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Yet Another Way Water Profoundly Affects Us

Since 1899, various government agencies and academic centers around the world have recognized and measured the east-west off-set of the earth’s north-south axis of rotation. In a 6-14 year cycle this change can be from 20-60 inches and is referred to as earth’s wobble. Until 2000 this condition was primarily a scientific oddity except for those plotting space ventures, celestial observatories, astronomers and explorers. As societies became more dependent on GPS for a myriad of tasks, accuracy needs to be increased. That 20 to 60 inches doesn’t sound like much, but basic trigonometry tells us it’s enough to put a plane at the wrong airport, an ambulance on the wrong side of town or you at the wrong restaurant. It became apparent that there was a need to program the wobble dimension and direction into satellite software for all civilian, military and scientific satellites in real time for accuracy. Numerous math models were developed to predict the when of the next movement along with its magnitude and direction. None succeeded. Missing, of course, was why it was happening.

In 2016, NASA, in collaboration with the German Aerospace Center, released a peer-reviewed study that, though heavy on correlation, placed the causation of the wobble along with its magnitude and direction (vector) on the planet’s surface water not including lakes and rivers. In essence, a wet season on a substantial land mass will tilt the axis toward it thus defining the direction. The magnitude will be determined by the longitudinal distance from the equator and is maximized in a +/- 45o band. This last comment is based on a physics mathematical representation of a spinning object beyond the understanding of this author. This entire study apparently is as close as we have come to being able to take a predictive lead on the wobble. As no surprise, some in the scientific community continue to express beliefs about glacial ice melting being a wobble-causing component due to – you guessed it– global warming. Any chance that the tilt is part of the warming as opposed to or in addition to CO2?

The San Diego Union Tribune ran an article on June 29, 2023, that adds a new component to the cause of the tilt. According to Ki-Weon Seo, professor of geophysics at Seoul National University (Korea), and his research associates, a contributor and perhaps a major contributor to the tilt action is the worldwide water withdrawal of 75 trillion gallons annually from wells. This is data from 1960-2000 and it is presumed that it continues to this day. They also point to the earth’s crust still unevenly rebounding after millions of years of ice age coating. 70% of usable water is destined for agriculture or food production to supplement rainfall. The world population went from 3 to 8 billion between 1960 and 2022 but appears to be stabilizing at nearly 8 billion for the foreseeable future. Replenishment (recharging) of groundwater sources is probably running <2% annually, so as wells run dry they will stay that way for decades. To continue feeding 8 billion people, drastic changes need to be made:

  1. Stop or severely reduce non-food crops, Corn for ethanol, hay, decorative plants & shrubs, etc.
  2. Stop or severely reduce crops for animal feed. Necessitates severe reduction of animal protein diets.
  3. Eliminate high water use crops such as rice and almonds.
  4. Encourage plant gene splicing so they thrive on less water.
  5. Eliminate organic crops.
  6. Learn and practice irrigation methods from the Israelis.
  7. Stop water treatment processes that wastewater.
Water and Energy

You may or may not approve of the elimination of the world’s dependency on fossil fuels (oil, coal & natural gas) and the pace of the change to renewables (solar and wind) is taking, but they are definitely upon us. It appears that virtue-signaling government personnel and bureaucracies have gotten ahead of available technologies with the exception of Japan and perhaps a few other countries.

The current worldwide preferred technology for cars and trucks to avoid fossil fuels is electric motors and the source of electricity is batteries that require frequent recharging. Recharging requires electricity from the grid and this power is derived from generators powered primarily by fossil fuels. The stated desire is to augment and eventually replace these generators with renewable power from photovoltaic cells (solar) and wind-driven generators. As a side note, current new solar panels transform 20% of the applied sun energy into electricity, stabilizing to 18% shortly after installation.

The obvious problem in the transition to sun and wind use is their intermittent availability. To overcome this deficiency, a huge industry of battery-based energy storage that releases electricity on demand 24/7 is emerging. This storage capacity will require millions if not billions of batteries over and above those needed for vehicles.  It’s questionable that even multiple Tesla million-square-foot giga-factories can meet the challenge.

In addition to the production capabilities needed to produce the number of batteries required, is raw materials availability. Sources of items such as Lithium, cobalt, and nickel are questionable as is their very existence. One geologist has stated that there aren’t enough of the necessary elements on the planet to meet the needs. The answer may be to switch to sodium from lithium. Sodium is a close cousin to lithium on the periodic table and is universally available as salt to be mined and in seawater. Metallic sodium does not exist in nature as pure sodium but must be extracted from molten salt (Sodium Chloride) by the Downs Cell method. Sodium-based batteries have a lower power-to-weight ratio than lithium-based, so they are best suited for stationary storage applications thus leaving lithium for vehicles. One interesting source of salt could be the wastewater from seawater reverse osmosis systems. By reclaiming the salt and not returning it to the ocean, permits for large seaside systems to produce drinking water may avoid the negativity by environmentalists.

Interestingly, Japan, in spite of its history, is ramping up its nuclear energy electricity production capabilities to replace shipped-in oil and natural gas. They have a shortage of both wind and solar options because of location, geography, and population density. They have developed smaller, close-to-use reactors and turbine-driven generators. The reactors are totally unique employing closed-loop helium cooling systems to replace water and employ ceramic encapsulation of radioactive core sources that are impervious to heat.  Both features address the problems displayed at the Fukushima power plant.

Of additional interest, Japan is betting through Toyota and Honda on electric cars powered by Hydrogen using hydrogen fuel cells as the source of electricity. They have also developed two new methods of producing hydrogen from water. Both processes are electrolysis with one receiving its energy in a loop directly from the small nuclear reactor called high-temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) and the other called the thermochemical water-splitting iodine-sulfur (IS) process.

Vastly Improved Offering of Zero Water Waste, No Salt Water Treatment Products

In response to the ongoing drought conditions as well as the overall worldwide shortage of potable water, Dime water has prepared for the imminent release of a vastly improved offering of zero water waste, no salt treatment products.

Since 1995, Dime Water has been an international leader in producing environmentally friendly water purifier products around their patented catalytic-magnetic process. From its inception through 2021, it is estimated that this technology has prevented the loss to drain of 130 MILLION GALLONS of potable water and the discharge of 30 MILLION POUNDS of salt into the environment.

The revised technology will be referred to as Aquafer and ESF 2 POINT O and offers the customer a 20 % longer effective water treatment hardness scale prevention life. Also, in addition to addressing the most common calcium carbonate scale, the revised units will also significantly reduce scaling caused by calcium sulfate, strontium sulfate, barium sulfate, calcium fluoride and calcium phosphate which are particularly important for home and commercial reverse osmosis applications. The Aquafer offers treated water for less than $1 a day.

The entire process relies on creating microscopic seeds of at least one of the scale forming minerals. For reasons often referred to as phenomena, this encourages formation of seeds of the remaining minerals mentioned. Once accomplished, a strong heterogeneous magnetic field in our products reacts on the microscopic mineral particles which causes them to cluster and not go back into solution. In the clustered form, there is no charge that permits them to cling to surfaces which then eliminates scale.

Magnetic Water Treatment for Scale Prevention

Historically , the first recorded patent for magnetic water treatment for scale prevention was by a Belgian company in 1945. When you realize what Belgium needed to accomplish to rebuild in 1945, it is easy to conceive of their sense of urgency to keep steam boilers from being destroyed by scale in a country without a surviving chemical industry. In the 1960’s Russia began using magnets for the same application in addition to wound and burn therapy use. In 1964 Charles Sanderson founded Superior Water Conditioners in Ft. Wayne, IN devoted to designing, testing and producing magnetic scale prevention units. His endeavor is probably the first in the US to employ this technology.

The start of this technology was difficult. First, the effects on the water were not totally understood, so sales depended on testimonials and the process referred to as a phenomenon. Secondly, as it is today, the hardness scale prevention industry was dependent on people and companies promoting salt-based ion exchange resins and unwilling or unable to grasp an alternate technology that eliminates chemicals, electricity, and wastewater to drain, and service life-shortening moving parts. The unknown is the impact brought on trade associations and lobbyists by salt, resin, and valve companies protecting their markets and investments.

Through the efforts of universities and their extensive laboratories, the performance of the magnetic water treatment for scale prevention has moved from being a phenomenon to understanding that the magnetic field creates a hardness crystal called Aragonite. It forms this because a tiny percentage of water is always dissociating – hydrogen (proton) leaving and forming H3O or hydronium – and the energy imparted to the water by the magnet causes the percentage of hydronium to increase dramatically. Water missing the hydrogen reacts differently with calcium bicarbonate (calcium hardness) than does water with full hydrogen in the size, shape, and texture of calcium carbonate crystals formed as evidenced in electron microscope photos. All crystals are void of charge so they won’t adhere to metals, however, the aragonite form is softer and is easily flushed through plumbing. No magic and no mystery.

The performance relative to scale prevention is directly proportional to magnetic field strength and speed of water through alternating magnetic fields. To this end, we are developing a series of HIGH-T magnetic chambers for our line of catalytic/magnetic nonchemical scale prevention devices — ESF, AQUAFER, MAXI-CURE–as well as new yet-to-be-released devices. The T stands for Tesla which is used as a unit of measurement in strong magnetic fields. When water speed and alternating magnetic fields are thought through, it becomes apparent that an induced electrical field is generated which in turn is the energy needed to remove some hydrogen from water molecules not totally unlike hydrolysis.

Magnetic Water Treatment for Agriculture

In a previous blog, I indicated the apparent lack of a university or government published a study on the efficacy of using irrigation water exposed to a magnetic field for improved crop yields and/or the reduced amount of water required. Such studies regarding magnetic water treatment do exist.

In a controlled test by the University of Western Sydney Australia, Richmond Campus conducted in 2007 and 2008 showed a comparative crop yield increase of 23% while simultaneously reducing water use by 24% on 3,000 PPM (5.8 ms/m electrical conductivity) water. The crop was a high water requiring celery and the dates coincided with terrible drought conditions in Australia. Duplicate tests were run on tap water, recycled wastewater, and water with TDS values of 500, 1000, and 1500 PPM. The TDS values were closely controlled and monitored after injection of sodium chloride – salt. Of particular interest was the test yields and water use reduction were better the higher the TDS and the resulting water conductivity.

Looking at a section of pipe with relatively high conductivity water going through it and surrounded by an axially oriented north-south field should remind us of a wire exposed to a moving magnetic field i.e. a simple generator putting out an alternating electrical current similar in principle to the early days of Tesla and Westinghouse in their contest with Edison.

Other than empirical results on effectiveness, there seems to be little or no information on why it works. Studies on human cells (and can they be correlated to plant cells) conducted by Dr. William Pawluk, MD, MS (not to be confused with Gerald H. Pollack, Ph.D. whom we often quote in our structured water documents) point to improved cell cleansing and nutrition when water that is treated by magnetic water treatment is provided to either the body or the drinking water. He refers to the magnetic energy imparted as PEMF or pulsating electromagnetic forces. His online information is quite convincing as are his educational and experience credentials.

Magnetic water treatment is provided by the following Dime Water products:

  • ESF
  • ESF PLUS
  • Maxi-Cure
  • Maxi-Cure PLUS
  • AQUAFER  – Treated water for less than $1 a day.
  • AQUAFER PLUS
The Secret to Reverse Osmosis

When it comes to water filtration few systems are as effective as a reverse osmosis or RO system. With the ability to filter out organic and chemical contaminants down to the smallest micron, an RO system has the ability to provide the highest quality clean water. But, what is the secret to RO water purifier success? Easy, it’s the membranes.

The RO Membrane is the key feature in every reverse osmosis systems. The membrane is made of an extremely thin plastic sheet material that gets added to other permeable plastic sheets. Together, these sheets include a membrane support layer, a feed spacer, a permeate (or treated water carrier) and finally the outer wrap. They wrap themselves around a perforated product/permeate tube and function together.  The entire assembly becomes the RO element which houses the membrane and produces purified water.

Physicists, physical chemists and polymer chemists best explain how the RO Membrane works.  A simple explanation is: “the RO Membrane blocks contaminants that pass through the membrane under pressure and dissolve.  The membrane stops between 10% to 99.99% of dissolved particulates depending on applied pressures and the specific desired filtration needs of the users.

While a hearty workhorse, the RO Membrane is quite fragile. The membrane is protected by:

  • Chlorine
  • pH extremes
  • high temperature
  • hard water scale
  • organics
  • microbiology
  • iron
  • manganese
  • dirt and silt

To avoid issues with an RO system, customers need to work with reputable companies and manufacturers. Dime Water not only sells the best products but knows exactly how to service these products to assure years of reliable use. Dime Water assures that our systems include the proper pretreatments and utilizes RO Membranes specifically designed to do the right job while lasting as long as possible.

All About the Water Softener

Having clean water isn’t enough when it comes to home use. A water filtration system will give people clean water, but that water can still have elements that make it hard for other uses. Hard water is still safe to drink, but not all that tasty and very difficult to clean with. Enter the water softener experts like Silkflow.

The water softener that we know and use today was first started in the1940’s. As technology improved–major changes in non-corrosive materials, meters, timer electronics, etc.-so too did the function and reliability of water softeners.

A water softener is a device that utilizes either sodium chloride (salt) or potassium chloride (also salt) to remove calcium and magnesium from water, replacing them with either sodium or potassium. The softening process is also effective at removing iron, manganese and other metals. The end result is softened water without all the hard minerals.

Water can have little to no naturally occurring calcium or magnesium present and sometimes it needs to be removed by an exterior process. These processes can include membranes, EDI, or CDI. It will still be soft water, even if those minerals are replenished.

Softened water does well with multiple applications and reacts better with soaps, shampoos and detergents than hard water. An added bonus is the elimination of the dreaded bathtub ring. Also, it prevents mineral scale formation in pipes and faucets. There are lots of benefits of softened water compared to hard water, but you can get some help from aquariuswaterconditioning.com if you’d like to learn more.

Vibrant Water manufactures a complete line of water softeners for commercial and home use. Small homes, large hotels, motels, hospitals and factories-Vibrant Water has the perfect water softener to suit all needs.

Through our advanced processes, our systems minimize the wastewater created as well as the salt needed for softening. The waste stream from a water softener typically contains chlorides, however, the EPA frowns on that process. In accordance with that regulation, some water districts will not install these. Drought-prone areas also impose limits on their use. To overcome these restrictions, Dime Water offers a wide variety of systems that use no salt or safer chemicals and with minimal waste water.

Dime Water has the right system for any water softening needs.

Water Filtration Key Questions

Water filtration is an all-inclusive term that can relate to dozens of processes and hundreds of process combinations. To make life easy we encourage you to first consider:

  1. How much water will you treat? If less than 200 gallons daily and/or flow rates less than 5 GPM cartridge systems may be viable alternatives to backwashing filters
  2. Are utilities available? Is there electrical power and a drain in reasonably close proximity to the installation point. Also, be aware of sewer discharge regulations and costs
  3. Handling of chemicals? Weight of regenerating chemicals and treatment location may make chemical use impractical. Also, be aware of toxicity and corrosivity issues. If this is the case it may be beneficial to read an expert guide or install safety measures for this process
  4. Physical size and clearances. As examples cartridge replacement requires easy access and removal clearance and UV lamp replacement needs axial clearance for annual lamp replacement
  5. Maintenance cost. Generally, the cost goes up with complexity. Automatic valves have parts that wear and break. Multiple units in series require more TLC than a single multi-function unit
  6. Wire cloth and industrial wire mesh are two of the most basic yet critical materials used in water treatment. If you are planning to start a water treatment plant or any type of treatment plant, you may want to look into the work of companies like Newark Wire Cloth Company, which can provide both custom and standard products like woven wire mesh

Dime builds all types and sizes of water filtration equipment and wants to help customers get it right.

Do You Need a Water Softener?

Do you need a water softener? In all but a very few parts of the world, the answer should be YES. After you answer the following questions about why soft water is for you to read on about exciting 21st-century technology to make it happen.

1. How does my laundry look? Water hardness interferes with soap and detergents. Result? Water that doesn’t get ‘sudsy’ enough to clean, a fabric-damaging film on clothes, and unsightly surface scum left behind in your washer.

2. Is there a white, chalky substance on my faucets and shower walls?
That’s mostly limescale, a material made of calcium carbonate. You can scrub it off but it will keep coming back as long as you use your sinks and shower. It’s one of the most obvious signs of hard water. If you’ve just had a renovation done, be it one with Glass Shower Direct shower walls or with other products, seeing this buildup can be frustrating, and water softeners may be the best counter you could do.

3. Has the water pressure dropped?
Once again, the culprit is limescale. It accumulates on the inside of your pipes when they are exposed to hard water, and those deposits will continue to build up until they begin restricting the flow of water.

We have offered products for years that solve hard water problems and are environmentally perfect — no use of salt or chemicals, not a single drop of water goes wastefully to drain, no electricity used and no moving parts that require service. Our Aquafer and ESF units replace traditional softeners that use technologies from the 1920s that discharge salt and wastewater to drain, require electricity, and are plagued with costly service calls. The Aquafer offers treated water for less than $1 a day.

You’ll find several environmentally friendly products on our website. Please contact us if you need help deciding which water softener solution is best for your home or business.

Commercial Water Softeners

There have been many changes in commercial water softeners. Gone (almost) are the days of metal pressure vessels (tanks) that have a horrible history of failure due to corrosion and a nest of diaphragm control valves that technologically date back to the 1930s and are a service nightmare.

Current commercial water softeners utilize corrosion-proof, extended life tanks constructed of polyethylene for chemical inertness and covered in epoxy and fiberglass for superior strength. In addition, the nest of valves has been replaced with a single serviceable fully automatic valve.

Complimenting the modern tanks and valves on commercial water softeners are integrated control systems with a multitude of features to reduce salt usage and wastewater discharge and multiple systems to guarantee softened water 24/7.

If contemplating the purchase of a commercial water softener, contact a manufacturer with the engineering expertise to understand your specific needs and provide the system that has not only a low cost but also the longest life and lowest operating cost.

Commercial Reverse Osmosis System- What to Look For

There are a number of items to consider when contemplating the purchase of a commercial reverse osmosis system. They include:

Commercial reverse osmosis systems are sized and priced based on the volume of treated water required in a 24 hour day expressed as GPD. For longevity of the system, a good duty cycle is 12-18 hours daily run time.

or an atmospheric tank with a re-pressure pump for release at desired flow rates when needed. Be aware of the tank space required.

There is a wastewater stream associated with commercial reverse osmosis units. The ratio of treated water volume to the total water entering the system is called its RECOVERY with this percentage dependent on raw water chemistry and ranges from 50% to 85%.

Systems cannot remove 100% of everything dissolved in the water. The percentage removed is called REJECTION and varies from 95% to 99% based on inlet water chemistry and system design. Custom commercial reverse osmosis units can be custom designed to provide even a higher rejection percentage to often eliminate the need for post-treatment with deionization.

Although we refer to systems as commercial reverse osmosis units the membranes can be replaced with NANO membranes and then called NANO systems that can offer advantages to the user. Advantages include lower operating pressures to save energy and longer system life; increased water efficiency with less drain water. Rejection is reduced to 85-90% but that water quality level may be adequate for your needs.

As a general rule when obtaining a quote or purchasing a commercial reverse osmosis system or NANO systems have full knowledge in advance of what quality water you need, daily peak use, peak flow requirement and source of water to be treated. If you are not prompted to provide this information by the prospective supplier, move on to one that will.

University of Wisconsin Focused on Improving Water Education, Receives New Grant

Improving Water Education:

21 federal grants were recently awarded to universities for the purpose of supporting critical water education programming in agricultural watersheds and rural areas across the country. The grants were awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, through the institute’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative “Water for Agriculture” challenge and the National Integrated Water Quality Program.

The University of Wisconsin- Madison has received one of those 21 grants, and their portion of the more than $10 million in agricultural water grants is $900,000. These grants represent the first year of funding for the Water for Agriculture program.

“Think Water”

“Water is our most precious resource, one that is essential for both human survival and well-being, and for our ability to grow our crops and livestock,” said Sonny Ramaswamy, institute director. “By funding research, extension and education for citizens and the agriculture community, we are able to proactively create solutions to water-related issues like drought and its impact on food security.”

The University has a long tradition of providing leadership in multiple areas of agriculture and, with the new grant, educators will broaden the project’s water-education focus beyond youth to include water education for adults and research specifically focused on crucial agricultural water-use and –impact issues.

What is ThinkWater? NEW from Cabrera Research on Vimeo.The UW was initially awarded a $2.6 million federal grant in 2011 for their project, which focused on improving water education for youth to create greater understanding and caring with regard to water issues.

Why Should We Be Concerned About Agricultural Water?

Agricultural water is water that is used to grow fresh produce and sustain livestock. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), water used for irrigation accounts for nearly 65% of the world’s freshwater withdrawals, excluding thermoelectric power. There are 330 million acres of land used for agricultural purposes in the United States that produce an abundance of food and other products. Agricultural water is used for:

  • irrigation
  • pesticides
  • fertilizer applications
  • crop cooling
  • frost control

Poor planning of industrial sites, animal farms, and barnyards and feedlots can easily affect the water quality. Poor water quality can affect the quality of food crops and lead to illness in those who consume them. Agricultural water can become contaminated through a variety of ways and can potentially spread bacteria, viruses, and parasites to crops and animals. Agricultural activities that cause nonpoint source pollution include:

  • overgrazing
  • overworking the land (for example, plowing too often)
  • poorly managed and ineffective application of pesticides, irrigation water, and fertilizer
  • poorly managed animal feeding operations

Certain microorganisms such as Cryptosporidium, blue-green algae, or Staphylococcus, can be toxic to animals and cause symptoms like diarrhea, lack of coordination, labored breathing, or death. Ill animals can then release millions of infectious microbes into the soil that can further contaminate other water sources. Disease-causing organisms can rapidly spread if animals are drinking from the same trough, so it is important that livestock are provided with adequate amounts of quality water, free of contamination. Also, irrigating crops with contaminated water can lead to contaminated food products, which will lead to illness when eaten.

Water Treatment Solutions for the Agriculture Market

Agriculture-related operations produce a range of wastewaters requiring a variety of treatment technologies and management practices. Water treatment technologies employed for the agriculture markets include:

  • biological treatment
  • disinfection
  • filtration
  • mixing/aeration
  • reverse osmosis
  • ultrafiltration

At Dime Water Inc., our engineers are always prepared to help you choose the right water treatment technology to meet your needs. Contact us at 760.734.5787!

Resources:

How Microbiologically Safe Is Your Well Water?

Over 15 million US households drink well water, according to the CDC. These private wells are not covered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that protect public drinking water systems. As a private well owner, this means that you are responsible for ensuring the quantity and quality of your own water supply.

Ground water has been used in California since the first inhabitants began using water that seeped from the springs. However, in some areas, the use of water is threatened by high rates of extraction and inadequate recharge, or by contamination of aquifers as a result of land use practices. Poor quality water is enough to make anyone want to change water providers. If you represent a commercial entity, you can find out how to switch your water supplier online. Although our country has one of the safest drinking water supplies in the world, sources can still become contaminated through:

  • naturally occurring chemicals and minerals
  • local land use practices
  • malfunctioning wastewater treatment systems
  • other sources

Top Causes of Outbreaks in Private Wells

If a private well was contaminated, it can impact not only the household it serves, but also nearby households using the same aquifer. Ground water is not 100% pure water and always contains some dissolved minerals, as it collects in the tiny pore spaces within sediments and in the fractures within bedrock. The presence of contaminants in drinking water can lead to health issues, including gastrointestinal illness, neurological disorders and reproductive problems.

The top 6 causes of outbreaks in individual (private) wells are:

  • Hepatitis A
  • Giardia
  • Campylobacter and E. coli (tie)
  • Shigella
  • Cryptosporidium and Salmonella (tie)
  • Arsenic, gasoline, nitrate, phenol and selenium (tie)

Private wells should be checked every year for mechanical problems, cleanliness, and the presence of coliform bacteria, nitrates and any other contaminants of concern. The well should be located so rainwater flows away from it, because rainwater can pick up harmful bacteria and chemicals on the land’s surface. If this water pools near your well, it can seep into it and could cause health problems.

Common Sources of Potential Ground Water Contamination

The following table shows the most common sources that lead to ground water contamination.

The Need for Water Testing

Because bacterial contamination cannot be detected by smell, sight or taste, the only way to know if a water supply contains bacteria is to have it tested. The EPA does not regulate wells and there is no requirement to have private wells, springs or other sources tested – it is up to the individual homeowner to do it. Those who depend on a private well should test their water source at least 4 times per year but if not possible, at least 1 time is mandatory. Also, checking for leakage in the pipes that supply the well water to the home, can be useful. Sometimes even when the well water is tested pure, people may get waterborne diseases due to some impurities in the water caused by the leakage in the supply pipe. It is advisable to get hold of a reliable plumbing service that can come in any time when requested to help with issues such as leakage. You can use the internet to find plumbers in your locality, for instance, someone from Sydney can just type ‘24 hr plumber Sydney‘ on the internet, and get many results for local plumbers that can help them. Additionally, private water supplies should generally be tested for bacterial safety as follows:

  • any time a component of the water system is opened for repair
  • at least once a year
  • when a laboratory test indicates high nitrate and human or livestock waste is suspected
  • when a new well is constructed
  • when an existing well is returned to service
  • whenever bacterial contamination is suspected, as might be indicated by continuing illness
  • whenever the well is inundated by flood waters or surface runoff

Testing for all individual pathogens is impractical and expensive. Bacterial safety of drinking water is monitored by testing for coliform bacteria. If tests reveal the presence of coliform bacteria, there is an indication that pathogenic bacteria, protozoa and viruses may also be present in the water. Some city/county health department laboratories as well as most commercial water testing laboratories provide bacterial testing for private well owners, for a fee.

You can contact the nearest laboratory and ask for a drinking water bacterial purity test kit that will allow you to collect a sample of your well water and send it to the laboratory for testing. The laboratory must receive the sample within 48 hours of collection, otherwise it will not test it.

Well Water Treatment Options

If testing confirms the presence of coliform bacteria in your water, you should use an alternative water supply or disinfect your water supply until the problem can be corrected. Whilst a water heater can be used to kill off bacteria that enters the home it is best to err on the side of caution. First American amongst other advisors warn that if the temperature of the water heater is too low, bacteria like legionella can fester inside the heater itself. All in all, it is probably better to treat the bacteria at the source. Treatment methods that include the use of UV light disinfection tools (provided by the likes of R-Zero Systems) tend to be effective for the removal or inactivation of some pathogens like enteric viruses, Giardia, Legionella, or Cryptosporidium. Following are some of the most common treatment methods:

  • disinfection and/or filtration
  • disinfection with UV light
  • disinfection with ozone
  • disinfection with chlorine

The easiest cure and overall least expensive is to install an Ultra Violet (UV) system. Properly matched to the water peak flow, the UV will provide years of protection with the only maintenance required being an annual bulb change. Energy requirement is less than most light bulbs and installation is quite simple.

Resources:

Water Treatment Solutions for Car Washes

Nowadays, many businesses such as car washes are facing water treatment issues that include an ever-increasing demand for high-quality water. You might be surprised to learn that as well as having good quality maintenance carried out on the interior of your vehicle, at somewhere like Landmark which specializes in BMW repair in Bellevue, you also need to look after the exterior of your car if you want it to perform at its best level. This explains why there is now a new demand for car washes to improve the quality of water they use. Treatment and handling regulation compliance are major issues confronting many segments of the market. Water treatment technologies employed for businesses include a wide range of filters, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis systems, sulfate/nitrate removal units, UV systems, and water softeners.

Car washes, for example, are major water-consuming businesses and will require proper water treatment, in order to save water and provide the best results for their clients. A water softener takes less soap to break the bond between the dirt and the vehicle, making it a great water treatment system to consider.

Reverse Osmosis Systems for Car Washes

The wash-rinse cycle is done in 2 steps: the initial rinse and final rinse. The majority of car washes today use reverse osmosis systems to take the minerals out of the water. The final rinse uses water processed through reverse osmosis and by taking the dissolved solids or most of the dissolved solids from the water, they end up with a spot-free water.

In most cases, RO requires a minimum of 3 gallons of waste to 1 gallon of product water. Wastewater is required to carry the minerals away from the membrane so they will not clog up and stop producing mineral-free water. Most car washes blow the excess water with high-velocity air, but there are those who advertise the hand wash and there they have people with towels and shammies that take the water off, and, in both cases, the quality of washes greatly improves. There are other advantages as well, if anything happened to your car, the insurance would cover it. Insurance 4 MotorTrade can provide some insight into how these policies would work.
Industrial water in a car washing installation can be microbiologically contaminated so both personnel and customers need to be protected against a possible health endangerment.

Dime Water’s reverse osmosis systems produce ultra pure water, which can be used to flush away marks in the car wash. Also, reverse osmosis treated water leaves no line marks on the car lacquer while it dries up.

Washing cars out on the street has been restricted for a long time in many communities for ecological considerations. Washing water will end up in soils poses a threat to groundwater because it contains oils and lubricants, heavy metals, suspended matter, tar, and microorganisms.

For the disinfection of the water, the following procedures are most commonly used:

  • ozonization
  • UV treatment
  • peroxide treatment
  • thermal treatment

Water softeners, backwashing carbon filters, and backwashing turbidity filters can also be used in the car washing industry. We provide a wide range of award-winning water recycling solutions that are engineered considering our clients’ needs.

We can help you reduce your water and trade waste costs with systems that pay for themselves through savings. Our systems are durable and compact, built to last and provide guaranteed performance for your car washing business. Dime Water has the knowledge to provide any business with a tailored solution. Call us at 760.734.5787 and get in touch with one of our water experts today!

Resources:

  • Brown, C. (2000) Water Conservation in the Professional Car Wash Industry
Is America Running out of Drinking Water?

Each month, 3.9 million gallons of drinking water is consumed in the US and for many Americans, the idea that the country might someday run out of fresh water is horrifying. Global water consumption has tripled in the last 50 years and the demand for fresh water in the US is estimated to exceed the supply by 40% by the year 2030, according to a report. This is quite alarming, although we have faced severe droughts over the past years. This water scarcity that we might confront results from short- and long-term droughts and of course, human activity.

The amount of water that we use in the United States is so significant that we are running out of fresh water. Aquifers are drying up. Whilst this may mean some businesses need to find out how to switch your water supplier, for others this means that the chance of having no water at all is very high in the future, and so we need to consider changing our water retention system. For example, Germany has long ago been on an austerity program as far as the use of water and interestingly enough, their water consumption is done in such a way that the water table is rising. And it is rising to the point that they are actually having problems with building supports and basements. If we start using our heads and getting more involved in conservation, we might duplicate what is going on with Germany and the aquifers and reservoirs could indeed be refilled in a relatively short period of time.

3/4 Million Gallons per Capita Use of Drinking Water Annually

According to a recently issued report by The Journal of the American Geophysical Union, the last 3 years of California drought have been the worse experienced in 1,200 years, with 2014 being the worst of all. Scientists came to this conclusion after studying the growth rings in over 200 ancient California trees and coordinating results with at least one university. Some of the solutions that are believed to contribute long term to more available water come in the form of:

  • diverting rain runoff into more reservoirs
  • employing seawater to drinking water processes
  • constructing wastewater reuse facilities
  • weather manipulation, either individually or in combination

More conservation should be employed in the short term and it appears that diet changes can also have an impact on the draught as well. With all of us being part of the problem, we must all make personal choices to be part of the cure! The 3/4 million gallons per capita use of water annually for all uses in the US is simply unsustainable. At home, people can save water by using:

  • drought resistant landscaping
  • low flow toilets
  • low water clothes and dishwashing appliances
  • shower flow controls
  • water treatment devices that use less or no waste water

Have you ever wondered what the water footprint of the products we purchase is? High water use can also be less obvious. For example:

  • 1 pound of beef – 1,799 gallons
  • 1 pound of chicken – 468 gallons
  • 1 ounce of a chocolate bar – 200 gallons
  • 1 pound of potatoes – 119 gallons
  • 1 egg – 53 gallons
  • 1 apple – 18 gallons
  • 1 slice of bread – 11 gallons

Of course, we are not talking about days or weeks, but rather in a generation we could be back where we belong if we just practice good policies as far as the use of good water. Germany is exceptional in what they are doing – they are using a water quantity per person that is 50% or less of what we are doing here in the United States. They are prospering and I hope that we can take a lesson from them.

Water Conservation Tips

The average home in California uses 192 gallons of water a day, according to a 2008 study by the state Department of Water Resources and the Urban Water Conservation Council. A small lawn of 1,000 square feet takes about 35,000 gallons of water per year!

Water agencies around the Bay Area offer rebates to replace grass with more drought-tolerant plants such as native grasses and wildflowers, succulents and other plants. The East Bay Municipal Utility District pays 50 cents a square foot to people who replace lawns with native, drought-tolerant landscaping, and up to $2,500 a yard. The Santa Clara Valley Water District pays $1 per square foot.

“It’s pretty easy to save 20 percent. You want to remember that your plants – even with it being dry outside – are not needing as much water this time of year because it is cooler than in the summer,” said Chris Brown, former executive director of the California Urban Water Conservation Council, a nonprofit group in Sacramento. “The easiest way to save water is to save it outdoors.”

Among other tips that experts recommend:

  • take a 5-minute shower instead of a 10-minute shower: it saves you 12.5 gallons with a low-flow showerhead, and 25 gallons with a standard 5 gallon-per-minute shower head
  • turn the faucet off while brushing teeth or shaving: it saves you about 10 gallons a day
  • use a broom to clean driveways, sidewalks, and patios instead of a hose: this saves 8-18 gallons a minute
  • fix the worn washers in a faucet with a slow steady drip saves you 350 gallons per month, and 2,000 gallons a month if the leak is a small stream. If you could have the necessary skills to repair your faucet, you might consider buying it from reliable online stores such as Home Depot. That said, you could also look at this great site which could help you get some discounts on your purchases from the aforementioned site!
  • putting a new flapper in a leaking toilet can save 7,000 gallons a month (to test for leaks, put food coloring in the tank and do not flush; 10 minutes later if you see color in the bowl, you have a leak). If you have a leaky toilet you can get in touch with a plumber (see this page here) who can fix the leak, doing this can also help to prevent the leak in the future and save water.
  • installing a water-efficient clothes washer saves up to 16 gallons a load
  • a water-efficient dishwasher saves up to 8 gallons a load
  • soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while scraping them clean
  • replacing a pre-1990 toilet, which can use 5 gallons per flush, with a newer high-efficiency model can save 38 gallons a day per toilet.

Most Bay Area water agencies offer free water use inspections. An expert will come to your house to check for leaks and offer tips on how to save water and lower your water bill. Call us at 760.734.5787 and get in touch with one of our water experts today!

However, if you are from Maryland (especially from Jessup) and are unable to avail our services, then you can search for T.E. Spall & Son plumbing services in Jessup online to find a reliable plumber who could do the job of plumbing and water inspection for you.

Resources:

Toilet to Tap Water: Pros and Cons?

Throughout the United States, the process of treating sewage and then throwing the water away into an ocean outfall, or into a river or a lake someplace is becoming obsolete. Because water is so hard to get, the approach is going to be to take the water from whatever source the municipality has and treat it so that it becomes good, potable tap water.

Then, when the water is finally consumed and goes down the sewer, it will be collected, treated and reused as a source of good quality water. Although houses have different types of sewage, the aim is to save and reuse as much water as possible. For example, if you own a septic tank, it is crucial to get regular Colorado Springs septic tank cleaning, or septic tank cleaning wherever you are based, in order to try and preserve as much water as possible once it is clean enough to be recycled. The new way to save water is to treat the water that already exists.

“Indirect Potable Reuse” Got a Bad New Name: “Toilet to Tap Water”

The term that is used quite often is “toilet to tap” and this week in the city of San Diego, which is the 8th largest city in the United States, the city Council approved the “toilet to tap” approach and will be funding the treatment to do that. From the public standpoint there is what they call the “yuck factor”, as people think that they are drinking their own sewage water.

Modern water-purification technology is considered totally reliable, using micro-filtration and reverse osmosis, which pumps water through permeable membranes, and ultraviolet light to remove all contaminants. So the “yuck factor” will only be imaginary. So if you are wanting to see if you can install this water system into your house to start conserving water, you can have a look at sites such as https://bouldenbrothers.com/how-plumbing-services-help-conserve-water/ and others that will give you options to conserve on your water usage.

But from a realistic standpoint, this has been going on forever. If you go to cities like Milwaukee, Wisconsin or Chicago, Illinois, both of them being on the shores of Lake Michigan, they have a water intake in the lake and have been discharging their treated sewage out there for many years, probably 50 years or more. So in reality, “toilet to tap” has been taking place and it is a beautiful thing because we will finally be able to conserve water the way we should be conserving it.

Water Conservation to Help Meet Future Needs

Being in the water business the way we are and the number of years we have been in it, we know the technology is there to do it correctly. I think that the technical people, the Boards of Health and the regulatory agents should come out with a better study on the effectiveness of removing pharmaceuticals from the water. It is being done, but from a personal standpoint I do not know the molecular weight or the physical size of the pharmaceutical compounds that are in the sewage.

Having pharmaceutical distribution experts organizing the medication and ensuring that the deposits are safely stored and not entering water supplies is essential however in this case, I am sure that the technology will take it out but I would like to see the technical people involved in this process make the public more aware that one particular fact is that we know we can kill the bacteria, the viruses, the cysts, we know that we can make the water perfectly clear and clean-looking, we can take care of the taste issues, but the lingering concern from somebody like myself and many others in the industry is: can we prove to the public that the residual pharmaceuticals are coming out of their wastewater prior to being used as drinking water?

Public education campaigns are very important for spreading the news on the benefits of recycled sewage water. For example, every day, the outflow of L.A.’s treated wastewater (about 400 million-plus gallons) amounts to the state’s fifth-largest river running into the Pacific Ocean. In these dry times, it makes perfect sense to stop throwing it away! The secret to successful recycling programs is complete transparency from officials. Transparency and proper public education will lead to minimal opposition from the general public.

Resources:

Pharmaceutical Leftovers in Our Water: What Can We Do about It?

Pharmaceutical Leftovers In Our Water

In the last 10 years, traces of pharmaceutical leftovers and personal care products (PPCPs) have been reported in the water cycle. Surface waters, wastewater, groundwater and to a lesser extent drinking water have been contaminated with PPCPs at levels in the nanograms to low micrograms per liter range.

Although they have an impact on human health, PPCPs have a much greater impact on fish, other aquatic wildlife and the environment in general. But what can we do about it? Proper disposal of PPCPs can prevent misuse of pharmaceuticals and keep the environment free from contamination.

What Are PPCPs and How Do They Get into Our Water?

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products include a wide range of drugs and care products:

  • prescription and over-the-counter drugs
  • veterinary drugs
  • cosmetics
  • fragrances
  • sun-screen products
  • diagnostic agents
  • nutraceuticals (vitamins for example)

PPCPs get into our water from many different sources as a result of improper disposal. Pharmaceutical industries, hospitals, medical facilities, households and agricultural areas have a big impact on the environment due to operations involving a wide range of PPCPs. Pharmaceuticals, including sex hormones, antibiotics and antidepressants have been found in at least 41 million American’s drinking water supplies!

There is a growing concern about the pharmaceuticals’ contribution to health problems. Also, biological impacts of exposure to higher concentrations of PPCPs in untreated water can lead to:

  • feminization of male fish and masculinization of female fish
  • delayed sexual development in fish
  • embryo mortality
  • abnormal hormone levels
  • structural and neurological damages

The animation below was funded by the European Union within the research project PHARMAS and was conceived for a general educated public with no prior knowledge of the PPCPs issue.

How Do I Properly Dispose of PPCPs?

Depending on the source and the ingredients, there are various ways in which the public can properly dispose of pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Often, there are community drug take-back programs that collect drugs at a center location for proper disposal. The United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) periodically promotes local take-back programs and the program called the National Take Back Initiative.

However, if no program is available, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Office of National Drug Policy emphasize on following the subsequent measurements:

  • take the prescription drugs out of their original containers
  • mix drugs with cat litter or used coffee grounds
  • place the mixture into a disposable container with a lid (sealable bag for example)
  • cover up any personal identification with a black marker that is on the original pill containers
  • place these containers in the bag with the mixture, seal them and place them in the trash

Although logistically challenging, removing pharmaceutical traces from drinking water is no impossible task. Reverse osmosis systems are widely agreed upon as the best available treatment method, removing heavier molecular particles common in many pharmaceutical drugs. reverse osmosis systems also filter small impurities and remove contaminants such as arsenic, fluoride, lead, sodium, nitrate and nitrite, cysts, copper, chloride taste and odor, and dissolved solids.

Resources:

High Levels of Fluoride in Private Well Water May Be Affecting IQs

Many of Maine’s communities rely on private well water but the water they use for drinking, bathing, and other activities goes untested and is not subject to any state or federal guidelines. People are advised and encouraged to get their water regularly tested to ensure that worrisome levels of bacteria and naturally occurring minerals have not crept in, but many residents fail to do so. If you think that the water in your well may be harmful, it might be a good idea to check out this well water filter by AquaOx, this will ensure that water in the well is safe and clean.

Maine is well-known for its picturesque waters and breathtaking mountains and views, yet the granite mountains affect the quality of water throughout the state. Excess fluoride is leaching out of granite and into Maine’s drinking water, potentially affecting other New England states as well.

The Effects of High Fluoride Levels In Private Well Water

Newly released data shows that in 10 communities in the state, private well water have dangerously high levels of fluoride, some of them containing more than double the level that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has deemed acceptable. When incorporated into the teeth, fluoride can harden the enamel, making it resistant to demineralization, which is the leading cause of tooth decay and cavities. And it may get worse if not treated on time. That is why, if you notice tooth decay in your mouth, contact the dentists Herndon first and then request a water inspection to determine the level of fluoride content in the water you drink.

Excess fluoride may damage both brain and bone in humans and can lead to pitted teeth and discoloration –which might result in people looking for a dentist near them using sites similar to https://www.1800dentist.com/. It also makes bone become brittle and more prone to fractures. Also, recent studies have also linked high levels of fluoride exposure with IQ deficits. Two dozen relevant studies performed outside the States indicated that high fluoride exposures reduced children’s IQs by an average of about 7 points.

Maine Water Data

In Dedham, data from 37 private wells indicates that 37.8% of the water is above the state’s maximum exposure guideline. Surry, Franklin, Prospect, Sedgwick, Penobscot, York, Harrison, and Stockton Springs have more than 10% of the wells with fluoride levels higher than the state cutoff. Homeowners voluntarily sent water samples into state labs for testing, providing a first snapshot of the problem in Maine.

Many public health advocates argue that the state’s suggested limit of 2mg/liter is far too high. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has proposed adding fluoride to water in concentrations no greater than 0.7mg/liter to avoid any unwanted health effects.

Lowering Fluoride Levels in Private Well Water

People living in areas with high fluoride concentrations can take steps to mitigate the problem. People frequently take no action even if their water is contaminated with far more harmful chemicals. 27% of Mainers did nothing about the high levels of arsenic in their private wells. Reports have shown that people lack concern about arsenic and are reluctant to pay for any mitigation action.

There are 4 common solutions to the fluoride problem: distillation, reverse osmosis, activated alumina and BC-Carbon. Distillation is capable of removing just about anything, except volatile compounds from water. Time and energy consumptive, distillation leave water empty and lifeless. You will need to add minerals back to it and should consider structuring and energetically enhancing distilled water.

Reverse osmosis (RO) can remove between 90-95% of fluoride, depending on the efficiency of the system and on how the well system is maintained. Contaminants are trapped by the reverse osmosis membrane and flushed away in the wastewater. Quality reverse osmosis systems include pre-filters, which remove volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, hard water minerals, and other contaminants. You will have to add salts and reintroduce life force to the reverse osmosis water, in order to bring it back to energetic compatibility with the human body.

Activated alumina has a large surface area with a huge array of tunnel-like pores, and is the most commonly used fluoride removal media today. When used properly, it can remove arsenic and up to 98% of the fluoride in water. Although highly effective, the challenges with activated alumina are many:

  • water must remain in contact with the media for a long time
  • there is not enough time to absorb all the fluoride in the water when the flow rate is faster than ¼ gallon/minute
  • the media becomes saturated with fluoride
  • systems using activated alumina must be recharged/replaced often
  • aluminum is released into the treated water

Bone-Char (BC) Carbon works similar to the way bones in the human body attract fluoride and has been used for centuries to remove naturally-occurring fluoride from water. BC-Carbon can remove up to 90% of the fluoride in water when used alone, but its efficiency can be improved by adding pre-filters that remove contaminants and heavy metals before exposure to the BC-Carbon.

Resources:

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