Is my water contaminated?
Effects & Solutions of Water Contaminants
| CONTAMINANTS | SOURCE | PROBLEMS |
|---|---|---|
| Arsenic | Geothermal areas | Health problems |
| Bacteria | Septic tanks, bird and animal faeces back flushing from incorrectly connected W.C. bowls, sewage discharges | Diarrhoea, Gastroenteritis, Other waterborne disease |
| Boron | Geothermal areas | Health problems |
| Carbon dioxide | Atmosphere and decaying vegetation | Corrosion |
| Chemicals | Backflow (suck-back) from incorrectly connected dosing equipment, cattle feeding systems, garden hoses dangling in container etc | Health problems depending on the nature of chemical contaminants |
| Colour | Decaying vegetation | Appearance |
| Copper | Dissolved from pipes or taps by aggressive water | Staining, taste |
| Faecal material | Backflow (suck-back) from incorrectly connected waste disposal equipment animal wash downs, etc | Diarrhoea, Gastrointestinal infection |
| Hardness | Dissolved rocks | Soap demand Scale formation in kettles and Hot water tanks |
| Iron | Dissolved rocks, especially in bore water | Taste, Staining, Clogging of pipes and valves |
| Manganese | Dissolved rocks | Taste, Staining |
| Nitrates | Fertilisers, clover, septic tank soakage | Can cause health problems for bottle fed babies |
| pH | Atmosphere, decaying vegetation, dissolved rocks | Corrosion if too low, scale forming if too high |
| Protozoan cysts, e.g. Giardia Cryptosporidium | Septic tanks: bird and animal faeces on roofs, in streams; sewage discharges | Diarrhoea, Protozoan infection |
| Taste and odour | Algae | Unpleasant to drink, can be toxic |
| Turbidity | Dirt | Appearance (usually biologically contaminated as well) |
| Viruses | Sewage, bird and animal faeces | Gastroenteritis, other waterborne diseases |
What's the solution?
Whether you're on Town or Rural supply you can use the following guide to help describe the issues or problems you are experiencing with your water, along with the best solution to rectify this. For a FREE On-Site Quote or for more information please call us on 0800 650 100 or email sales@aqua.co.nz.
| PROBLEM | SOLUTION |
|---|---|
| PROBLEM SOLUTION Water cloudy or rusty with fine particles or sediment | Sediment removal cartridge filter or Multimedia back-washable filter |
| Deposits in tanks, clogged valves in washing machine. Grit, leaves and sand in water | Sediment removal cartridge filter or Multimedia back-washable filter |
| Chlorine, taste, odour, pesticides, asbestos | Carbon based filter |
| Fluoride | Reverse Osmosis, Special media cartridge filter |
| Aluminium, boron, chemicals, sprays, nitrate pollution, heavy metals | Reverse Osmosis, Special media cartridge filter |
| Sea-water ingress, brackish water | Reverse Osmosis |
| Hard water, heating element burnout, scale in kettle, difficult to get soap to lather | Water Softener, Special media cartridge filter |
| High bacteria counts, animal or septic pollution of water supply | Cartridge filtration with UV Steriliser |
| Red/brown manganese staining | Greensand filtration |
| Giardia or Cryptosporidium cyst contamination | Cartridge filtration with UV Steriliser |
| Green/blue staining, green hair, low pH, hot water cylinder corrosion, metallic taste | Neutralising media filter |
| Bacteria or off-tastes in water tank | Use Hydro Pure disinfectant solution |
| Iron, red/orange staining, clogging of pipes | Iron Removal system |