, there might not be a complete kill. So we are left with chemical means. And this is where we start getting ourselves into trouble. The most common sterilizing chemical is bleach. The problem with bleach is that it reacts with plastics such as ion exchange resin and damages them. That’s bad, but what is worse is that the chemicals that are created in the reaction between bleach and ion exchange resins are poisonous, all either known or suspected carcinogens. Hydrogen peroxide and ozone are better than bleach, but not by much.

Immersion

What else can happen to the resin while it sits in that tank? Well, it can freeze. So what? Does it hurt resin if it freezes? Suffice it to say that freezing resin is way overrated; it takes dozens of freeze thaw cycles before any damage is noticeable. What about the tank, control head and piping? Those are another story. Freezing could cause the water to swell and break things, just like it will break water piping in cold climates. There are a few good choices here. Choice one is to insulate and maybe heat trace so the piping and control head don’t freeze. Another is to drain out the water or blow it out with air similar to what is done with sprinkler systems.

What about the resin? A lot of resin specification sheets warn about allowing resins to dry out. Again, this is way overrated. Yes, if resin is put in an oven and all the water is baked out of it, it will shrink to about half its regular size. When a user goes to re-wet it, the resin will swell suddenly and probably break. And if a pile of resin is left out in the sun, it will go bad fairly quickly. So, don’t do that. It’s a bit difficult to get all the water out of a tank and even harder to get all the water out of a resin.

This leads to the simplest and easiest way of protecting a resin bed when it is not in use. Simply leave it full of the brine solution used to regenerate the resin. Brine is one of the oldest known ways to preserve food; a nice high salt concentration keeps bacteria from growing and also protects against freezing. Brine will not hurt the resin and when it is time for the ion exchange system to be placed back into service, it only needs to be rinsed out before the system is ready for use.

To sum up about winterizing, either protect from freezing or blow the water out of the piping, leave the resin immersed in brine solution to protect against bacteria growth and be done with it.

Making resin last

The other part of this article is about saving the resin during use, making it last as long as possible. It is probably best to start with a list of don’ts. Don’t put things into the resin that damage it. Start with things like bleach. It may be acceptable as an emergency measure to clean badly fouled resin when all else fails, but utterly horrible as a first choice. Bleach is not very effective, damages the resin and leaves behind poisonous chemicals that are difficult to purge from the resin.

Another really bad idea is to use antifreeze to protect a resin bed from freezing. Over the years, I’ve seen the antifreeze card played more than once or twice. Some companies’ technical literature used to recommend this as a viable way to protect resins from freezing. It might not be so bad if commercial antifreeze didn’t contain chemicals designed to protect car motors from corrosion, but the contaminants in antifreeze aren’t exactly good for resin or for people and antifreeze itself is somewhat poisonous. Yes, it will work and yes, it’s a lousy idea.

Chlorine is the active ingredient in bleach and is present in trace amounts in most potable water supplies. Chlorine is well known to degrade ion exchange resins, which then release low levels of poisonous chemicals. So don’t do that. Use granular carbon or other means of removing chlorine ahead of the ion exchange system. Aside from not doing anything really ill-advised like filling up the resin bed with antifreeze, removing chlorine from the feedwater is the most important thing you can do to protect the resin from harm.

The other very helpful thing one can do is to regenerate often and use a sufficient quantity of brine to do a good job cleaning the resin. Yes, this goes against current policy in a lot of states and many softeners have salt saving cycles. Remember the description of ion exchange from the beginning of the article? The part about taking salts out of water and putting other salts back in? Resins are ionic sponges — they adsorb contaminants. Not just the targeted contaminant, but other ones as well. Regeneration is the sole means of getting things to come back out of the resin. This is the first line of defense against resin poisoning or fouling. For any ion exchange system that has known issues with contaminants in the feed, frequent regeneration is the second most important thing that can be done to save the resin.

Should one use a resin cleaner or buy salt that contains a cleaner? Maybe, but be careful. Cleaners that contain citric acid or phosphates are acceptable for cation resins used in water softeners, but will irreversibly poison anion resins used for nitrate removal or for organic traps. And, cleaners may not work very well, especially if the resin bed has gotten so fouled up that water doesn’t flow through the beads equally. It is far better to attack the problem from the front end and eliminate the contaminants that aren’t good for resin before they ever reach the beads.

To go in the direction of prevention, one has to start looking to the feedwater and what is in it that is bad for the resin. These are generally the same things that make the water undesirable for drinking. High levels of iron and manganese, suspended solids, high color, bad smell, etc. are all common contaminants of water supplies. They may not be a health risk and therefore the people that treat the drinking water may not be too concerned about them. But they are not only unpleasant to drink, they are generally bad for ion exchange systems too. Anything that plugs up a resin bed, coats the plastic beads or gets inside and doesn’t come back out is likely to reduce the efficiency, and life, of the ion exchange resin. It is best not to let it get into the resin in the first place.

And, making sure end users select a company that installs and services the ion exchange system is an important element. Market your service as one that works and lives in the area and maintains a good working knowledge of the problems and solutions that work for your particular water supply. After all, this is science.




by: Peter Meyers
From Volume 33, Issue 9 - September 2010
Water Technology Magazine]]> Ion exchange resins are susceptible to damage just like other plastics.

This article, which started out as a story on winterizing ion exchange systems such as water softeners, morphed into a discussion of some of the things that can be done to protect ion exchange resin from harm. Simply put, ion exchange resins are “tiny plastic beads that take salt out of water and put other salts back in.” The plastic is the same material that phonograph records used to be made of, nowadays the jewel case a CD is stored in might be made of styrene plastic, although not the CD itself.

This is relevant because ion exchange resins, being plastic, are susceptible to damage by the same sorts of things as other plastics. What happens if a jewel case gets stepped on? It breaks of course. What happens if plastics get exposed to the sun? They get damaged by the UV light and ozone. What happens to plastic left for a long time in a swimming pool? Chlorine weakens it and eventually breaks it down chemically.

The same sorts of things damage resins. If enough force is put on a resin bead, it will break. Sunlight, ozone, chlorine, exposure to air — all these things damage resin over time. All these types of damage are fairly unlikely to happen when a resin is safely encased inside a tank; therefore, the safest place for the resin is inside the tank it came in.

Sterilization

So what can happen to a resin when it is sitting inside a tank? It’s warm, dark and wet in there — a great place for bacteria to grow. While bacteria may seem dangerous, almost all of them are harmless. We are surrounded by bacteria and they outnumber us by billions or trillions to one. In most cases, harmless bacteria build up in a resin bed and then stabilize, never doing any harm. And most of the time an ion exchange bed that is left in the tank for a long time will be just fine. Yes, there will be some bacteria in the resin, but they probably won’t cause any harm.

Don’t like that answer? Let’s consider sterilizing the resin. If one could boil the resin, that would be good; pasteurization remains a very effective way to sterilize things including resins. But it is impractical and if the resin temperature isn’t taken up real close to 212° F, there might not be a complete kill. So we are left with chemical means. And this is where we start getting ourselves into trouble. The most common sterilizing chemical is bleach. The problem with bleach is that it reacts with plastics such as ion exchange resin and damages them. That’s bad, but what is worse is that the chemicals that are created in the reaction between bleach and ion exchange resins are poisonous, all either known or suspected carcinogens. Hydrogen peroxide and ozone are better than bleach, but not by much.

Immersion

What else can happen to the resin while it sits in that tank? Well, it can freeze. So what? Does it hurt resin if it freezes? Suffice it to say that freezing resin is way overrated; it takes dozens of freeze thaw cycles before any damage is noticeable. What about the tank, control head and piping? Those are another story. Freezing could cause the water to swell and break things, just like it will break water piping in cold climates. There are a few good choices here. Choice one is to insulate and maybe heat trace so the piping and control head don’t freeze. Another is to drain out the water or blow it out with air similar to what is done with sprinkler systems.

What about the resin? A lot of resin specification sheets warn about allowing resins to dry out. Again, this is way overrated. Yes, if resin is put in an oven and all the water is baked out of it, it will shrink to about half its regular size. When a user goes to re-wet it, the resin will swell suddenly and probably break. And if a pile of resin is left out in the sun, it will go bad fairly quickly. So, don’t do that. It’s a bit difficult to get all the water out of a tank and even harder to get all the water out of a resin.

This leads to the simplest and easiest way of protecting a resin bed when it is not in use. Simply leave it full of the brine solution used to regenerate the resin. Brine is one of the oldest known ways to preserve food; a nice high salt concentration keeps bacteria from growing and also protects against freezing. Brine will not hurt the resin and when it is time for the ion exchange system to be placed back into service, it only needs to be rinsed out before the system is ready for use.

To sum up about winterizing, either protect from freezing or blow the water out of the piping, leave the resin immersed in brine solution to protect against bacteria growth and be done with it.

Making resin last

The other part of this article is about saving the resin during use, making it last as long as possible. It is probably best to start with a list of don’ts. Don’t put things into the resin that damage it. Start with things like bleach. It may be acceptable as an emergency measure to clean badly fouled resin when all else fails, but utterly horrible as a first choice. Bleach is not very effective, damages the resin and leaves behind poisonous chemicals that are difficult to purge from the resin.

Another really bad idea is to use antifreeze to protect a resin bed from freezing. Over the years, I’ve seen the antifreeze card played more than once or twice. Some companies’ technical literature used to recommend this as a viable way to protect resins from freezing. It might not be so bad if commercial antifreeze didn’t contain chemicals designed to protect car motors from corrosion, but the contaminants in antifreeze aren’t exactly good for resin or for people and antifreeze itself is somewhat poisonous. Yes, it will work and yes, it’s a lousy idea.

Chlorine is the active ingredient in bleach and is present in trace amounts in most potable water supplies. Chlorine is well known to degrade ion exchange resins, which then release low levels of poisonous chemicals. So don’t do that. Use granular carbon or other means of removing chlorine ahead of the ion exchange system. Aside from not doing anything really ill-advised like filling up the resin bed with antifreeze, removing chlorine from the feedwater is the most important thing you can do to protect the resin from harm.

The other very helpful thing one can do is to regenerate often and use a sufficient quantity of brine to do a good job cleaning the resin. Yes, this goes against current policy in a lot of states and many softeners have salt saving cycles. Remember the description of ion exchange from the beginning of the article? The part about taking salts out of water and putting other salts back in? Resins are ionic sponges — they adsorb contaminants. Not just the targeted contaminant, but other ones as well. Regeneration is the sole means of getting things to come back out of the resin. This is the first line of defense against resin poisoning or fouling. For any ion exchange system that has known issues with contaminants in the feed, frequent regeneration is the second most important thing that can be done to save the resin.

Should one use a resin cleaner or buy salt that contains a cleaner? Maybe, but be careful. Cleaners that contain citric acid or phosphates are acceptable for cation resins used in water softeners, but will irreversibly poison anion resins used for nitrate removal or for organic traps. And, cleaners may not work very well, especially if the resin bed has gotten so fouled up that water doesn’t flow through the beads equally. It is far better to attack the problem from the front end and eliminate the contaminants that aren’t good for resin before they ever reach the beads.

To go in the direction of prevention, one has to start looking to the feedwater and what is in it that is bad for the resin. These are generally the same things that make the water undesirable for drinking. High levels of iron and manganese, suspended solids, high color, bad smell, etc. are all common contaminants of water supplies. They may not be a health risk and therefore the people that treat the drinking water may not be too concerned about them. But they are not only unpleasant to drink, they are generally bad for ion exchange systems too. Anything that plugs up a resin bed, coats the plastic beads or gets inside and doesn’t come back out is likely to reduce the efficiency, and life, of the ion exchange resin. It is best not to let it get into the resin in the first place.

And, making sure end users select a company that installs and services the ion exchange system is an important element. Market your service as one that works and lives in the area and maintains a good working knowledge of the problems and solutions that work for your particular water supply. After all, this is science.




by: Peter Meyers
From Volume 33, Issue 9 - September 2010
Water Technology Magazine]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=40 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:14:57 -0500 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=40

Here in the United States whenever we turn on the tap on our sinks, bathtubs, etc. out comes a flow of water. The United States is a water rich nation compared to many others, and a developed nation at that. This means that for now, water resources have been adequate to meet demand.

It is estimated that of the over six billion people in the world though, one billion lack access to potable water. Most of these people are in underdeveloped nations that lack the resources to develop new potable water sources. But for the average American, these problems are miles and worlds away right? Well, perhaps for now, but is it possible that water shortages may be arriving to the world's richest nation? The signs of shortage are already beginning to show and something will have to be done in order to stop it.

The graph below shows just how severe the water shortages have been worldwide and just how fortunate we have been here in the United States thus far.


Water scarcity

With the population of the United States and the world on an ever increasing trend, the demand for water rises every year. The unfortunate problem is that for those who rely on rainfall as part of their water supply needs, droughts have been occurring in record numbers lately. If global warming is real as most experts now agree is the case, then the predicted effect of global warming will be to reduce rainfall even further and produce even more drought.

There is more to blame for rising water demand than just an increase in population. The increased demand for water guzzling electricity production and inefficient uses of the current water supply are to blame as well.

Nuclear E\energy production uses tremendous amounts of water to cool the super-heated uranium rods and this demand is only likely to rise with politicians beginning to call for an increased reliance on nuclear power. Thermal energy is an extremely large water user and virtually all power production facilities such as coal or natural gas, use water in their production process.

According to Shiney Varghese, a senior policy analyst at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, 80% of our nation's freshwater is put to use for irrigation. According to Varghese, this high percentage is due to the inefficient usage of water in irrigation. Large portions of irrigation water still flow through open ditches, which allows water to soak into the ground surrounding the ditch and to rapidly evaporate.

As if that weren't enough to prove that a water crisis is approaching then the rampant court battles between states over water rights may be. For the past 18 years, Georgia, Alabama and Florida had been feuding over Georgia's right to draw excess water from Lake Sidney Lanier. The lake is in Georgia but flows downstream and provides water to consumers in both Alabama and Florida. Georgia just lost this battle in February.

This is not an isolated case though, the Kansas Supreme Court has just agreed to hear a case involving 1.2 billion gallons of groundwater from the Kansas River Valley. The area water district is seeking to exercise eminent domain in order to pump the groundwater to rapidly growing Johnson County, but the farmers who own the land are contesting. Furthermore, States in the Western United States have been feuding for years over the usage of the Colorado River and to emphasize that this is not just a localized problem, the countries of Turkey, Syria and Iraq are also feuding over the usage of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

The signs are here that water shortages may be looming, estimates cited by Shiney Varghese claim that there is a 50% chance that Lake Mead will be dry by 2021 if current trends continue. Lake Mead along with nearby Lake Powell provide water to nearly 25 million residents in the Southwestern United States.

This problem can be fixed though. Not only will water conservation efforts be key, but a movement to privatize water utilities is gaining steam as well. If the utilities were privatized then the development of available technology would be able to proceed much faster and more efficiently. For example, the technology of desalination, which very well could be the best way to supply water for future uses, is currently underutilized in the United States. Currently there are only about 250 desalination plants in the United States and about half of them are in Florida. The issue is that the municipalities seem too concerned with saving money and moving money into other politically popular causes rather than focusing on a technology that could help avert a coming water crisis.

There is money to be made for investors in the privatizing of water infrastructure. Just take a look at oil-turned-water baron T. Boone Pickens if you need proof of the potential profits. Mr. Pickens would likely not be putting large investments, not to mention a few court battles of his own, into water infrastructure and supply if there weren't potentially high profits in the works.

If you don't have the amount of capital that T. Boone Pickens has and can't afford to create your own water infrastructure then don't despair there are several companies out there that specialize in water supply and as the movement to privatize water utilities grows stronger these companies all stand to profit immensely.

The bottom line is that water can be gold if you know where to look. There is a water shortage approaching and its signs are already starting to show. This crisis can be averted, however, with smart management. All the while, investors look like they may just be able to profit from a renewed interest in the water utilities.]]>

Here in the United States whenever we turn on the tap on our sinks, bathtubs, etc. out comes a flow of water. The United States is a water rich nation compared to many others, and a developed nation at that. This means that for now, water resources have been adequate to meet demand.

It is estimated that of the over six billion people in the world though, one billion lack access to potable water. Most of these people are in underdeveloped nations that lack the resources to develop new potable water sources. But for the average American, these problems are miles and worlds away right? Well, perhaps for now, but is it possible that water shortages may be arriving to the world's richest nation? The signs of shortage are already beginning to show and something will have to be done in order to stop it.

The graph below shows just how severe the water shortages have been worldwide and just how fortunate we have been here in the United States thus far.


Water scarcity

With the population of the United States and the world on an ever increasing trend, the demand for water rises every year. The unfortunate problem is that for those who rely on rainfall as part of their water supply needs, droughts have been occurring in record numbers lately. If global warming is real as most experts now agree is the case, then the predicted effect of global warming will be to reduce rainfall even further and produce even more drought.

There is more to blame for rising water demand than just an increase in population. The increased demand for water guzzling electricity production and inefficient uses of the current water supply are to blame as well.

Nuclear E\energy production uses tremendous amounts of water to cool the super-heated uranium rods and this demand is only likely to rise with politicians beginning to call for an increased reliance on nuclear power. Thermal energy is an extremely large water user and virtually all power production facilities such as coal or natural gas, use water in their production process.

According to Shiney Varghese, a senior policy analyst at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, 80% of our nation's freshwater is put to use for irrigation. According to Varghese, this high percentage is due to the inefficient usage of water in irrigation. Large portions of irrigation water still flow through open ditches, which allows water to soak into the ground surrounding the ditch and to rapidly evaporate.

As if that weren't enough to prove that a water crisis is approaching then the rampant court battles between states over water rights may be. For the past 18 years, Georgia, Alabama and Florida had been feuding over Georgia's right to draw excess water from Lake Sidney Lanier. The lake is in Georgia but flows downstream and provides water to consumers in both Alabama and Florida. Georgia just lost this battle in February.

This is not an isolated case though, the Kansas Supreme Court has just agreed to hear a case involving 1.2 billion gallons of groundwater from the Kansas River Valley. The area water district is seeking to exercise eminent domain in order to pump the groundwater to rapidly growing Johnson County, but the farmers who own the land are contesting. Furthermore, States in the Western United States have been feuding for years over the usage of the Colorado River and to emphasize that this is not just a localized problem, the countries of Turkey, Syria and Iraq are also feuding over the usage of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

The signs are here that water shortages may be looming, estimates cited by Shiney Varghese claim that there is a 50% chance that Lake Mead will be dry by 2021 if current trends continue. Lake Mead along with nearby Lake Powell provide water to nearly 25 million residents in the Southwestern United States.

This problem can be fixed though. Not only will water conservation efforts be key, but a movement to privatize water utilities is gaining steam as well. If the utilities were privatized then the development of available technology would be able to proceed much faster and more efficiently. For example, the technology of desalination, which very well could be the best way to supply water for future uses, is currently underutilized in the United States. Currently there are only about 250 desalination plants in the United States and about half of them are in Florida. The issue is that the municipalities seem too concerned with saving money and moving money into other politically popular causes rather than focusing on a technology that could help avert a coming water crisis.

There is money to be made for investors in the privatizing of water infrastructure. Just take a look at oil-turned-water baron T. Boone Pickens if you need proof of the potential profits. Mr. Pickens would likely not be putting large investments, not to mention a few court battles of his own, into water infrastructure and supply if there weren't potentially high profits in the works.

If you don't have the amount of capital that T. Boone Pickens has and can't afford to create your own water infrastructure then don't despair there are several companies out there that specialize in water supply and as the movement to privatize water utilities grows stronger these companies all stand to profit immensely.

The bottom line is that water can be gold if you know where to look. There is a water shortage approaching and its signs are already starting to show. This crisis can be averted, however, with smart management. All the while, investors look like they may just be able to profit from a renewed interest in the water utilities.]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=39 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:21:17 -0500 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=39 As Sewers Fill, Waste Poisons Waterways

By: CHARLES DUHIGG


It was drizzling lightly in late October when the midnight shift started at the Owls Head Water Pollution Control Plant, where much of Brooklyn’s sewage is treated.


A worker maintaining a tank at a Brooklyn wastewater treatment plant. Half the rainstorms in New York overwhelm the system.

A few miles away, people were walking home without umbrellas from late dinners. But at Owls Head, a swimming pool’s worth of sewage and wastewater was soon rushing in every second. Warning horns began to blare. A little after 1 a.m., with a harder rain falling, Owls Head reached its capacity and workers started shutting the intake gates.

That caused a rising tide throughout Brooklyn’s sewers, and untreated feces and industrial waste started spilling from emergency relief valves into the Upper New York Bay and Gowanus Canal.

“It happens anytime you get a hard rainfall,” said Bob Connaughton, one the plant’s engineers. “Sometimes all it takes is 20 minutes of rain, and you’ve got overflows across Brooklyn.”

One goal of the Clean Water Act of 1972 was to upgrade the nation’s sewer systems, many of them built more than a century ago, to handle growing populations and increasing runoff of rainwater and waste. During the 1970s and 1980s, Congress distributed more than $60 billion to cities to make sure that what goes into toilets, industrial drains and street grates would not endanger human health.

But despite those upgrades, many sewer systems are still frequently overwhelmed, according to a New York Times analysis of environmental data. As a result, sewage is spilling into waterways.

In the last three years alone, more than 9,400 of the nation’s 25,000 sewage systems — including those in major cities — have reported violating the law by dumping untreated or partly treated human waste, chemicals and other hazardous materials into rivers and lakes and elsewhere, according to data from state environmental agencies and the Environmental Protection Agency.

But fewer than one in five sewage systems that broke the law were ever fined or otherwise sanctioned by state or federal regulators, the Times analysis shows.

But fewer than one in five sewage systems that broke the law were ever fined or otherwise sanctioned by state or federal regulators, the Times analysis shows.

It is not clear whether the sewage systems that have not reported such dumping are doing any better, because data on overflows and spillage are often incomplete.

As cities have grown rapidly across the nation, many have neglected infrastructure projects and paved over green spaces that once absorbed rainwater. That has contributed to sewage backups into more than 400,000 basements and spills into thousands of streets, according to data collected by state and federal officials. Sometimes, waste has overflowed just upstream from drinking water intake points or near public beaches.

There is no national record-keeping of how many illnesses are caused by sewage spills. But academic research suggests that as many as 20 million people each year become ill from drinking water containing bacteria and other pathogens that are often spread by untreated waste.

A 2007 study published in the journal Pediatrics, focusing on one Milwaukee hospital, indicated that the number of children suffering from serious diarrhea rose whenever local sewers overflowed. Another study, published in 2008 in the Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health, estimated that as many as four million people become sick each year in California from swimming in waters containing the kind of pollution often linked to untreated sewage.

Around New York City, samples collected at dozens of beaches or piers have detected the types of bacteria and other pollutants tied to sewage overflows. Though the city’s drinking water comes from upstate reservoirs, environmentalists say untreated excrement and other waste in the city’s waterways pose serious health risks.



A Deluge of Sewage

“After the storm, the sewage flowed down the street faster than we could move out of the way and filled my house with over a foot of muck,” said Laura Serrano, whose Bay Shore, N.Y., home was damaged in 2005 by a sewer overflow.

Ms. Serrano, who says she contracted viral meningitis because of exposure to the sewage, has filed suit against Suffolk County, which operates the sewer system. The county’s lawyer disputes responsibility for the damage and injuries.

“I had to move out, and no one will buy my house because the sewage was absorbed into the walls,” Ms. Serrano said. “I can still smell it sometimes.”

When a sewage system overflows or a treatment plant dumps untreated waste, it is often breaking the law. Today, sewage systems are the nation’s most frequent violators of the Clean Water Act. More than a third of all sewer systems — including those in San Diego, Houston, Phoenix, San Antonio, Philadelphia, San Jose and San Francisco — have violated environmental laws since 2006, according to a Times analysis of E.P.A. data.

Thousands of other sewage systems operated by smaller cities, colleges, mobile home parks and companies have also broken the law. But few of the violators are ever punished.

The E.P.A., in a statement, said that officials agreed that overflows posed a “significant environmental and human health problem, and significantly reducing or eliminating such overflows has been a priority for E.P.A. enforcement since the mid-1990s.”

In the last year, E.P.A. settlements with sewer systems in Hampton Roads, Va., and the east San Francisco Bay have led to more than $200 million spent on new systems to reduce pollution, the agency said. In October, the E.P.A. administrator, Lisa P. Jackson, said she was overhauling how the Clean Water Act is enforced.

But widespread problems still remain.

“The E.P.A. would rather look the other way than crack down on cities, since punishing municipalities can cause political problems,” said Craig Michaels of Riverkeeper, an environmental advocacy group. “But without enforcement and fines, this problem will never end.”

Plant operators and regulators, for their part, say that fines would simply divert money from stretched budgets and that they are doing the best they can with aging systems and overwhelmed pipes.

New York, for example, was one of the first major cities to build a large sewer system, starting construction in 1849. Many of those pipes — constructed of hand-laid brick and ceramic tiles — are still used. Today, the city’s 7,400 miles of sewer pipes operate almost entirely by gravity, unlike in other cities that use large pumps.

New York City’s 14 wastewater treatment plants, which handle 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater a day, have been flooded with thousands of pickles (after a factory dumped its stock), vast flows of discarded chicken heads and large pieces of lumber.

When a toilet flushes in the West Village in Manhattan, the waste runs north six miles through gradually descending pipes to a plant at 137th Street, where it is mixed with so-called biological digesters that consume dangerous pathogens. The wastewater is then mixed with chlorine and sent into the Hudson River.

Fragile System

But New York’s system — like those in hundreds of others cities — combines rainwater runoff with sewage. Over the last three decades, as thousands of acres of trees, bushes and other vegetation in New York have been paved over, the land’s ability to absorb rain has declined significantly. When treatment plants are swamped, the excess spills from 490 overflow pipes throughout the city’s five boroughs.

When the sky is clear, Owls Head can handle the sewage from more than 750,000 people. But the balance is so delicate that Mr. Connaughton and his colleagues must be constantly ready for rain.

They choose cable television packages for their homes based on which company offers the best local weather forecasts. They know meteorologists by the sound of their voices. When the leaves begin to fall each autumn, clogging sewer grates and pipes, Mr. Connaughton sometimes has trouble sleeping.

“I went to Hawaii with my wife, and the whole time I was flipping to the Weather Channel, seeing if it was raining in New York,” he said.

New York’s sewage system overflows essentially every other time it rains.

Reducing such overflows is a priority, city officials say. But eradicating the problem would cost billions.

Officials have spent approximately $35 billion over three decades improving the quality of the waters surrounding the city and have improved systems to capture and store rainwater and sewage, bringing down the frequency and volume of overflows, the city’s Department of Environmental Protection wrote in a statement.

“Water quality in New York City has improved dramatically in the last century, and particularly in the last two decades,” officials wrote.


Sewage often flows into waterways like Newtown Creek in Brooklyn.

Several years ago, city officials estimated that it would cost at least $58 billion to prevent all overflows. “Even an expenditure of that magnitude would not result in every part of a river or bay surrounding the city achieving water quality that is suitable for swimming,” the department wrote. “It would, however, increase the average N.Y.C. water and sewer bill by 80 percent.”

The E.P.A., concerned about the risks of overflowing sewers, issued a national framework in 1994 to control overflows, including making sure that pipes are designed so they do not easily become plugged by debris and warning the public when overflows occur. In 2000, Congress amended the Clean Water Act to crack down on overflows.

But in hundreds of places, sewer systems remain out of compliance with that framework or the Clean Water Act, which regulates most pollution discharges to waterways. And the burdens on sewer systems are growing as cities become larger and, in some areas, rainstorms become more frequent and fierce.

New York’s system, for instance, was designed to accommodate a so-called five-year storm — a rainfall so extreme that it is expected to occur, on average, only twice a decade. But in 2007 alone, the city experienced three 25-year storms, according to city officials — storms so strong they would be expected only four times each century.

“When you get five inches of rain in 30 minutes, it’s like Thanksgiving Day traffic on a two-lane bridge in the sewer pipes,” said James Roberts, deputy commissioner of the city’s Department of Environmental Protection.

Government’s Response

To combat these shifts, some cities are encouraging sewer-friendly development. New York, for instance, has instituted zoning laws requiring new parking lots to include landscaped areas to absorb rainwater, established a tax credit for roofs with absorbent vegetation and begun to use millions of dollars for environmentally friendly infrastructure projects.

Philadelphia has announced it will spend $1.6 billion over 20 years to build rain gardens and sidewalks of porous pavement and to plant thousands of trees.

But unless cities require private developers to build in ways that minimize runoff, the volume of rain flowing into sewers is likely to grow, environmentalists say.

The only real solution, say many lawmakers and water advocates, is extensive new spending on sewer systems largely ignored for decades. As much as $400 billion in extra spending is needed over the next decade to fix the nation’s sewer infrastructure, according to estimates by the E.P.A. and the Government Accountability Office.

Legislation under consideration on Capitol Hill contains millions in water infrastructure grants, and the stimulus bill passed this year set aside $6 billion to improve sewers and other water systems.

But that money is only a small fraction of what is needed, officials say. And over the last two decades, federal money for such programs has fallen by 70 percent, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which estimates that a quarter of the state’s sewage and wastewater treatment plants are “using outmoded, inadequate technology.”

“The public has no clue how important these sewage plants are,” said Mr. Connaughton of the Brooklyn site. “Waterborne disease was the scourge of mankind for centuries. These plants stopped that. We’re doing everything we can to clean as much sewage as possible, but sometimes, that isn’t enough.”]]> As Sewers Fill, Waste Poisons Waterways

By: CHARLES DUHIGG


It was drizzling lightly in late October when the midnight shift started at the Owls Head Water Pollution Control Plant, where much of Brooklyn’s sewage is treated.


A worker maintaining a tank at a Brooklyn wastewater treatment plant. Half the rainstorms in New York overwhelm the system.

A few miles away, people were walking home without umbrellas from late dinners. But at Owls Head, a swimming pool’s worth of sewage and wastewater was soon rushing in every second. Warning horns began to blare. A little after 1 a.m., with a harder rain falling, Owls Head reached its capacity and workers started shutting the intake gates.

That caused a rising tide throughout Brooklyn’s sewers, and untreated feces and industrial waste started spilling from emergency relief valves into the Upper New York Bay and Gowanus Canal.

“It happens anytime you get a hard rainfall,” said Bob Connaughton, one the plant’s engineers. “Sometimes all it takes is 20 minutes of rain, and you’ve got overflows across Brooklyn.”

One goal of the Clean Water Act of 1972 was to upgrade the nation’s sewer systems, many of them built more than a century ago, to handle growing populations and increasing runoff of rainwater and waste. During the 1970s and 1980s, Congress distributed more than $60 billion to cities to make sure that what goes into toilets, industrial drains and street grates would not endanger human health.

But despite those upgrades, many sewer systems are still frequently overwhelmed, according to a New York Times analysis of environmental data. As a result, sewage is spilling into waterways.

In the last three years alone, more than 9,400 of the nation’s 25,000 sewage systems — including those in major cities — have reported violating the law by dumping untreated or partly treated human waste, chemicals and other hazardous materials into rivers and lakes and elsewhere, according to data from state environmental agencies and the Environmental Protection Agency.

But fewer than one in five sewage systems that broke the law were ever fined or otherwise sanctioned by state or federal regulators, the Times analysis shows.

But fewer than one in five sewage systems that broke the law were ever fined or otherwise sanctioned by state or federal regulators, the Times analysis shows.

It is not clear whether the sewage systems that have not reported such dumping are doing any better, because data on overflows and spillage are often incomplete.

As cities have grown rapidly across the nation, many have neglected infrastructure projects and paved over green spaces that once absorbed rainwater. That has contributed to sewage backups into more than 400,000 basements and spills into thousands of streets, according to data collected by state and federal officials. Sometimes, waste has overflowed just upstream from drinking water intake points or near public beaches.

There is no national record-keeping of how many illnesses are caused by sewage spills. But academic research suggests that as many as 20 million people each year become ill from drinking water containing bacteria and other pathogens that are often spread by untreated waste.

A 2007 study published in the journal Pediatrics, focusing on one Milwaukee hospital, indicated that the number of children suffering from serious diarrhea rose whenever local sewers overflowed. Another study, published in 2008 in the Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health, estimated that as many as four million people become sick each year in California from swimming in waters containing the kind of pollution often linked to untreated sewage.

Around New York City, samples collected at dozens of beaches or piers have detected the types of bacteria and other pollutants tied to sewage overflows. Though the city’s drinking water comes from upstate reservoirs, environmentalists say untreated excrement and other waste in the city’s waterways pose serious health risks.



A Deluge of Sewage

“After the storm, the sewage flowed down the street faster than we could move out of the way and filled my house with over a foot of muck,” said Laura Serrano, whose Bay Shore, N.Y., home was damaged in 2005 by a sewer overflow.

Ms. Serrano, who says she contracted viral meningitis because of exposure to the sewage, has filed suit against Suffolk County, which operates the sewer system. The county’s lawyer disputes responsibility for the damage and injuries.

“I had to move out, and no one will buy my house because the sewage was absorbed into the walls,” Ms. Serrano said. “I can still smell it sometimes.”

When a sewage system overflows or a treatment plant dumps untreated waste, it is often breaking the law. Today, sewage systems are the nation’s most frequent violators of the Clean Water Act. More than a third of all sewer systems — including those in San Diego, Houston, Phoenix, San Antonio, Philadelphia, San Jose and San Francisco — have violated environmental laws since 2006, according to a Times analysis of E.P.A. data.

Thousands of other sewage systems operated by smaller cities, colleges, mobile home parks and companies have also broken the law. But few of the violators are ever punished.

The E.P.A., in a statement, said that officials agreed that overflows posed a “significant environmental and human health problem, and significantly reducing or eliminating such overflows has been a priority for E.P.A. enforcement since the mid-1990s.”

In the last year, E.P.A. settlements with sewer systems in Hampton Roads, Va., and the east San Francisco Bay have led to more than $200 million spent on new systems to reduce pollution, the agency said. In October, the E.P.A. administrator, Lisa P. Jackson, said she was overhauling how the Clean Water Act is enforced.

But widespread problems still remain.

“The E.P.A. would rather look the other way than crack down on cities, since punishing municipalities can cause political problems,” said Craig Michaels of Riverkeeper, an environmental advocacy group. “But without enforcement and fines, this problem will never end.”

Plant operators and regulators, for their part, say that fines would simply divert money from stretched budgets and that they are doing the best they can with aging systems and overwhelmed pipes.

New York, for example, was one of the first major cities to build a large sewer system, starting construction in 1849. Many of those pipes — constructed of hand-laid brick and ceramic tiles — are still used. Today, the city’s 7,400 miles of sewer pipes operate almost entirely by gravity, unlike in other cities that use large pumps.

New York City’s 14 wastewater treatment plants, which handle 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater a day, have been flooded with thousands of pickles (after a factory dumped its stock), vast flows of discarded chicken heads and large pieces of lumber.

When a toilet flushes in the West Village in Manhattan, the waste runs north six miles through gradually descending pipes to a plant at 137th Street, where it is mixed with so-called biological digesters that consume dangerous pathogens. The wastewater is then mixed with chlorine and sent into the Hudson River.

Fragile System

But New York’s system — like those in hundreds of others cities — combines rainwater runoff with sewage. Over the last three decades, as thousands of acres of trees, bushes and other vegetation in New York have been paved over, the land’s ability to absorb rain has declined significantly. When treatment plants are swamped, the excess spills from 490 overflow pipes throughout the city’s five boroughs.

When the sky is clear, Owls Head can handle the sewage from more than 750,000 people. But the balance is so delicate that Mr. Connaughton and his colleagues must be constantly ready for rain.

They choose cable television packages for their homes based on which company offers the best local weather forecasts. They know meteorologists by the sound of their voices. When the leaves begin to fall each autumn, clogging sewer grates and pipes, Mr. Connaughton sometimes has trouble sleeping.

“I went to Hawaii with my wife, and the whole time I was flipping to the Weather Channel, seeing if it was raining in New York,” he said.

New York’s sewage system overflows essentially every other time it rains.

Reducing such overflows is a priority, city officials say. But eradicating the problem would cost billions.

Officials have spent approximately $35 billion over three decades improving the quality of the waters surrounding the city and have improved systems to capture and store rainwater and sewage, bringing down the frequency and volume of overflows, the city’s Department of Environmental Protection wrote in a statement.

“Water quality in New York City has improved dramatically in the last century, and particularly in the last two decades,” officials wrote.


Sewage often flows into waterways like Newtown Creek in Brooklyn.

Several years ago, city officials estimated that it would cost at least $58 billion to prevent all overflows. “Even an expenditure of that magnitude would not result in every part of a river or bay surrounding the city achieving water quality that is suitable for swimming,” the department wrote. “It would, however, increase the average N.Y.C. water and sewer bill by 80 percent.”

The E.P.A., concerned about the risks of overflowing sewers, issued a national framework in 1994 to control overflows, including making sure that pipes are designed so they do not easily become plugged by debris and warning the public when overflows occur. In 2000, Congress amended the Clean Water Act to crack down on overflows.

But in hundreds of places, sewer systems remain out of compliance with that framework or the Clean Water Act, which regulates most pollution discharges to waterways. And the burdens on sewer systems are growing as cities become larger and, in some areas, rainstorms become more frequent and fierce.

New York’s system, for instance, was designed to accommodate a so-called five-year storm — a rainfall so extreme that it is expected to occur, on average, only twice a decade. But in 2007 alone, the city experienced three 25-year storms, according to city officials — storms so strong they would be expected only four times each century.

“When you get five inches of rain in 30 minutes, it’s like Thanksgiving Day traffic on a two-lane bridge in the sewer pipes,” said James Roberts, deputy commissioner of the city’s Department of Environmental Protection.

Government’s Response

To combat these shifts, some cities are encouraging sewer-friendly development. New York, for instance, has instituted zoning laws requiring new parking lots to include landscaped areas to absorb rainwater, established a tax credit for roofs with absorbent vegetation and begun to use millions of dollars for environmentally friendly infrastructure projects.

Philadelphia has announced it will spend $1.6 billion over 20 years to build rain gardens and sidewalks of porous pavement and to plant thousands of trees.

But unless cities require private developers to build in ways that minimize runoff, the volume of rain flowing into sewers is likely to grow, environmentalists say.

The only real solution, say many lawmakers and water advocates, is extensive new spending on sewer systems largely ignored for decades. As much as $400 billion in extra spending is needed over the next decade to fix the nation’s sewer infrastructure, according to estimates by the E.P.A. and the Government Accountability Office.

Legislation under consideration on Capitol Hill contains millions in water infrastructure grants, and the stimulus bill passed this year set aside $6 billion to improve sewers and other water systems.

But that money is only a small fraction of what is needed, officials say. And over the last two decades, federal money for such programs has fallen by 70 percent, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which estimates that a quarter of the state’s sewage and wastewater treatment plants are “using outmoded, inadequate technology.”

“The public has no clue how important these sewage plants are,” said Mr. Connaughton of the Brooklyn site. “Waterborne disease was the scourge of mankind for centuries. These plants stopped that. We’re doing everything we can to clean as much sewage as possible, but sometimes, that isn’t enough.”]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=38 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:14:49 -0500 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=38 500 million people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water. In the most recent national report on water quality in the United States, 45 percent of assessed stream miles, 47 percent of assessed lake acres, and 32 percent of assessed bay and estuarine square miles were classified as polluted.

Water pollution is not only damaging to individual species and populations, but in almost all cases, affects the natural biological communities as well. This pollution occurs when pollutants, whether directly or indirectly, are discharged into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds. Natural phenomena such as volcanoes, algae blooms, storms, and earthquakes are known to cause major changes in water quality and the ecological status of water. Water is typically referred to as polluted when it is impaired by anthropogenic contaminants and either does not support a human use, like serving as drinking water, and/or undergoes a marked shift in its ability to support its constituent biotic communities, such as fish.


Water Pollution Categories

Although they are interrelated, surface water and ground water have often been studied and managed as separate resources. Based on their origin, surface water is generally grouped into two different categories.

Point Source Pollution

Point source pollution refers to contaminants that enter a waterway through a discrete conveyance, such as a pipe or ditch. Examples of sources in this category include discharges from a sewage treatment plant, a factory, or a city storm drain. The U.S. Clean Water Act (CWA) defines point source for regulatory enforcement purposes. The CWA definition of point source was amended in 1987 to include municipal storm sewer systems, as well as industrial stormwater, such as from construction sites.

Non-point source Pollution

Non-point source (NPS) pollution refers to diffuse contamination that does not originate from a single discrete source. NPS pollution is often the cumulative effect of small amounts of contaminants gathered from a large area. The leaching out of nitrogen compounds from agricultural land which has been fertilized is a typical example. Nutrient runoffs in stormwater from "sheet flow" over an agricultural field or a forest are also cited as examples of NPS pollution. Contaminated storm water washed off of parking lots, roads and highways, called urban runoff, is sometimes included under the category of NPS pollution. However, this runoff is typically channeled into storm drain systems and discharged through pipes to local surface waters, and is a point source. However where such water is not channeled and drains directly to ground it is a non-point source.

Ground Water Pollution

The interactions between ground and surface water can be described best as complex. Unlike surface water pollution, groundwater, or sometimes referred to as groundwater contamination, is not easily not easily classified. Simply because of its nature, groundwater aquifers are susceptible to contamination from sources that do not necessarily directly affect surface water bodies, and the distinction between point and non-point source may be irrelevant. Herein lies the term toxic plume, an instance where a spill or on-going release of chemicals or radionuclide contaminants into the soil (located away from a surface water body) may not contaminate through point and non-point source pollution, but instead affect the aquifer below.

Sources of Water Pollution

The specific contaminants leading to pollution in water include a wide spectrum of chemicals, pathogens, and physical or sensory changes such as elevated temperature and discoloration. The concentration level is most often the key to determining what is a natural component of the water and what is a contaminant. Calcium, sodium, iron, manganese, etc. are some examples of naturally occurring substances in water.

Oxygen-depleting substances may be natural materials, such as plant matter (e.g. leaves and grass) as well as man-made chemicals. Other natural and anthropogenic substances may cause turbidity (cloudiness) which blocks light and disrupts plant growth, and clogs the gills of some fish species.

A majority of the chemical substances found in water are considered toxic. Pathogens can produce water borne diseases in either human or animal hosts. Acidity (change in pH), electrical conductivity, temperature, and eutrophication alter the physical chemistry of water. Eutrophication is an increase in the concentration of chemical nutrients in an ecosystem to an extent that increases in the primary productivity of the ecosystem. Depending on the degree of eutrophication, subsequent negative environmental effects such as anoxia (oxygen depletion) and severe reductions in water quality may occur, affecting fish and other animal populations.

Pathogens

Coliform bacteria are a commonly used bacterial indicator of water pollution, although not an actual cause of disease. Other microorganisms sometimes found in surface waters which have caused human health problems include:

Burkholderia pseudomallei
Cryptosporidium parvum
Giardia lamblia
Salmonella
Novovirus and other viruses
Parasitic worms (helminths)

High levels of pathogens may result from inadequately treated sewage discharges. This can be caused by a sewage plant designed with less than secondary treatment (more typical in less-developed countries). In developed countries, older cities with aging infrastructure may have leaky sewage collection systems (pipes, pumps, valves), which can cause sanitary sewer overflows.

Pathogen discharges may also be caused by poorly managed livestock operations.

Chemical and other contaminants

Contaminants may include organic and inorganic substances.

Organic water pollutants include:
- Detergents
- Disinfection by-products found in chemically disinfected drinking water, such as chloroform
- Food processing waste, which can include oxygen-demanding substances, fats and grease
- Insecticides and herbicides, a huge range of organohalides and other chemical compounds
- Petroleum hydrocarbons, including fuels (gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuels, and fuel oil) and lubricants (motor oil), and fuel combustion byproducts, from stormwater runoff[16]
- Tree and bush debris from logging operations
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as industrial solvents, from improper storage. Chlorinated solvents, which are dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs), may fall to the bottom of reservoirs, since they don't mix well with water and are denser.
- Various chemical compounds found in personal hygiene and cosmetic products

Inorganic water pollutants include:
- Acidity caused by industrial discharges (especially sulfur dioxide from power plants)
- Ammonia from food processing waste
- Chemical waste as industrial by-products
- Fertilizers containing nutrients--nitrates and phosphates--which are found in stormwater runoff from agriculture, as well as commercial and residential use
- Heavy metals from motor vehicles (via urban stormwater runoff) and acid mine drainage
- Silt (sediment) in runoff from construction sites, logging, slash and burn practices or land clearing sites

Macroscopic pollution—large visible items polluting the water—may be termed "floatables" in an urban stormwater context, or marine debris when found on the open seas, and can include such items as:
- Trash (e.g. paper, plastic, or food waste) discarded by people on the ground, and that are washed by rainfall into storm drains and eventually discharged into surface waters
- Nurdles, small ubiquitous waterborne plastic pellets
- Shipwrecks, large derelict ships

Thermal pollution

Thermal pollution is the rise or fall in the temperature of a natural body of water caused by human influence. A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers. Elevated water temperatures decreases oxygen levels (which can kill fish) and affects ecosystem composition, such as invasion by new thermophilic species. Urban runoff may also elevate temperature in surface waters.

Thermal pollution can also be caused by the release of very cold water from the base of reservoirs into warmer rivers.

More content will be added shortly...]]> 500 million people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water. In the most recent national report on water quality in the United States, 45 percent of assessed stream miles, 47 percent of assessed lake acres, and 32 percent of assessed bay and estuarine square miles were classified as polluted.

Water pollution is not only damaging to individual species and populations, but in almost all cases, affects the natural biological communities as well. This pollution occurs when pollutants, whether directly or indirectly, are discharged into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds. Natural phenomena such as volcanoes, algae blooms, storms, and earthquakes are known to cause major changes in water quality and the ecological status of water. Water is typically referred to as polluted when it is impaired by anthropogenic contaminants and either does not support a human use, like serving as drinking water, and/or undergoes a marked shift in its ability to support its constituent biotic communities, such as fish.


Water Pollution Categories

Although they are interrelated, surface water and ground water have often been studied and managed as separate resources. Based on their origin, surface water is generally grouped into two different categories.

Point Source Pollution

Point source pollution refers to contaminants that enter a waterway through a discrete conveyance, such as a pipe or ditch. Examples of sources in this category include discharges from a sewage treatment plant, a factory, or a city storm drain. The U.S. Clean Water Act (CWA) defines point source for regulatory enforcement purposes. The CWA definition of point source was amended in 1987 to include municipal storm sewer systems, as well as industrial stormwater, such as from construction sites.

Non-point source Pollution

Non-point source (NPS) pollution refers to diffuse contamination that does not originate from a single discrete source. NPS pollution is often the cumulative effect of small amounts of contaminants gathered from a large area. The leaching out of nitrogen compounds from agricultural land which has been fertilized is a typical example. Nutrient runoffs in stormwater from "sheet flow" over an agricultural field or a forest are also cited as examples of NPS pollution. Contaminated storm water washed off of parking lots, roads and highways, called urban runoff, is sometimes included under the category of NPS pollution. However, this runoff is typically channeled into storm drain systems and discharged through pipes to local surface waters, and is a point source. However where such water is not channeled and drains directly to ground it is a non-point source.

Ground Water Pollution

The interactions between ground and surface water can be described best as complex. Unlike surface water pollution, groundwater, or sometimes referred to as groundwater contamination, is not easily not easily classified. Simply because of its nature, groundwater aquifers are susceptible to contamination from sources that do not necessarily directly affect surface water bodies, and the distinction between point and non-point source may be irrelevant. Herein lies the term toxic plume, an instance where a spill or on-going release of chemicals or radionuclide contaminants into the soil (located away from a surface water body) may not contaminate through point and non-point source pollution, but instead affect the aquifer below.

Sources of Water Pollution

The specific contaminants leading to pollution in water include a wide spectrum of chemicals, pathogens, and physical or sensory changes such as elevated temperature and discoloration. The concentration level is most often the key to determining what is a natural component of the water and what is a contaminant. Calcium, sodium, iron, manganese, etc. are some examples of naturally occurring substances in water.

Oxygen-depleting substances may be natural materials, such as plant matter (e.g. leaves and grass) as well as man-made chemicals. Other natural and anthropogenic substances may cause turbidity (cloudiness) which blocks light and disrupts plant growth, and clogs the gills of some fish species.

A majority of the chemical substances found in water are considered toxic. Pathogens can produce water borne diseases in either human or animal hosts. Acidity (change in pH), electrical conductivity, temperature, and eutrophication alter the physical chemistry of water. Eutrophication is an increase in the concentration of chemical nutrients in an ecosystem to an extent that increases in the primary productivity of the ecosystem. Depending on the degree of eutrophication, subsequent negative environmental effects such as anoxia (oxygen depletion) and severe reductions in water quality may occur, affecting fish and other animal populations.

Pathogens

Coliform bacteria are a commonly used bacterial indicator of water pollution, although not an actual cause of disease. Other microorganisms sometimes found in surface waters which have caused human health problems include:

Burkholderia pseudomallei
Cryptosporidium parvum
Giardia lamblia
Salmonella
Novovirus and other viruses
Parasitic worms (helminths)

High levels of pathogens may result from inadequately treated sewage discharges. This can be caused by a sewage plant designed with less than secondary treatment (more typical in less-developed countries). In developed countries, older cities with aging infrastructure may have leaky sewage collection systems (pipes, pumps, valves), which can cause sanitary sewer overflows.

Pathogen discharges may also be caused by poorly managed livestock operations.

Chemical and other contaminants

Contaminants may include organic and inorganic substances.

Organic water pollutants include:
- Detergents
- Disinfection by-products found in chemically disinfected drinking water, such as chloroform
- Food processing waste, which can include oxygen-demanding substances, fats and grease
- Insecticides and herbicides, a huge range of organohalides and other chemical compounds
- Petroleum hydrocarbons, including fuels (gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuels, and fuel oil) and lubricants (motor oil), and fuel combustion byproducts, from stormwater runoff[16]
- Tree and bush debris from logging operations
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as industrial solvents, from improper storage. Chlorinated solvents, which are dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs), may fall to the bottom of reservoirs, since they don't mix well with water and are denser.
- Various chemical compounds found in personal hygiene and cosmetic products

Inorganic water pollutants include:
- Acidity caused by industrial discharges (especially sulfur dioxide from power plants)
- Ammonia from food processing waste
- Chemical waste as industrial by-products
- Fertilizers containing nutrients--nitrates and phosphates--which are found in stormwater runoff from agriculture, as well as commercial and residential use
- Heavy metals from motor vehicles (via urban stormwater runoff) and acid mine drainage
- Silt (sediment) in runoff from construction sites, logging, slash and burn practices or land clearing sites

Macroscopic pollution—large visible items polluting the water—may be termed "floatables" in an urban stormwater context, or marine debris when found on the open seas, and can include such items as:
- Trash (e.g. paper, plastic, or food waste) discarded by people on the ground, and that are washed by rainfall into storm drains and eventually discharged into surface waters
- Nurdles, small ubiquitous waterborne plastic pellets
- Shipwrecks, large derelict ships

Thermal pollution

Thermal pollution is the rise or fall in the temperature of a natural body of water caused by human influence. A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers. Elevated water temperatures decreases oxygen levels (which can kill fish) and affects ecosystem composition, such as invasion by new thermophilic species. Urban runoff may also elevate temperature in surface waters.

Thermal pollution can also be caused by the release of very cold water from the base of reservoirs into warmer rivers.

More content will be added shortly...]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=37 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 11:55:38 -0500 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=37
Note: If you have an electric water heater we recommend that you turn off the electricity to the heater while installing softener. Once you are satisfied with the installation, turn on a few hot and cold-water faucets, and let them run. Once you are certain that there is no more air in your pipes, then turn the electricity back on to the water heater.

Step 1:
Location of your softener is important. It should be in a protected dry, level and non-freezing area
(34-120 degrees F). The 2 tanks should be set close to each other. The square tank with the black lid is your brine tank (for softener salt or potassium chloride) and it is the tank that you will have to refill sometimes, so make it the more accessible of the 2 tanks. Do not put salt in this tank until you have put the softener into service and have tested the cycles.

Step 2:
You will need a standard outlet that is not controlled by a switch, which can be 50 feet from your softener.

Step 3:
You will need a drain for the backwashing cycles. This should be no longer than 20 feet from the softener. Refer to the Autotrol manual for exceptions and more details. You will need to purchase this flexible 1/2 i.d. plastic pipe (can be vinyl, polyethylene polybutylene, etc. and same size will be used in step 8). This backwashing drain line will be under pressure when the backwash cycle is working. Make sure the drain line is secured. The drain line will need to drain into a drain, which should be a minimum of 1 1/2” size, and ideally be below the top of the head of your
softener. Local codes should be adhered to.

Note: Never connect the drain line directly into a drain. Allow an airgap between the drainline and waste line to prevent possibility of back- siphonage.

Step 4:
Once you have determined the exact location of your softener, it is time to fill the media/mineral tank (taller of the 2) with the furnished media (looks like brown tiny beads and has a consistency of wet sand). The distributor tube should be in the mineral tank - screen intake would be at the bottom; open end will be at the top. The open end should be sticking 1 1/4" out of the mineral tank. The screen intake should be resting on the bottom, centered. There should be a plug in the open end of the distributor tube. This is to keep any media from falling into the distributor tube while pouring the media into the mineral tank. Place the funnel (provided) into the mineral tank, and begin to put the media into the mineral tank. Be careful to keep the distributor tube centered as best you can, while filling. There should only be enough media to fill the tank about ½ to 2/3 full. The mineral tank should not be filled to the top. It is necessary for the media to have room to move during the backwash cycle. An easy (but slower) way to fill the mineral tank is to take a small scoop and pour the media into the funnel. The media beads tend to stick to the funnel so by filling slowly the media will go into the tank easier. Once the filling of the mineral tank is completed, carefully remove the plug from the distributor tube. Do not pull upwards on the distributor tube.
The control valve (head) now must be screwed onto the mineral tank. Be sure the large O-ring is in place, and lubricated it with some of the grease provided in the by-pass valve kit box. As you start to screw the control valve onto the tank, make sure the hole in the center of the control valve fits over the distributor tube. NO pipe dope should be used on the threads. The control valve should be hand tightened, snugly, clockwise.

Step 5:
You are now ready to install the bypass valve to the control valve. Follow the instructions in the box. The in and out arrows on the bypass valve should be pointing the same direction as the in/out arrows on the outside of the control valve. The arrows are molded into the plastic on both the bypass valve and the control valve.

Step 6:
Water connections to and from softener will now be connected to the bypass 1 1/4"IPS male threads by using the two 1 1/4" Female nuts provided. Slip one 1 1/4" female nut over one of the
flanged tailpieces, so that the tube is sticking through the nut and the flanged piece is resting on the inside of the female threaded part of the nut. Use one 1 3/4" o.d. rubber washer to fit into the female part of the nut on top of the flanged tailpiece and screw the nut onto the 1 1/4" IPS male threads on the control valve. Do the same for the other side.

Step 7:
Between the valve and the brine tank you will need to connect the furnished 3/8” O.D. tubing. One end is to the fitting on the clear air check on the valve (255 valve only), and the other end attaches to the elbow fitting inside the brine tank. Pass the tubing through the hole and connect
the fitting entirely inside the brine tank. Do not use the fitting in the brine tank as a “bulkhead” fitting (i.e. fastening the nut on the outside of the brine tank) – it must be connected entirely inside the brine tank. Hand tightening is all that should be needed.

Step 8:
Brine tank Overflow. Attach 1/2" i.d. plastic tubing to the fitting from the brine tank and run to a drain. This drain line will not be under pressure. DO NOT tie into the backwash drain line! This line should be higher than your drain line. Overflow drain line must be a separate line from fitting
to the floor-drain, sewer, tub, etc. Now follow the instructions in the Autotrol manual for putting the softener into service.

NOTES ON SALT: Your brine tank will hold about 250 pounds of softer salt (about six 40-lb bags, or five 50-lb bags. We recommend a high quality pellet-type salt – look for a low “insoluble” level (insoluble is a nice word for dirt). Potassium chloride salt substitute can be used as well, with no adjustments needed. DO NOT ADD SALT UNTIL YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE SECTION ON PUTTING THE UNIT INTO SERVICE!


For a full description on installing an Autotrol Softener, click here]]>
Note: If you have an electric water heater we recommend that you turn off the electricity to the heater while installing softener. Once you are satisfied with the installation, turn on a few hot and cold-water faucets, and let them run. Once you are certain that there is no more air in your pipes, then turn the electricity back on to the water heater.

Step 1:
Location of your softener is important. It should be in a protected dry, level and non-freezing area
(34-120 degrees F). The 2 tanks should be set close to each other. The square tank with the black lid is your brine tank (for softener salt or potassium chloride) and it is the tank that you will have to refill sometimes, so make it the more accessible of the 2 tanks. Do not put salt in this tank until you have put the softener into service and have tested the cycles.

Step 2:
You will need a standard outlet that is not controlled by a switch, which can be 50 feet from your softener.

Step 3:
You will need a drain for the backwashing cycles. This should be no longer than 20 feet from the softener. Refer to the Autotrol manual for exceptions and more details. You will need to purchase this flexible 1/2 i.d. plastic pipe (can be vinyl, polyethylene polybutylene, etc. and same size will be used in step 8). This backwashing drain line will be under pressure when the backwash cycle is working. Make sure the drain line is secured. The drain line will need to drain into a drain, which should be a minimum of 1 1/2” size, and ideally be below the top of the head of your
softener. Local codes should be adhered to.

Note: Never connect the drain line directly into a drain. Allow an airgap between the drainline and waste line to prevent possibility of back- siphonage.

Step 4:
Once you have determined the exact location of your softener, it is time to fill the media/mineral tank (taller of the 2) with the furnished media (looks like brown tiny beads and has a consistency of wet sand). The distributor tube should be in the mineral tank - screen intake would be at the bottom; open end will be at the top. The open end should be sticking 1 1/4" out of the mineral tank. The screen intake should be resting on the bottom, centered. There should be a plug in the open end of the distributor tube. This is to keep any media from falling into the distributor tube while pouring the media into the mineral tank. Place the funnel (provided) into the mineral tank, and begin to put the media into the mineral tank. Be careful to keep the distributor tube centered as best you can, while filling. There should only be enough media to fill the tank about ½ to 2/3 full. The mineral tank should not be filled to the top. It is necessary for the media to have room to move during the backwash cycle. An easy (but slower) way to fill the mineral tank is to take a small scoop and pour the media into the funnel. The media beads tend to stick to the funnel so by filling slowly the media will go into the tank easier. Once the filling of the mineral tank is completed, carefully remove the plug from the distributor tube. Do not pull upwards on the distributor tube.
The control valve (head) now must be screwed onto the mineral tank. Be sure the large O-ring is in place, and lubricated it with some of the grease provided in the by-pass valve kit box. As you start to screw the control valve onto the tank, make sure the hole in the center of the control valve fits over the distributor tube. NO pipe dope should be used on the threads. The control valve should be hand tightened, snugly, clockwise.

Step 5:
You are now ready to install the bypass valve to the control valve. Follow the instructions in the box. The in and out arrows on the bypass valve should be pointing the same direction as the in/out arrows on the outside of the control valve. The arrows are molded into the plastic on both the bypass valve and the control valve.

Step 6:
Water connections to and from softener will now be connected to the bypass 1 1/4"IPS male threads by using the two 1 1/4" Female nuts provided. Slip one 1 1/4" female nut over one of the
flanged tailpieces, so that the tube is sticking through the nut and the flanged piece is resting on the inside of the female threaded part of the nut. Use one 1 3/4" o.d. rubber washer to fit into the female part of the nut on top of the flanged tailpiece and screw the nut onto the 1 1/4" IPS male threads on the control valve. Do the same for the other side.

Step 7:
Between the valve and the brine tank you will need to connect the furnished 3/8” O.D. tubing. One end is to the fitting on the clear air check on the valve (255 valve only), and the other end attaches to the elbow fitting inside the brine tank. Pass the tubing through the hole and connect
the fitting entirely inside the brine tank. Do not use the fitting in the brine tank as a “bulkhead” fitting (i.e. fastening the nut on the outside of the brine tank) – it must be connected entirely inside the brine tank. Hand tightening is all that should be needed.

Step 8:
Brine tank Overflow. Attach 1/2" i.d. plastic tubing to the fitting from the brine tank and run to a drain. This drain line will not be under pressure. DO NOT tie into the backwash drain line! This line should be higher than your drain line. Overflow drain line must be a separate line from fitting
to the floor-drain, sewer, tub, etc. Now follow the instructions in the Autotrol manual for putting the softener into service.

NOTES ON SALT: Your brine tank will hold about 250 pounds of softer salt (about six 40-lb bags, or five 50-lb bags. We recommend a high quality pellet-type salt – look for a low “insoluble” level (insoluble is a nice word for dirt). Potassium chloride salt substitute can be used as well, with no adjustments needed. DO NOT ADD SALT UNTIL YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE SECTION ON PUTTING THE UNIT INTO SERVICE!


For a full description on installing an Autotrol Softener, click here]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=36 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 10:45:55 -0500 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=36
Although bottled water companies and water filter producers boast the importance of clean water, the truth is that tap water is relatively safe to drink. Tap water comes from purification plants and has very low bacteria count. Low levels of chlorine present in tap water kills off bacteria and, in many cases, there are actually fewer bacteria in tap water than in most bottled waters.

The main difference between bottled or filtered water and tap water is that municipal tap water has chlorine residues, which serve to prevent recontamination of water as it moves through underground pipelines. Chlorine is strong enough to kill any bacteria that may invade the water. On its way from the treatment plant to the kitchen faucet, water can absorb a number of impurities and contamination can accrue through industrial and agricultural chemicals and other environmental waste.

The chlorine residue in water protects tap water as it flows through the winding pipelines, which would otherwise become a breeding ground for bacteria.

What water filter producers advertise, however, is the fact that while chlorination of municipal water supplies is necessary to kill and prevent bacteria as the water travels from the treatment plant to your tap, once you turn your tap on, you neither need it nor want it.

Many prefer to filter their water or to buy bottled water because the use of chlorine as a disinfectant causes a distinct and sometimes pungent taste and smell in water.

Chlorine makes some people nervous because a number of research studies draw links between long-term consumption of chlorinated drinking water and an increased risk of colon and bladder cancer. There is also growing concern about the long-term health implications of chlorine intake.

Research has shown that long-term exposure to certain by-products of chlorine may increase the risk of cancer, and bladder cancer in particular.

Studies have linked one specific by-product, called trihalomethanes or "THMs" to a significant increase in the risk of miscarriage in pregnant women who drank five or more glasses of unfiltered tap water a day.

THMs are a group of organic chemicals, which are suspected of being carcinogenic. They are formed in water when chlorine being used as a disinfectant reacts with natural organic matter (such as humic acids from decaying vegetation).

A Brita water filter claims to remove 99 percent of chlorine as well as heavy metals in tap water such as lead and copper which can be caused by the household installations. The filters also eliminate fluoride, which may not be a benefit for children's teeth.

Brita, however, does NOT filter THMs out of tap water.

Tap water may be just as safe because chlorine and THMs evaporate from tap water after a few hours.

The benefits of a Brita water filter lays in its ability to filter out heavy metals and other impurities, such as lead, which are most likely not in your tap, but may be due to poor plumbing.

Some studies have shown that home plumbing may be a source of excessive levels of lead. Impurities such as organic matter, sediment, rust and lead can be absorbed in the water ways and plumbing system, especially when using hot water from the tap.

Brita uses reverse-osmosis and consists of a two-tiered pitcher and a carbon and resin filter. Water poured into the top tier passes through the filter into the bottom tier, taking three to five minutes to filter a quart of water.

In terms of bacteria, however, Brita water filters do not aid to kill the microorganisms. If you have not changed your filter in six months, the Brita filter becomes useless.

Brita traps, but does not kill bacteria. Because the filter cannot kill bacteria, it actually becomes a breeding ground for the microorganisms if not changed regularly. An old, unchanged Brita filter can be dangerous because its use may add bacteria, which had been killed in the tap by chlorine, back into water.

So, the bottom line is that if you have a clean Brita filter, it is fine to use it for better tasting water and to take extra precaution. But for those concerned about chlorine levels, you can also go ahead and drink the tap as well. Chlorine is a fat-soluble compound and just as much enters your body when you take a shower as when you drink it directly.]]>
Although bottled water companies and water filter producers boast the importance of clean water, the truth is that tap water is relatively safe to drink. Tap water comes from purification plants and has very low bacteria count. Low levels of chlorine present in tap water kills off bacteria and, in many cases, there are actually fewer bacteria in tap water than in most bottled waters.

The main difference between bottled or filtered water and tap water is that municipal tap water has chlorine residues, which serve to prevent recontamination of water as it moves through underground pipelines. Chlorine is strong enough to kill any bacteria that may invade the water. On its way from the treatment plant to the kitchen faucet, water can absorb a number of impurities and contamination can accrue through industrial and agricultural chemicals and other environmental waste.

The chlorine residue in water protects tap water as it flows through the winding pipelines, which would otherwise become a breeding ground for bacteria.

What water filter producers advertise, however, is the fact that while chlorination of municipal water supplies is necessary to kill and prevent bacteria as the water travels from the treatment plant to your tap, once you turn your tap on, you neither need it nor want it.

Many prefer to filter their water or to buy bottled water because the use of chlorine as a disinfectant causes a distinct and sometimes pungent taste and smell in water.

Chlorine makes some people nervous because a number of research studies draw links between long-term consumption of chlorinated drinking water and an increased risk of colon and bladder cancer. There is also growing concern about the long-term health implications of chlorine intake.

Research has shown that long-term exposure to certain by-products of chlorine may increase the risk of cancer, and bladder cancer in particular.

Studies have linked one specific by-product, called trihalomethanes or "THMs" to a significant increase in the risk of miscarriage in pregnant women who drank five or more glasses of unfiltered tap water a day.

THMs are a group of organic chemicals, which are suspected of being carcinogenic. They are formed in water when chlorine being used as a disinfectant reacts with natural organic matter (such as humic acids from decaying vegetation).

A Brita water filter claims to remove 99 percent of chlorine as well as heavy metals in tap water such as lead and copper which can be caused by the household installations. The filters also eliminate fluoride, which may not be a benefit for children's teeth.

Brita, however, does NOT filter THMs out of tap water.

Tap water may be just as safe because chlorine and THMs evaporate from tap water after a few hours.

The benefits of a Brita water filter lays in its ability to filter out heavy metals and other impurities, such as lead, which are most likely not in your tap, but may be due to poor plumbing.

Some studies have shown that home plumbing may be a source of excessive levels of lead. Impurities such as organic matter, sediment, rust and lead can be absorbed in the water ways and plumbing system, especially when using hot water from the tap.

Brita uses reverse-osmosis and consists of a two-tiered pitcher and a carbon and resin filter. Water poured into the top tier passes through the filter into the bottom tier, taking three to five minutes to filter a quart of water.

In terms of bacteria, however, Brita water filters do not aid to kill the microorganisms. If you have not changed your filter in six months, the Brita filter becomes useless.

Brita traps, but does not kill bacteria. Because the filter cannot kill bacteria, it actually becomes a breeding ground for the microorganisms if not changed regularly. An old, unchanged Brita filter can be dangerous because its use may add bacteria, which had been killed in the tap by chlorine, back into water.

So, the bottom line is that if you have a clean Brita filter, it is fine to use it for better tasting water and to take extra precaution. But for those concerned about chlorine levels, you can also go ahead and drink the tap as well. Chlorine is a fat-soluble compound and just as much enters your body when you take a shower as when you drink it directly.]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=34 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 09:52:38 -0500 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=34 may choose to use either chlorine or chloramine. Before we continue with the comparison and contrast between the two chemicals, lets first understand what each chemical is.

Chlorine: is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. It is a halogen, found in the periodic table in group 17 (formerly VII, VIIa, or VIIb). As the chloride ion, which is part of common salt and other compounds, it is abundant in nature and necessary to most forms of life, including humans. In its elemental form (Cl2 or "dichlorine") under standard conditions, chlorine is a powerful oxidant and is used in bleaching and disinfectants, as well as an essential reagent in the chemical industry.

Chloramine: is an inorganic compound with the formula NH2Cl. It is a colourless liquid at room temperature, but it is usually handled as a dilute solution where it is used as a disinfectant. The term chloramine also refers to a family of organic compounds with the formulas R2NCl and RNCl2 (R is an organic group). Chloramine is a direct result of combining fluoroamine with calcium chloride (or ammonia with the active ingredient in chlorine).


Comparison and Contrast

In the US, EPA guidelines require that tap water at any faucet contain a minimal chlorine concentration of 0.2 ppm, and stringently limits the concentration of bacteria (which may require more than 0.2 ppm chlorine to keep in check). Because chlorine breaks down over time, the chlorine concentration of the water that comes out of your tap will be lower than that put in at the point of injection. Thus, the exact concentration at your faucet depends on how far you are from the point of injection, how long it takes the water to travel from the point of injection to your house, how much chlorine is initially added, etc.

Chlorine is relatively unstable in water, escaping to the atmosphere on its own. Sodium thiosulfate neutralizes chlorine instantly. Note that there are many ``water treatment'' products that are advertised as ``making tap water safe''. Read labels carefully. Inevitably, the ones that neutralize chlorine all contain sodium thiosulfate, plus other substances that may or may not be useful. If your water only contains chlorine (as opposed to chloramine), sodium thiosulfate is all you need. The most cost-effective treatments use only 1 drop per gallon of water. Most other water treatments are much more expensive in the long-term; they may require a teaspoon of treatment (or more) per gallon!

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, chloramine provides better protection against bacterial regrowth in water systems with large storage tanks and dead-end water mains. The EPA says that like chlorine, chloramine effectively controls biofilm, a slime formed by bacterial growth that coats and corrodes pipes and can harbor dangerous concentrations of coliform bacteria. Because chloramine tends not to react with organic compounds in water, consumers may have fewer complaints about the chemical taste and odor of treated water.

Like chlorine, however, chloramine is toxic. The EPA states that neither poses health concerns to humans at the levels used for drinking water disinfection. Unlike chlorine, chloramine does not from water when exposed to boiling temperatures or air. There are a few methods to removing chloramines from tap water. One way chloramine can be safely neutralized through such products as Amquel, which neutralize both the ammonia and chlorine portions of the chloramine molecules. The neutralized ammonia will still be converted to nitrates via a biological filter. Chloramine can also be removed from tap water by treatment with superchlorination (10 ppm or more of free chlorine, such as from a dose of sodium hypochlorite bleach or pool sanitizer) while maintaining a pH of about 7 (such as from a dose of hydrochloric acid). Hypochlorous acid from the free chlorine strips the ammonia from the chloramine, and the ammonia outgasses from the surface of the bulk water. This process takes about 24 hours for normal tap water concentrations of a few ppm of chloramine. However, this process still leaves chlorine in the water.]]> may choose to use either chlorine or chloramine. Before we continue with the comparison and contrast between the two chemicals, lets first understand what each chemical is.

Chlorine: is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. It is a halogen, found in the periodic table in group 17 (formerly VII, VIIa, or VIIb). As the chloride ion, which is part of common salt and other compounds, it is abundant in nature and necessary to most forms of life, including humans. In its elemental form (Cl2 or "dichlorine") under standard conditions, chlorine is a powerful oxidant and is used in bleaching and disinfectants, as well as an essential reagent in the chemical industry.

Chloramine: is an inorganic compound with the formula NH2Cl. It is a colourless liquid at room temperature, but it is usually handled as a dilute solution where it is used as a disinfectant. The term chloramine also refers to a family of organic compounds with the formulas R2NCl and RNCl2 (R is an organic group). Chloramine is a direct result of combining fluoroamine with calcium chloride (or ammonia with the active ingredient in chlorine).


Comparison and Contrast

In the US, EPA guidelines require that tap water at any faucet contain a minimal chlorine concentration of 0.2 ppm, and stringently limits the concentration of bacteria (which may require more than 0.2 ppm chlorine to keep in check). Because chlorine breaks down over time, the chlorine concentration of the water that comes out of your tap will be lower than that put in at the point of injection. Thus, the exact concentration at your faucet depends on how far you are from the point of injection, how long it takes the water to travel from the point of injection to your house, how much chlorine is initially added, etc.

Chlorine is relatively unstable in water, escaping to the atmosphere on its own. Sodium thiosulfate neutralizes chlorine instantly. Note that there are many ``water treatment'' products that are advertised as ``making tap water safe''. Read labels carefully. Inevitably, the ones that neutralize chlorine all contain sodium thiosulfate, plus other substances that may or may not be useful. If your water only contains chlorine (as opposed to chloramine), sodium thiosulfate is all you need. The most cost-effective treatments use only 1 drop per gallon of water. Most other water treatments are much more expensive in the long-term; they may require a teaspoon of treatment (or more) per gallon!

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, chloramine provides better protection against bacterial regrowth in water systems with large storage tanks and dead-end water mains. The EPA says that like chlorine, chloramine effectively controls biofilm, a slime formed by bacterial growth that coats and corrodes pipes and can harbor dangerous concentrations of coliform bacteria. Because chloramine tends not to react with organic compounds in water, consumers may have fewer complaints about the chemical taste and odor of treated water.

Like chlorine, however, chloramine is toxic. The EPA states that neither poses health concerns to humans at the levels used for drinking water disinfection. Unlike chlorine, chloramine does not from water when exposed to boiling temperatures or air. There are a few methods to removing chloramines from tap water. One way chloramine can be safely neutralized through such products as Amquel, which neutralize both the ammonia and chlorine portions of the chloramine molecules. The neutralized ammonia will still be converted to nitrates via a biological filter. Chloramine can also be removed from tap water by treatment with superchlorination (10 ppm or more of free chlorine, such as from a dose of sodium hypochlorite bleach or pool sanitizer) while maintaining a pH of about 7 (such as from a dose of hydrochloric acid). Hypochlorous acid from the free chlorine strips the ammonia from the chloramine, and the ammonia outgasses from the surface of the bulk water. This process takes about 24 hours for normal tap water concentrations of a few ppm of chloramine. However, this process still leaves chlorine in the water.]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=33 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:38:06 -0500 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=33 USGS report suggests: If the water looks and smells bad, it may be toxic

RESTON, VA, Sept. 13, 2010 -- Earthy or musty odors, along with visual evidence of blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, may serve as a warning that harmful cyanotoxins are present in lakes or reservoirs. In a newly published USGS study of cyanobacterial blooms in Midwest lakes, taste-and-odor compounds were found almost every time cyanotoxins were found, indicating odor may serve as a warning that harmful toxins are present.

"It is commonly believed that there are no health risks associated with taste-and-odor compounds," said Dr. Jennifer Graham, USGS limnologist and lead scientist on this study. "While taste-and-odor compounds are not toxic, these pungent compounds were always found with cyanotoxins in the blooms sampled. This finding highlights the need for increased cyanotoxin surveillance during taste-and-odor events so that the public can be advised, and waters can be effectively treated."

Cyanotoxins are produced by some cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria commonly form a blue-green, red or brown film-like layer on the surface of lakes and reservoirs. This phenomenon is frequently noticed in the United States during the summer, but also occurs during other seasons.

Cyanotoxins can be poisonous to people, aquatic life, pets and livestock. Removing or treating affected water can be both costly and time-intensive. Cyanotoxins are currently on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's drinking water contaminant candidate list, and many states include cyanotoxins in their freshwater beach-monitoring programs.

"Exposure to these toxins has caused a range of symptoms including skin rashes, severe stomach upset, seizures, or even death," said Dr. Keith Loftin, USGS research chemist and environmental engineer. "Pets and livestock are most susceptible to direct exposure, but people can also be affected during recreation, by eating contaminated foods, or by drinking contaminated water that has not been treated properly."

For this study, a cyanobacterial bloom from each of 23 lakes in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota and Missouri was sampled and analyzed for thirteen toxins and two taste-and-odor compounds. Lakes were targeted based on a known history of cyanobacterial bloom occurrence.

Microcystins, a specific type of toxin, are often the only cyanotoxin considered when evaluating risks associated with cyanobacteria in waters used for recreation or drinking water supply. Microcystins were found in all samples; however, this study also indicates that toxins other than microcystins may be more common than previously thought.

Taste-and-odor compounds were detected in 91 percent of samples. Since toxins occurred more frequently than taste-and-odor compounds, odor alone does not provide sufficient warning to ensure human-health protection against cyanotoxin exposure.

If you think you see a harmful algal bloom, avoiding it is the first course of action. A good second step is to notify local authorities responsible for the affected area, such as a lake manager, state health department, or other relevant state agencies.

The full journal article, published by Environmental Science and Technology, as well as additional information, photos, and an audio podcast about cyanobacteria, can be accessed at http://toxics.usgs.gov/highlights/algal_toxins/.]]> USGS report suggests: If the water looks and smells bad, it may be toxic

RESTON, VA, Sept. 13, 2010 -- Earthy or musty odors, along with visual evidence of blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, may serve as a warning that harmful cyanotoxins are present in lakes or reservoirs. In a newly published USGS study of cyanobacterial blooms in Midwest lakes, taste-and-odor compounds were found almost every time cyanotoxins were found, indicating odor may serve as a warning that harmful toxins are present.

"It is commonly believed that there are no health risks associated with taste-and-odor compounds," said Dr. Jennifer Graham, USGS limnologist and lead scientist on this study. "While taste-and-odor compounds are not toxic, these pungent compounds were always found with cyanotoxins in the blooms sampled. This finding highlights the need for increased cyanotoxin surveillance during taste-and-odor events so that the public can be advised, and waters can be effectively treated."

Cyanotoxins are produced by some cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria commonly form a blue-green, red or brown film-like layer on the surface of lakes and reservoirs. This phenomenon is frequently noticed in the United States during the summer, but also occurs during other seasons.

Cyanotoxins can be poisonous to people, aquatic life, pets and livestock. Removing or treating affected water can be both costly and time-intensive. Cyanotoxins are currently on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's drinking water contaminant candidate list, and many states include cyanotoxins in their freshwater beach-monitoring programs.

"Exposure to these toxins has caused a range of symptoms including skin rashes, severe stomach upset, seizures, or even death," said Dr. Keith Loftin, USGS research chemist and environmental engineer. "Pets and livestock are most susceptible to direct exposure, but people can also be affected during recreation, by eating contaminated foods, or by drinking contaminated water that has not been treated properly."

For this study, a cyanobacterial bloom from each of 23 lakes in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota and Missouri was sampled and analyzed for thirteen toxins and two taste-and-odor compounds. Lakes were targeted based on a known history of cyanobacterial bloom occurrence.

Microcystins, a specific type of toxin, are often the only cyanotoxin considered when evaluating risks associated with cyanobacteria in waters used for recreation or drinking water supply. Microcystins were found in all samples; however, this study also indicates that toxins other than microcystins may be more common than previously thought.

Taste-and-odor compounds were detected in 91 percent of samples. Since toxins occurred more frequently than taste-and-odor compounds, odor alone does not provide sufficient warning to ensure human-health protection against cyanotoxin exposure.

If you think you see a harmful algal bloom, avoiding it is the first course of action. A good second step is to notify local authorities responsible for the affected area, such as a lake manager, state health department, or other relevant state agencies.

The full journal article, published by Environmental Science and Technology, as well as additional information, photos, and an audio podcast about cyanobacteria, can be accessed at http://toxics.usgs.gov/highlights/algal_toxins/.]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=32 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:26:34 -0500 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=32
September 17, 2010
There's more than gas in Dimock's drinking water. An environmental engineer tested the water in the Susquehanna County community, and says almost every sample contained toxic chemicals.

Three laboratories verified the results. The tests found industrial solvents like toluene and ethyl-benzene. But the engineer says there's no way to know for sure if the chemicals in the water were caused by gas drilling.
Last year, Dimock landowners sued Cabot Oil & Gas for contaminating their drinking water with methane gas and other pollutants.
Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection determined Cabot's drilling wells had defective casings that allowed gas to leak into groundwater. The DEP fined Cabot and ordered it to clean up the pollution, as well as find a solution to restore clean drinking water to homeowners. Thursday, Pennsylvania's top environmental regulator said the only real solution would be to connect those homes to the public water supply in Montrose. It would cost $10 million.]]>
September 17, 2010
There's more than gas in Dimock's drinking water. An environmental engineer tested the water in the Susquehanna County community, and says almost every sample contained toxic chemicals.

Three laboratories verified the results. The tests found industrial solvents like toluene and ethyl-benzene. But the engineer says there's no way to know for sure if the chemicals in the water were caused by gas drilling.
Last year, Dimock landowners sued Cabot Oil & Gas for contaminating their drinking water with methane gas and other pollutants.
Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection determined Cabot's drilling wells had defective casings that allowed gas to leak into groundwater. The DEP fined Cabot and ordered it to clean up the pollution, as well as find a solution to restore clean drinking water to homeowners. Thursday, Pennsylvania's top environmental regulator said the only real solution would be to connect those homes to the public water supply in Montrose. It would cost $10 million.]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=31 Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:34:01 -0500 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=31 Most of us would like to think that we DON'T take our most abundant natural resource(freshwater) for granted. Then again we also at one point, believed the world was flat. I found a recent article citing a cause for concern among not just a local water supply issue, but a National crisis involving all freshwater.


WASHINGTON – Citing a looming freshwater crisis that could affect the nation’s economy, the livability of our communities and the health of our ecosystems, a diverse coalition of businesses, farmers, environmental not-for-profits and government agencies today issued a landmark call to action aimed at heading off a national crisis in water quality and supply.

“Charting New Waters: A Call to Action to Address U.S. Freshwater Challenges,” is the culmination of an intensive two-year collaboration exploring solutions to U.S. freshwater challenges.It was presented to the Obama Administration at a meeting of federal agencies convened by the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), and released to the public during a noon forum at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

“There was broad consensus among participants that our current path will, unless changed, lead us to a national freshwater crisis in the foreseeable future,” the Call to Action reports. “This reality encompasses a wide array of challenges … that collectively amount to a tenuous trajectory for the future of the nation’s freshwater resources.”

The report identifies serious challenges to the quality and supply of freshwater, such as pollution and scarcity; competing urban, rural and ecosystem water needs; climate change; environmental and public health impacts; and a variety of economic implications. The document offers actions to confront these threats and a plan to ensure that our freshwater resources are secure for the 21st century.

While a great deal of progress has been made since landmark freshwater legislation in the 1970s, many freshwater challenges persist, the report says. It sees some as acute and obvious, such as severe droughts and broken water mains. Others are characterized as more subtle and chronic, building quietly over the years – such as endocrine disrupting chemicals in rivers and drinking water and the slow but steady depletion of aquifers and declining snowpack in parts of the country.

The document is believed to be the first such comprehensive, cross-sector examination of U.S. freshwater challenges and solutions. It represents consensus recommendations of diverse interests convened by The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread in Racine, Wisconsin.

Reliable freshwater supplies are an essential underpinning of U.S. economic security, with energy generation, manufacturing, food production and many activities of daily life dependent on access to freshwater, the report says. It notes that an estimated 41 percent of U.S. freshwater withdrawals are for thermoelectric power generation, primarily coal, nuclear and natural gas; 37 percent go toward irrigated agriculture.

"For too long, our society has treated water as a cheap, non-strategic and infinitely available resource.Not anymore. Threats to water quality and access are putting our businesses, communities and way of life in jeopardy. The time to act is now,” said S. Curtis Johnson, chairman of Diversey Inc., a leading global provider of cleaning and hygiene solutions to the institutional marketplace and co-signer of the Call to Action.

The document proposes a series of shared actions across sectors to ensure sustainable and resilient freshwater resources so that we have the ability to absorb changes, sudden or otherwise, through flexible water management strategies.

The Call to Action’s recommendations include a range of freshwater management strategies to head off a potential crisis, such as streamlining and better coordinating fragmented governance among federal, state and local jurisdictions. Another key need identified in the report is modernizing our freshwater regulatory framework, developed in the 1970s to deal with the acute environmental issues of that era.

"For decades, U.S. water strategy has been cobbled together from diverse, incomplete, and sometimes conflicting policies. We can no longer afford to manage our water that way. The good news is that smart, effective, and innovative solutions to the nation's water problems exist and can be implemented. That's what this report recommends," said Dr. Peter Gleick, President of the Pacific Institute, one of the nation's leading water scientists and a co-signer of the Call to Action.

The report also calls for better accounting of the full cost of services delivered by municipal water and wastewater utilities and sharing this information with consumers. Revised pricing structures that more accurately reflect the full cost of services could be one step toward financing badly needed upgrades to U.S. water and wastewater systems.

“Freshwater is our most precious resource and the lifeblood of our economy – industry, agriculture and energy generation all depend heavily on adequate supplies of freshwater. Water quality in our natural and municipal freshwater systems is vital to the health and livability of our communities,” said Helen Johnson-Leipold, chairman of The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread.“The Foundation and its many partners in this collaboration offer the Call to Action as a means of bringing overdue attention to our nation’s freshwater challenges and sparking action to address them.”

A leading representative of the agriculture community commended the process that led to today’s announcement.

“It’s enabled a range of participants who seldom engage each other to arrive at some potentially significant and effective recommendations, such as those regarding water quality and the Farm Bill, guidelines for the work and composition of the proposed Freshwater Commission, and emphasis on the importance of local and state leadership in developing co-beneficial solutions based on sound data in local watersheds,” said Ray Gaesser, past president of the Iowa Soybean Association and co-signer of the Call to Action.

In addition to signing onto the Call to Action, the parties in this groundbreaking initiative also made commitments as individual organizations to take actions to address freshwater challenges. For additional information about these commitments and the Call to Action, or to learn more about The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread, please visit www.johnsonfdn.org.]]> Most of us would like to think that we DON'T take our most abundant natural resource(freshwater) for granted. Then again we also at one point, believed the world was flat. I found a recent article citing a cause for concern among not just a local water supply issue, but a National crisis involving all freshwater.


WASHINGTON – Citing a looming freshwater crisis that could affect the nation’s economy, the livability of our communities and the health of our ecosystems, a diverse coalition of businesses, farmers, environmental not-for-profits and government agencies today issued a landmark call to action aimed at heading off a national crisis in water quality and supply.

“Charting New Waters: A Call to Action to Address U.S. Freshwater Challenges,” is the culmination of an intensive two-year collaboration exploring solutions to U.S. freshwater challenges.It was presented to the Obama Administration at a meeting of federal agencies convened by the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), and released to the public during a noon forum at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

“There was broad consensus among participants that our current path will, unless changed, lead us to a national freshwater crisis in the foreseeable future,” the Call to Action reports. “This reality encompasses a wide array of challenges … that collectively amount to a tenuous trajectory for the future of the nation’s freshwater resources.”

The report identifies serious challenges to the quality and supply of freshwater, such as pollution and scarcity; competing urban, rural and ecosystem water needs; climate change; environmental and public health impacts; and a variety of economic implications. The document offers actions to confront these threats and a plan to ensure that our freshwater resources are secure for the 21st century.

While a great deal of progress has been made since landmark freshwater legislation in the 1970s, many freshwater challenges persist, the report says. It sees some as acute and obvious, such as severe droughts and broken water mains. Others are characterized as more subtle and chronic, building quietly over the years – such as endocrine disrupting chemicals in rivers and drinking water and the slow but steady depletion of aquifers and declining snowpack in parts of the country.

The document is believed to be the first such comprehensive, cross-sector examination of U.S. freshwater challenges and solutions. It represents consensus recommendations of diverse interests convened by The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread in Racine, Wisconsin.

Reliable freshwater supplies are an essential underpinning of U.S. economic security, with energy generation, manufacturing, food production and many activities of daily life dependent on access to freshwater, the report says. It notes that an estimated 41 percent of U.S. freshwater withdrawals are for thermoelectric power generation, primarily coal, nuclear and natural gas; 37 percent go toward irrigated agriculture.

"For too long, our society has treated water as a cheap, non-strategic and infinitely available resource.Not anymore. Threats to water quality and access are putting our businesses, communities and way of life in jeopardy. The time to act is now,” said S. Curtis Johnson, chairman of Diversey Inc., a leading global provider of cleaning and hygiene solutions to the institutional marketplace and co-signer of the Call to Action.

The document proposes a series of shared actions across sectors to ensure sustainable and resilient freshwater resources so that we have the ability to absorb changes, sudden or otherwise, through flexible water management strategies.

The Call to Action’s recommendations include a range of freshwater management strategies to head off a potential crisis, such as streamlining and better coordinating fragmented governance among federal, state and local jurisdictions. Another key need identified in the report is modernizing our freshwater regulatory framework, developed in the 1970s to deal with the acute environmental issues of that era.

"For decades, U.S. water strategy has been cobbled together from diverse, incomplete, and sometimes conflicting policies. We can no longer afford to manage our water that way. The good news is that smart, effective, and innovative solutions to the nation's water problems exist and can be implemented. That's what this report recommends," said Dr. Peter Gleick, President of the Pacific Institute, one of the nation's leading water scientists and a co-signer of the Call to Action.

The report also calls for better accounting of the full cost of services delivered by municipal water and wastewater utilities and sharing this information with consumers. Revised pricing structures that more accurately reflect the full cost of services could be one step toward financing badly needed upgrades to U.S. water and wastewater systems.

“Freshwater is our most precious resource and the lifeblood of our economy – industry, agriculture and energy generation all depend heavily on adequate supplies of freshwater. Water quality in our natural and municipal freshwater systems is vital to the health and livability of our communities,” said Helen Johnson-Leipold, chairman of The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread.“The Foundation and its many partners in this collaboration offer the Call to Action as a means of bringing overdue attention to our nation’s freshwater challenges and sparking action to address them.”

A leading representative of the agriculture community commended the process that led to today’s announcement.

“It’s enabled a range of participants who seldom engage each other to arrive at some potentially significant and effective recommendations, such as those regarding water quality and the Farm Bill, guidelines for the work and composition of the proposed Freshwater Commission, and emphasis on the importance of local and state leadership in developing co-beneficial solutions based on sound data in local watersheds,” said Ray Gaesser, past president of the Iowa Soybean Association and co-signer of the Call to Action.

In addition to signing onto the Call to Action, the parties in this groundbreaking initiative also made commitments as individual organizations to take actions to address freshwater challenges. For additional information about these commitments and the Call to Action, or to learn more about The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread, please visit www.johnsonfdn.org.]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=30 Tue, 25 May 2010 11:14:00 -0500 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=30 Q: I have city water; do I still need a filtration system?

A: We hear it often, “Why isn’t my city water better?” A fairly simple answer, city water suppliers do not directly treat the water supply. Only 2% of the total treated water will end up in residential homes. The remaining 98% will be used for parks & recreation, firefighting and so forth. We typically find two areas of conflict with city water in residential settings. The first is high alkalinity or “hard water,” meaning there are a lot of un-dissolved minerals in the water supply such as calcium or magnesium (refer to “what is hard water for more” below). The second is high chlorine (Cl) content, which is used to kill the odor caused by sulfur in the water supply. Both of these problems can easily be corrected through proper filtration.

Q: What is hard water?

A: Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with soft water). Hard water minerals primarily consist of calcium (Ca2+), and magnesium (Mg2+) metal cations, and sometimes other dissolved compounds such as bicarbonates and sulfates. Calcium usually enters the water as either calcium carbonate (CaCO3), in the form of limestone and chalk, or calcium sulfate (CaSO4), in the form of other mineral deposits. The predominant source of magnesium is dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2). Hard water is generally not harmful to one's health.

Q: How do I know what exactly, in is in my water supply?

A: Everything from in-home self test kits to professional laboratory testing is available to the consumer. For more info click here, also check out our complete line of test kits @ http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/shop/...&cPath=243

Q: Is my drinking water safe to drink?

A: The United States enjoys one of the best supplies of drinking water in the world. Sometimes water has an unpleasant smell or taste, because of certain treatment or local conditions; nonetheless, tap water that meets EPA and state standards is considered safe to drink. However, some water suppliers do not meet all applicable standards. To find out if your drinking water supplier complies with federal and state standards, contact your local water supplier. The number should be on your water bill, or in your local phone book. You can also check with your state drinking water agency. If you are concerned about a specific contaminant in your water supply, the EPA has prepared fact sheets for consumers on most of the contaminants which are regulated. Click here to view the EPA contaminants guideline.

Q: Where does my drinking water come from?

A: Drinking water sources vary even within communities. Nationwide, approximately 53 percent of all drinking water comes from ground water sources (wells), with the remaining 47 percent coming from surface water sources (rivers, lakes, and reservoirs).

Q: Where can I get my water tested? Will the EPA test my water?

A: The EPA does not test individual homes, and cannot recommend specific labs to test your drinking water. However, States are required to certify water testing labs. You may call your State Certification Officer to get a list of certified water testing labs in your state.Click here for a list of State Certification Officers.

Q: I want the safest possible water. Is bottled water safer than tap water?

A: Bottled water is not necessarily any safer than your local drinking water. The EPA regulates public water systems to ensure that they are in compliance with national standards; bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration as a food product. Both agencies use equivalent health standards to ensure safety. If you want the safest water possible, then boil your water for one minute, whether it is tap water or bottled water. NSF International, an independent non-profit organization , certifies some brands of bottled drinking water. To find out which brands it certifies, call NSF at 1-800-673-8010.

Additional questions? email chris@watersoftener-parts.com]]> Q: I have city water; do I still need a filtration system?

A: We hear it often, “Why isn’t my city water better?” A fairly simple answer, city water suppliers do not directly treat the water supply. Only 2% of the total treated water will end up in residential homes. The remaining 98% will be used for parks & recreation, firefighting and so forth. We typically find two areas of conflict with city water in residential settings. The first is high alkalinity or “hard water,” meaning there are a lot of un-dissolved minerals in the water supply such as calcium or magnesium (refer to “what is hard water for more” below). The second is high chlorine (Cl) content, which is used to kill the odor caused by sulfur in the water supply. Both of these problems can easily be corrected through proper filtration.

Q: What is hard water?

A: Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with soft water). Hard water minerals primarily consist of calcium (Ca2+), and magnesium (Mg2+) metal cations, and sometimes other dissolved compounds such as bicarbonates and sulfates. Calcium usually enters the water as either calcium carbonate (CaCO3), in the form of limestone and chalk, or calcium sulfate (CaSO4), in the form of other mineral deposits. The predominant source of magnesium is dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2). Hard water is generally not harmful to one's health.

Q: How do I know what exactly, in is in my water supply?

A: Everything from in-home self test kits to professional laboratory testing is available to the consumer. For more info click here, also check out our complete line of test kits @ http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/shop/...&cPath=243

Q: Is my drinking water safe to drink?

A: The United States enjoys one of the best supplies of drinking water in the world. Sometimes water has an unpleasant smell or taste, because of certain treatment or local conditions; nonetheless, tap water that meets EPA and state standards is considered safe to drink. However, some water suppliers do not meet all applicable standards. To find out if your drinking water supplier complies with federal and state standards, contact your local water supplier. The number should be on your water bill, or in your local phone book. You can also check with your state drinking water agency. If you are concerned about a specific contaminant in your water supply, the EPA has prepared fact sheets for consumers on most of the contaminants which are regulated. Click here to view the EPA contaminants guideline.

Q: Where does my drinking water come from?

A: Drinking water sources vary even within communities. Nationwide, approximately 53 percent of all drinking water comes from ground water sources (wells), with the remaining 47 percent coming from surface water sources (rivers, lakes, and reservoirs).

Q: Where can I get my water tested? Will the EPA test my water?

A: The EPA does not test individual homes, and cannot recommend specific labs to test your drinking water. However, States are required to certify water testing labs. You may call your State Certification Officer to get a list of certified water testing labs in your state.Click here for a list of State Certification Officers.

Q: I want the safest possible water. Is bottled water safer than tap water?

A: Bottled water is not necessarily any safer than your local drinking water. The EPA regulates public water systems to ensure that they are in compliance with national standards; bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration as a food product. Both agencies use equivalent health standards to ensure safety. If you want the safest water possible, then boil your water for one minute, whether it is tap water or bottled water. NSF International, an independent non-profit organization , certifies some brands of bottled drinking water. To find out which brands it certifies, call NSF at 1-800-673-8010.

Additional questions? email chris@watersoftener-parts.com]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=29 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:27:56 -0500 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=29
Omega Optics will use the grant to develop commercially viable technology to identify contaminants in drinking water and hazardous air pollutants, according to a press release.

Defiant Technologies will put the $70,000 in funding towards the development of a handheld miniature chemical sensor system that will report on contaminants in groundwater and can be adapted for use in small bore wells, a press release stated.

A total of 34 businesses have received funding through the SBIR program to develop new technologies to protect human health and the environment.

“Small businesses are critical elements for technical innovation in the United States,” said EPA Regional Administrator Al Armendariz. “EPA is helping small businesses make significant contributions to both the environment and the economy through the SBIR program.”

to read the entire article click here]]>
Omega Optics will use the grant to develop commercially viable technology to identify contaminants in drinking water and hazardous air pollutants, according to a press release.

Defiant Technologies will put the $70,000 in funding towards the development of a handheld miniature chemical sensor system that will report on contaminants in groundwater and can be adapted for use in small bore wells, a press release stated.

A total of 34 businesses have received funding through the SBIR program to develop new technologies to protect human health and the environment.

“Small businesses are critical elements for technical innovation in the United States,” said EPA Regional Administrator Al Armendariz. “EPA is helping small businesses make significant contributions to both the environment and the economy through the SBIR program.”

to read the entire article click here]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=28 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 09:44:57 -0500 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=28
General Installation Guide for water softeners using Fleck valves

Overview

This installation guide gives a basic step-by-step, start to finish procedure for installing a basic water softener. All steps provided herein are for a typical installation only. If you would require additional plumbing to install your softener, simply contact a person or company who is knowledgeable in residential plumbing, to help you install, or to install the unit for you. Installation of this unit does require basic residential plumbing skills, tools and knowledge. Installing this unit is very simple and should not be a problem, especially if the person doing the installation uses common sense along with studying and following these recommendations as well as the "Service Manual" for the specific control valve for your unit. Take time to carefully read the instructions, look at the service manual, get all of your plumbing parts together before you start. The typical installation should take no more than a couple of hours.

Pre-Installation

Position your new unit making sure there is a 1 ½ " minimum drain opening within 20’ of the unit.

The unit requires a ½" ID flexible plastic drain line (not supplied) running from the softener. There will be a fair amount of pressure on this flexible plastic drain line when the softener is in the regeneration mode, so make certain it is secured in place! Always leave an air gap between the end of this flexible plastic drain line and the point at which it enters the waste line. The air gap is for the prevention of possible back siphoning. An air gap space of 1-2" should be plenty! (Local codes should always be followed).

A grounded 3-prong 120v, electrical outlet is required. The unit comes with a 5’ power cord. (Extension cords may be used, per local electrical/building/safety codes).

These units have an operating water pressure range between 25-95psi. (45-55psi is an optimum pressure range).

Locate the softener in a dry, level protected area where it cannot freeze!

You can also place the larger tank, (brine tank for salt or potassium chloride), up to 20 feet from the softener mineral tank. So, make it easy on yourself and position it where it will be easy to access when filling the tanks with salt. (When the softener is going to be installed within 20’ of an attached garage, we recommend setting the brine tank in the garage for easy filling.

*IMPORTANT* IF you decide to set the brine tank in your garage, remember that the water in the brine tank will not freeze but the small plastic water line running from the softener to the brine tank will. Make certain the garage is warm enough to prevent this line from freezing!!

Make a list of all the plumbing fittings you will need to completely install the unit.

Assemble all tools needed to install the unit

Start the installation process by turning off the main water supply valve.

Installation

Open all plumbing fixtures in the house including all outside faucets in order to drain the lines of all the water you possibly can.

Cut and remove a section of water line where the unit is to be installed if you have a typical straight in and out, ¾" or 1" copper pipe installation. If a water well bladder tank is in the line, place the softener on the discharge side of the tank.

Remove the brass yoke from the back of the valve, by loosening the two small stainless steel clamps on either side of the rear valve assembly. Pull it off the back of the meter. *NOTE* (If you ordered our optional brass bypass valve assembly, then remove it instead of the brass yoke).

Leave the meter in place which is still attached to the back of the valve body by an identical set of these stainless steel clips.

If there is a bypass valve assembly already in place in your home, then simply utilize the standard brass yoke to make your plumbing connection to and from the water line.

We do not recommend applying intense heat, such as that used for soldering copper pipe to your new Fleck valve assembly. So:

a. If sweating in copper, purchase two common male thread to sweat copper adaptors.

b. Solder a 3" to 5" piece of copper pipe into each adaptor.

c. Once you have the pieces joined simply wait until they are cool enough to touch, then apply Teflon tape or pipe joint compound to the male threads of each one, and securely thread them into the brass yoke, (or the optional brass bypass valve assembly), before you re-attach either of them onto the back of the valve body assembly.

**(Important!! DO NOT thread the copper adaptors into the brass yoke or bypass valve while the yoke or bypass valve is connected to the valve/meter assembly! You may exert too much pressure on the meter while securing the copper adaptors, causing damage to the valve/meter housing!)

d. Again, after securely threading the adaptor into either the brass yoke or bypass valve assembly, re-attach it to the valve/meter assembly and secure it there with the two small stainless steel clamps.

Now position your softener in place for final water line installation, making sure the bypass valve is set in the "BYPASS" positions

FIRST, measure and cut the lengths of the pipe you need to plumb the main hard water line into your softener unit. Then do the same for the soft water line that will exit from the softening unit, back into the house. *NOTE* The hard water line will enter the LEFT SIDE HOLE in the brass yoke or bypass assembly as you look directly at the two holes on the rear of the unit. The unit will also be marked either on the back of the valve body itself with the word "IN" and "OUT", and/or on the top of the body of the bypass valve assembly with arrows showing the direction of water flow into and out of the valve. Remember, as you are looking at the rear of the unit, the hard water line from your house enters the unit on the LEFT. The soft water flowing from the unit through the meter into your house is on the RIGHT. Now your unit is connected.

Slowly turn the main water valve to your house back on allowing all of the water lines to slowly refill. The water will gently push the air out of the lines through all the plumbing fixtures you opened earlier. Start by turning off all outside faucets first, once water is flowing out of them again, steadily. Then do the same with every plumbing fixture inside your home. In just a few minutes, the air should be out of your water lines with full water pressure to your house restored. The hard water will be bypassing your water softener at this time.

Final Installation Steps and Setup

There is a black plastic, drain hose barb, located on the lower, backside of the valve. Make certain this black plastic fitting is securely threaded into the valve body and that the threads have been coated with either Teflon tape or pipe joint compound. You should easily be able to see if the fitting has tape or joint compound on the threads. If you do see tape or joint compound on the threads of this fitting, then you can proceed to carefully push the ½" ID flexible plastic drain line fully onto this plastic barbed end. If this fitting is loose, and/or doesn’t have any tape or joint compound visibly present, simply unscrew the fitting and apply some of either material to the threads, and then re-thread the fitting back into the valve body. Be careful not to over tighten the fitting! Just snug it up a bit!

Carefully push the ½" ID plastic drain hose completely over the barbed end of the fitting . Run the opposite end of this drain hose to the house drain you are going to use for your softener. Mount the end of the flexible drain hose at the house drain, leaving an air gap of at least 1", (Follow local plumbing codes), and securing it. When the unit is in the regeneration mode, water will flow out of this drain line with a fair amount of pressure, especially during the "rapid rinse phases" of the regeneration process, and the line may sometimes "jump" a little when changing cycles.

Next, connect your brine tank to your softener. One end of the 3/8" brine line tubing will be connected to your brine tank and the opposite end needs to be connected to your valve. Slide the Brine Line Flow Control (BLFC) fitting nut and the BLFC plastic ferrule over the loose end of the 3/8" brine line. Insert the BLFC brass tube insert into the end of the brine line tubing. Push the loose end of the brine line tubing into the BLFC fitting located on the side of the valve body, and tighten the fitting nut securely.

Filling the Softener with Water

Slowly open the bypass valve from the "Bypass" position towards the "Service" position. Let the unit fill up with water slowly. This will take only a few minutes. Once the sound of running water has stopped and the softener is full, open the bypass valve completely to the service position. You now have soft water!

With your hardness figure set the number of gallons on the meter dial for demand initiated gallon meter controlled valves or select the days for regeneration on the clock timer unit.

Pour about 5 gallons of water into the bottom of the brine tank to dissolve the salt. This will make brine for the softener to use when it is ready to regenerate for the first time.

The valve should be in the "Service" position and plugged in. Slowly rotate this knob clockwise just a few "clicks" at a time for the mechanical unit or advance through the cycles with the digital units, stopping at each setting for a minute or so, to clear the air out of the valve, and to fill the brine line with water. Once you have completed one full regeneration cycle and it is set back to the "Service" position, the unit is now ready for use!

Finally, set the current time of day and the unit will regenerate at 2:00am, on the morning after the meter has measured the pre-set amount of water or the time clock unit day of regeneration is reached. Check for leaks and fill the brine tank with salt! We recommend using the very clean salt in our units.

Notes

Even though you now have soft water, your water heater is still full of hard water. Through normal use, this water will be replaced with soft water in about 2-4 days.

Be sure to cut back on detergent, soap and shampoo usage! Generally, you should be able to cut your soap use in half! This savings helps to offset the cost of the softener salt!

Hard copper pipe generally comes in two grades. We recommend using the thicker "L" type copper pipe rather than the thinner "M" type copper pipe.

Follow your local plumbing and building codes when installing your new softener.]]>
General Installation Guide for water softeners using Fleck valves

Overview

This installation guide gives a basic step-by-step, start to finish procedure for installing a basic water softener. All steps provided herein are for a typical installation only. If you would require additional plumbing to install your softener, simply contact a person or company who is knowledgeable in residential plumbing, to help you install, or to install the unit for you. Installation of this unit does require basic residential plumbing skills, tools and knowledge. Installing this unit is very simple and should not be a problem, especially if the person doing the installation uses common sense along with studying and following these recommendations as well as the "Service Manual" for the specific control valve for your unit. Take time to carefully read the instructions, look at the service manual, get all of your plumbing parts together before you start. The typical installation should take no more than a couple of hours.

Pre-Installation

Position your new unit making sure there is a 1 ½ " minimum drain opening within 20’ of the unit.

The unit requires a ½" ID flexible plastic drain line (not supplied) running from the softener. There will be a fair amount of pressure on this flexible plastic drain line when the softener is in the regeneration mode, so make certain it is secured in place! Always leave an air gap between the end of this flexible plastic drain line and the point at which it enters the waste line. The air gap is for the prevention of possible back siphoning. An air gap space of 1-2" should be plenty! (Local codes should always be followed).

A grounded 3-prong 120v, electrical outlet is required. The unit comes with a 5’ power cord. (Extension cords may be used, per local electrical/building/safety codes).

These units have an operating water pressure range between 25-95psi. (45-55psi is an optimum pressure range).

Locate the softener in a dry, level protected area where it cannot freeze!

You can also place the larger tank, (brine tank for salt or potassium chloride), up to 20 feet from the softener mineral tank. So, make it easy on yourself and position it where it will be easy to access when filling the tanks with salt. (When the softener is going to be installed within 20’ of an attached garage, we recommend setting the brine tank in the garage for easy filling.

*IMPORTANT* IF you decide to set the brine tank in your garage, remember that the water in the brine tank will not freeze but the small plastic water line running from the softener to the brine tank will. Make certain the garage is warm enough to prevent this line from freezing!!

Make a list of all the plumbing fittings you will need to completely install the unit.

Assemble all tools needed to install the unit

Start the installation process by turning off the main water supply valve.

Installation

Open all plumbing fixtures in the house including all outside faucets in order to drain the lines of all the water you possibly can.

Cut and remove a section of water line where the unit is to be installed if you have a typical straight in and out, ¾" or 1" copper pipe installation. If a water well bladder tank is in the line, place the softener on the discharge side of the tank.

Remove the brass yoke from the back of the valve, by loosening the two small stainless steel clamps on either side of the rear valve assembly. Pull it off the back of the meter. *NOTE* (If you ordered our optional brass bypass valve assembly, then remove it instead of the brass yoke).

Leave the meter in place which is still attached to the back of the valve body by an identical set of these stainless steel clips.

If there is a bypass valve assembly already in place in your home, then simply utilize the standard brass yoke to make your plumbing connection to and from the water line.

We do not recommend applying intense heat, such as that used for soldering copper pipe to your new Fleck valve assembly. So:

a. If sweating in copper, purchase two common male thread to sweat copper adaptors.

b. Solder a 3" to 5" piece of copper pipe into each adaptor.

c. Once you have the pieces joined simply wait until they are cool enough to touch, then apply Teflon tape or pipe joint compound to the male threads of each one, and securely thread them into the brass yoke, (or the optional brass bypass valve assembly), before you re-attach either of them onto the back of the valve body assembly.

**(Important!! DO NOT thread the copper adaptors into the brass yoke or bypass valve while the yoke or bypass valve is connected to the valve/meter assembly! You may exert too much pressure on the meter while securing the copper adaptors, causing damage to the valve/meter housing!)

d. Again, after securely threading the adaptor into either the brass yoke or bypass valve assembly, re-attach it to the valve/meter assembly and secure it there with the two small stainless steel clamps.

Now position your softener in place for final water line installation, making sure the bypass valve is set in the "BYPASS" positions

FIRST, measure and cut the lengths of the pipe you need to plumb the main hard water line into your softener unit. Then do the same for the soft water line that will exit from the softening unit, back into the house. *NOTE* The hard water line will enter the LEFT SIDE HOLE in the brass yoke or bypass assembly as you look directly at the two holes on the rear of the unit. The unit will also be marked either on the back of the valve body itself with the word "IN" and "OUT", and/or on the top of the body of the bypass valve assembly with arrows showing the direction of water flow into and out of the valve. Remember, as you are looking at the rear of the unit, the hard water line from your house enters the unit on the LEFT. The soft water flowing from the unit through the meter into your house is on the RIGHT. Now your unit is connected.

Slowly turn the main water valve to your house back on allowing all of the water lines to slowly refill. The water will gently push the air out of the lines through all the plumbing fixtures you opened earlier. Start by turning off all outside faucets first, once water is flowing out of them again, steadily. Then do the same with every plumbing fixture inside your home. In just a few minutes, the air should be out of your water lines with full water pressure to your house restored. The hard water will be bypassing your water softener at this time.

Final Installation Steps and Setup

There is a black plastic, drain hose barb, located on the lower, backside of the valve. Make certain this black plastic fitting is securely threaded into the valve body and that the threads have been coated with either Teflon tape or pipe joint compound. You should easily be able to see if the fitting has tape or joint compound on the threads. If you do see tape or joint compound on the threads of this fitting, then you can proceed to carefully push the ½" ID flexible plastic drain line fully onto this plastic barbed end. If this fitting is loose, and/or doesn’t have any tape or joint compound visibly present, simply unscrew the fitting and apply some of either material to the threads, and then re-thread the fitting back into the valve body. Be careful not to over tighten the fitting! Just snug it up a bit!

Carefully push the ½" ID plastic drain hose completely over the barbed end of the fitting . Run the opposite end of this drain hose to the house drain you are going to use for your softener. Mount the end of the flexible drain hose at the house drain, leaving an air gap of at least 1", (Follow local plumbing codes), and securing it. When the unit is in the regeneration mode, water will flow out of this drain line with a fair amount of pressure, especially during the "rapid rinse phases" of the regeneration process, and the line may sometimes "jump" a little when changing cycles.

Next, connect your brine tank to your softener. One end of the 3/8" brine line tubing will be connected to your brine tank and the opposite end needs to be connected to your valve. Slide the Brine Line Flow Control (BLFC) fitting nut and the BLFC plastic ferrule over the loose end of the 3/8" brine line. Insert the BLFC brass tube insert into the end of the brine line tubing. Push the loose end of the brine line tubing into the BLFC fitting located on the side of the valve body, and tighten the fitting nut securely.

Filling the Softener with Water

Slowly open the bypass valve from the "Bypass" position towards the "Service" position. Let the unit fill up with water slowly. This will take only a few minutes. Once the sound of running water has stopped and the softener is full, open the bypass valve completely to the service position. You now have soft water!

With your hardness figure set the number of gallons on the meter dial for demand initiated gallon meter controlled valves or select the days for regeneration on the clock timer unit.

Pour about 5 gallons of water into the bottom of the brine tank to dissolve the salt. This will make brine for the softener to use when it is ready to regenerate for the first time.

The valve should be in the "Service" position and plugged in. Slowly rotate this knob clockwise just a few "clicks" at a time for the mechanical unit or advance through the cycles with the digital units, stopping at each setting for a minute or so, to clear the air out of the valve, and to fill the brine line with water. Once you have completed one full regeneration cycle and it is set back to the "Service" position, the unit is now ready for use!

Finally, set the current time of day and the unit will regenerate at 2:00am, on the morning after the meter has measured the pre-set amount of water or the time clock unit day of regeneration is reached. Check for leaks and fill the brine tank with salt! We recommend using the very clean salt in our units.

Notes

Even though you now have soft water, your water heater is still full of hard water. Through normal use, this water will be replaced with soft water in about 2-4 days.

Be sure to cut back on detergent, soap and shampoo usage! Generally, you should be able to cut your soap use in half! This savings helps to offset the cost of the softener salt!

Hard copper pipe generally comes in two grades. We recommend using the thicker "L" type copper pipe rather than the thinner "M" type copper pipe.

Follow your local plumbing and building codes when installing your new softener.]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=27 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 02:10:59 -0500 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=27
Answers are welcome in this post.]]>
Answers are welcome in this post.]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=26 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 01:54:54 -0500 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=26
Even in the absence of devices or machines, there is really a possible way of removing contaminants in the water. I have known a lot of methods for filtering water but it's with the use of devices.
I was able to ask these for the sake of those people who can't afford to avail at the services of water filter companies.

Suggestions are warmly accepted. Thank you.[/font]]]>
Even in the absence of devices or machines, there is really a possible way of removing contaminants in the water. I have known a lot of methods for filtering water but it's with the use of devices.
I was able to ask these for the sake of those people who can't afford to avail at the services of water filter companies.

Suggestions are warmly accepted. Thank you.[/font]]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=25 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:04:04 -0500 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=25 Related search terms from http://www.waterinfolink.com: reuse, rainwater harvesting, drought

What would you do if you went to the kitchen faucet, turned it on, and no water came out? That could be a reality one day. Due to recent years of drought across the country, groundwater tables are at a record low and reservoirs are not as plentiful as they used to be. The reality of inadequate water supplies is imminent as our population grows.
The California Department of Water Resources (CDWR) released several statements in 2009 regarding its water deficit problems. Their biggest concern? The growing population in California brings greater demand for this precious resource. Since 1990, 9 million new residents have inhabited this state. The result? A water shortage crisis. The CDWR also has stated that recent droughts over the past three years have dropped groundwater tables in wells in addition to lowering reservoir levels. Transferring water from less-affected reservoirs to reservoirs with severe deficits is just one solution. Building costly water treatment plants is another.

Another Option

There is an alternative solution on the market that is growing in popularity with homeowners and catching the interest of water utility companies: rainwater harvesting (RWH).
Last year, homeowner Jerry Block of Northern California installed a 20,000-gal rain harvesting system. A series of five 5,000-gal water storage tanks were installed in his backyard around his large solar array. His home now has the potential of collecting more than 30,000 gal of rainwater in a single year. The water is debris free because his system is equipped with the Gutterglove Gutterguard, a first-stage filter for keeping all leaves, pine needles and roof sand grit out of his gutters and rain tanks. He now has an adequate backup supply of clean water. One reason Block wanted to have this additional source of water was to relieve his fear of a potential earthquake damaging his area’s water supply. Now he has peace of mind and a second source of water to irrigate his yard in the event that disaster strikes.

In 2009, reporter Paul Young of The Los Angeles Times wrote an article on Jerry Block’s RWH system, quoting his concerns about potential water shortages. “People don’t realize just how scarce fresh water is getting,” Block said. “We really take it for granted.” Several professionals in the rain harvesting industry also see a potential water shortage problem across the country. Bob Boulware, P.E., president of the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Assn., is a leader in the movement to install rain harvesting systems as an alternative solution to our water shortage problems. Many areas of the country are experiencing shortages, and rainwater harvesting can help, according to Boulware.

Some examples Boulware cited from around the nation:

Colorado granted an exception to its water rights law to allow rural households with wells to use RWH. The state still restricts rainwater catchment in cities, however.

Tucson, Ariz., now requires that for new commercial construction, at least 50% of their irrigation needs must come from RWH. The city also encourages the use of rain barrels and RWH systems to help lower total water demand from conventional sources.

Santa Fe, N.M., requires RWH on all structures greater than 5,000 sq ft. Most new subdivisions are installing RWH as part of each property improvement.

In Texas, RWH is being actively practiced in more and more rural locations as well as cities. The cities are not yet officially adopting rainwater for potable applications, but in most rural areas it is being used as a potable alternative.

Washington recently created an exemption to its water rights laws to allow RWH with unlimited storage statewide.

California has removed virtually all restrictions on greywater use and RWH because of ongoing drought.

Boulware brings an interesting question into the picture: “Is a drought a lack of water, or too many customers?”

Gary Kulp, another expert specializing in gutters and rain harvesting systems, is the owner and founder of Austin Gutter King, which provides service to Travis County, Texas, and surrounding counties. “Due to its growing population and recurring droughts, Central Texas is currently facing intermittent shortages of water,” Kulp said. “For example, during the time from 2008 to 2009, this area experienced one of the five worst droughts in the region’s history. As a result, wells ran dry, foliage perished and the cities of San Antonio and Austin placed mandatory restrictions on water usage.” According to Kulp, population growth in the region is spurring water demand at unsustainable levels. “Austin’s population is expected to grow by 10%, or 88,000 people, over the next 10 years,” he said. “With water already scarce, supply will be stretched even further. San Antonio has it far worse. Official forecasts call for water supplies to fall below the level needed to sustain the population within 15 years. Again, population growth is the cause of this crisis.” Declining water levels in aquifers compound the problem, and the cost of groundwater can be crippling to residents, Kulp noted. “For these reasons, I would recommend the installation of rainwater collection systems. In particular, we find for rural customers that we can provide systems that will supply their entire water usage needs during non-drought years. The water is filtered and purified for potable consumption.”

Jeremy Delost of Rainwater Harvesting Systems specializes in installing RWH systems and services the northeast part of Texas. Delost also recognized population growth, drought conditions and the high cost of developing new supplies as contributing to water shortages in the region.
“According to the Texas Water Development Board, the population of North Texas is predicted to double in the next 50 years from 6.6 million in 2010 to over 13 million in 2050,” Delost said. “Water supplies are already severely stressed, as is seen in lake level declines during low rainfall months. “The greatest increase in future water demand will be seen in the residential sector of the population, which requires that water be purified to drinking water standards. However, current water reservoirs in Texas, as well as other regions, are compounded by harmful fertilizers, pesticides and pharmaceutical residues that require costly treatment facilities to bring the water up to standard.”

Plan B for water planning officials, according to Delost, includes: “connecting to existing surpluses, plus building new reservoirs. At the same time, plans to purchase water from neighboring states, and the legal rights to build new reservoirs, are faring poorly in the courts.” So, what’s Plan C? According to Delost, the following is being considered: “Plan C involves building large water pipelines from East Texas, where one of the largest underground aquifers in the U.S. can be found. Although a viable solution, it is unlikely that such a plan could be constructed without severely raising the price of water.”

Sustainable Supply

As you can see from the testimonials shared above, efforts are being made to provide some solutions to water deficit problems across the country, but the planning process and governmental red tape of municipal systems can take years to work through. The cost-effective alternative of rainwater collection systems for individual homeowners and businesses can be installed and running in no time. Rainwater harvesting can not only reduce the severity of water shortages, it can serve as a completely independent water supply that is safe and sustainable. With 35 in. of rainfall per year, a 2,000-sq-ft home can collect up to 43,000 gal in a single year. A rainwater collection system would supply 3,600 gal of water per month easily enough to meet the needs of the average water-conscious family. Rainwater collection makes great sense, is affordable and is becoming more and more popular each day to offset our dwindling municipal supplies. Collecting rainwater also is a very green, sustainable and responsible thing to do. So, the next time you irrigate your yard, wash a load of clothes or take a drink of water, think rainwater collection.




Robert Lenney is co-owner and inventor of Gutterglove Gutterguard. Lenney is also co-owner of http://www.rainharvestingsystems.com, and is an accredited professional through ARCSA. Lenney can be reached at 916.778.8777 or by e-mail at robert@gutterglove.com.

Source: Water Quality Products March 2010 Volume: 15 Number: 3
Copyright © 2010 Scranton Gillette Communications]]> Related search terms from http://www.waterinfolink.com: reuse, rainwater harvesting, drought

What would you do if you went to the kitchen faucet, turned it on, and no water came out? That could be a reality one day. Due to recent years of drought across the country, groundwater tables are at a record low and reservoirs are not as plentiful as they used to be. The reality of inadequate water supplies is imminent as our population grows.
The California Department of Water Resources (CDWR) released several statements in 2009 regarding its water deficit problems. Their biggest concern? The growing population in California brings greater demand for this precious resource. Since 1990, 9 million new residents have inhabited this state. The result? A water shortage crisis. The CDWR also has stated that recent droughts over the past three years have dropped groundwater tables in wells in addition to lowering reservoir levels. Transferring water from less-affected reservoirs to reservoirs with severe deficits is just one solution. Building costly water treatment plants is another.

Another Option

There is an alternative solution on the market that is growing in popularity with homeowners and catching the interest of water utility companies: rainwater harvesting (RWH).
Last year, homeowner Jerry Block of Northern California installed a 20,000-gal rain harvesting system. A series of five 5,000-gal water storage tanks were installed in his backyard around his large solar array. His home now has the potential of collecting more than 30,000 gal of rainwater in a single year. The water is debris free because his system is equipped with the Gutterglove Gutterguard, a first-stage filter for keeping all leaves, pine needles and roof sand grit out of his gutters and rain tanks. He now has an adequate backup supply of clean water. One reason Block wanted to have this additional source of water was to relieve his fear of a potential earthquake damaging his area’s water supply. Now he has peace of mind and a second source of water to irrigate his yard in the event that disaster strikes.

In 2009, reporter Paul Young of The Los Angeles Times wrote an article on Jerry Block’s RWH system, quoting his concerns about potential water shortages. “People don’t realize just how scarce fresh water is getting,” Block said. “We really take it for granted.” Several professionals in the rain harvesting industry also see a potential water shortage problem across the country. Bob Boulware, P.E., president of the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Assn., is a leader in the movement to install rain harvesting systems as an alternative solution to our water shortage problems. Many areas of the country are experiencing shortages, and rainwater harvesting can help, according to Boulware.

Some examples Boulware cited from around the nation:

Colorado granted an exception to its water rights law to allow rural households with wells to use RWH. The state still restricts rainwater catchment in cities, however.

Tucson, Ariz., now requires that for new commercial construction, at least 50% of their irrigation needs must come from RWH. The city also encourages the use of rain barrels and RWH systems to help lower total water demand from conventional sources.

Santa Fe, N.M., requires RWH on all structures greater than 5,000 sq ft. Most new subdivisions are installing RWH as part of each property improvement.

In Texas, RWH is being actively practiced in more and more rural locations as well as cities. The cities are not yet officially adopting rainwater for potable applications, but in most rural areas it is being used as a potable alternative.

Washington recently created an exemption to its water rights laws to allow RWH with unlimited storage statewide.

California has removed virtually all restrictions on greywater use and RWH because of ongoing drought.

Boulware brings an interesting question into the picture: “Is a drought a lack of water, or too many customers?”

Gary Kulp, another expert specializing in gutters and rain harvesting systems, is the owner and founder of Austin Gutter King, which provides service to Travis County, Texas, and surrounding counties. “Due to its growing population and recurring droughts, Central Texas is currently facing intermittent shortages of water,” Kulp said. “For example, during the time from 2008 to 2009, this area experienced one of the five worst droughts in the region’s history. As a result, wells ran dry, foliage perished and the cities of San Antonio and Austin placed mandatory restrictions on water usage.” According to Kulp, population growth in the region is spurring water demand at unsustainable levels. “Austin’s population is expected to grow by 10%, or 88,000 people, over the next 10 years,” he said. “With water already scarce, supply will be stretched even further. San Antonio has it far worse. Official forecasts call for water supplies to fall below the level needed to sustain the population within 15 years. Again, population growth is the cause of this crisis.” Declining water levels in aquifers compound the problem, and the cost of groundwater can be crippling to residents, Kulp noted. “For these reasons, I would recommend the installation of rainwater collection systems. In particular, we find for rural customers that we can provide systems that will supply their entire water usage needs during non-drought years. The water is filtered and purified for potable consumption.”

Jeremy Delost of Rainwater Harvesting Systems specializes in installing RWH systems and services the northeast part of Texas. Delost also recognized population growth, drought conditions and the high cost of developing new supplies as contributing to water shortages in the region.
“According to the Texas Water Development Board, the population of North Texas is predicted to double in the next 50 years from 6.6 million in 2010 to over 13 million in 2050,” Delost said. “Water supplies are already severely stressed, as is seen in lake level declines during low rainfall months. “The greatest increase in future water demand will be seen in the residential sector of the population, which requires that water be purified to drinking water standards. However, current water reservoirs in Texas, as well as other regions, are compounded by harmful fertilizers, pesticides and pharmaceutical residues that require costly treatment facilities to bring the water up to standard.”

Plan B for water planning officials, according to Delost, includes: “connecting to existing surpluses, plus building new reservoirs. At the same time, plans to purchase water from neighboring states, and the legal rights to build new reservoirs, are faring poorly in the courts.” So, what’s Plan C? According to Delost, the following is being considered: “Plan C involves building large water pipelines from East Texas, where one of the largest underground aquifers in the U.S. can be found. Although a viable solution, it is unlikely that such a plan could be constructed without severely raising the price of water.”

Sustainable Supply

As you can see from the testimonials shared above, efforts are being made to provide some solutions to water deficit problems across the country, but the planning process and governmental red tape of municipal systems can take years to work through. The cost-effective alternative of rainwater collection systems for individual homeowners and businesses can be installed and running in no time. Rainwater harvesting can not only reduce the severity of water shortages, it can serve as a completely independent water supply that is safe and sustainable. With 35 in. of rainfall per year, a 2,000-sq-ft home can collect up to 43,000 gal in a single year. A rainwater collection system would supply 3,600 gal of water per month easily enough to meet the needs of the average water-conscious family. Rainwater collection makes great sense, is affordable and is becoming more and more popular each day to offset our dwindling municipal supplies. Collecting rainwater also is a very green, sustainable and responsible thing to do. So, the next time you irrigate your yard, wash a load of clothes or take a drink of water, think rainwater collection.




Robert Lenney is co-owner and inventor of Gutterglove Gutterguard. Lenney is also co-owner of http://www.rainharvestingsystems.com, and is an accredited professional through ARCSA. Lenney can be reached at 916.778.8777 or by e-mail at robert@gutterglove.com.

Source: Water Quality Products March 2010 Volume: 15 Number: 3
Copyright © 2010 Scranton Gillette Communications]]> http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=24 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 09:19:17 -0500 http://www.watersoftener-parts.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=24 AP – An Indian village boy runs through a parched field on World Water Day in Berhampur, Orissa state, India, …
By RONALD BERA, Associated Press Writer – Mon Mar 22, 12:30 pm ET
NAIROBI, Kenya – More people die from polluted water every year than from all forms of violence, including war, the U.N. said in a report Monday that highlights the need for clean drinking water.
The report, launched Monday to coincide with World Water Day, said an estimated 2 billion tons of waste water — including fertilizer run-off, sewage and industrial waste — is being discharged daily. That waste fuels the spread of disease and damages ecosystems.
"Sick Water" — the report from the U.N. Environment Program — said that 3.7 percent of all deaths are attributed to water-related diseases, translating into millions of deaths. More than half of the world's hospital beds are filled by people suffering from water-related illnesses, it said.
"If we are not able to manage our waste, then that means more people dying from waterborne diseases," said Achim Steiner, the U.N. Undersecretary General and executive director of UNEP.
The report says that it takes 3 liters of water to produce one liter of bottled water, and that bottled water in the U.S. requires the consumption of some 17 million barrels of oil yearly.
Improved wastewater management in Europe has resulted in significant environmental improvements there, the UNEP said, but that dead zones in oceans are still spreading worldwide. Dead zones are oxygen-deprived areas caused by pollution. "If the world is to thrive, let alone to survive on a planet of 6 billion people heading to over 9 billion by 2050, we need to get collectively smarter and more intelligent about how we manage waste, including wastewater," Steiner said.]]> AP – An Indian village boy runs through a parched field on World Water Day in Berhampur, Orissa state, India, …
By RONALD BERA, Associated Press Writer – Mon Mar 22, 12:30 pm ET
NAIROBI, Kenya – More people die from polluted water every year than from all forms of violence, including war, the U.N. said in a report Monday that highlights the need for clean drinking water.
The report, launched Monday to coincide with World Water Day, said an estimated 2 billion tons of waste water — including fertilizer run-off, sewage and industrial waste — is being discharged daily. That waste fuels the spread of disease and damages ecosystems.
"Sick Water" — the report from the U.N. Environment Program — said that 3.7 percent of all deaths are attributed to water-related diseases, translating into millions of deaths. More than half of the world's hospital beds are filled by people suffering from water-related illnesses, it said.
"If we are not able to manage our waste, then that means more people dying from waterborne diseases," said Achim Steiner, the U.N. Undersecretary General and executive director of UNEP.
The report says that it takes 3 liters of water to produce one liter of bottled water, and that bottled water in the U.S. requires the consumption of some 17 million barrels of oil yearly.
Improved wastewater management in Europe has resulted in significant environmental improvements there, the UNEP said, but that dead zones in oceans are still spreading worldwide. Dead zones are oxygen-deprived areas caused by pollution. "If the world is to thrive, let alone to survive on a planet of 6 billion people heading to over 9 billion by 2050, we need to get collectively smarter and more intelligent about how we manage waste, including wastewater," Steiner said.]]>