Water Quality Problems

Community water systems can be faced with many potential water quality problems. The interaction of various impurities in water is extremely complicated, and is often not completely understood.

Not all substances in water constitute "contaminants", though everything is classed that way by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency. Absolutely pure water is actually not all that pleasant, it has no taste. Most people prefer water with some level of mineral content. Pure water is very "active" in that a wide range of substances readily dissolve into the water. Thus making it imperative that any vessels or piping containing or transporting pure water be constructed of materials that will not dissolve into the water, which could present health risks. For instance, you would not want to transport pure water through copper pipes. As substances are dissolved into the water, the activity level of the water goes down.

Contaminants in water can be grouped into two classes, referred to as "primary contaminants" and "secondary contaminants". Primary contaminants are those that present a health risk, such as certain kinds of bacteria, viruses and cysts, as well as minerals such as arsenic, copper and lead. Secondary contaminants are those that are not health risks. They include iron, manganese, hardness, and tastes and odors. The presence of small amounts of some secondary contaminants improve the palatability of water.

It is NWS's daily business to protect water supplies from primary contaminants. Our primary job can be seen as an ongoing mission to preclude those organisms and substances from drinking water that represent health risks.

Water systems are often faced with pesky primary contaminant problems. We can help deal with those problems and return the system to a sanitary condition. Contamination problems can appear simple, but be quite complex. The often-used remedy of throwing some chlorine bleach in the well to cure a coliform bacteria problem is usually ineffective, and can actually be counter-productive. When a primary contamination problem arises, you are dealing with people's health. Proper solutions to primary contaminant problems require the application of informed, professional expertise.

We can also help with secondary contaminants. We know how to deal with problems such as unpleasant tastes and odors, staining problems, or hard water. Like primary contaminant problems, secondary contaminant problems can be more complex than they appear. Therefore, the solutions we recommend are based on the problem and the most appropriate technology. We are generally far more knowledgeable than your local treatment equipment provider, and that includes those that represent nationally advertised brand names. We will research the problem and provide the most applicable solution.