Background The San Lorenzo Watershed in Santa Cruz County, California is a large coastal drainage system in a temperate rainforest that funnels into the San Lorenzo River. More than 40 creeks feed into the river that eventually drains out into the Pacific Ocean, at the northern tip of Monterey Bay. The San Lorenzo Watershed creeks … Continue reading CWS Assists Undergraduate Student Research Project
Category: Water Testing
Bad Water May Look, Taste, or Smell Like Good Water!
Often contaminants leave behind a trace detectable by your senses, but not always. Steps to determine if you may have problems with your water: 1. Get your water quality tested in a lab! A basic mineral analysis will show the most common issues, such as iron, manganese, dissolved solids, tannins, pH, and hardness. EPA certified … Continue reading Bad Water May Look, Taste, or Smell Like Good Water!
Arsenic Contamination of Well Water: A Real Issue
Arsenic, a natural occurring element in the geology of many regions, is an important contaminant of well water to look out for. The map above shows wells sampled across the country and their arsenic concentration levels. The EPA's maximum contaminant level is strictly set for public health concerns at 10 micrograms per liter. Local … Continue reading Arsenic Contamination of Well Water: A Real Issue
Identifying Water Problems by Symptoms
When selecting a well water treatment system, knowing your water chemistry is the key to finding the right system. Your water chemistry can easily be determined by conducting simple water testing, using of of our test kits. Testing to Determine Water Chemistry, Depending on the Problem If you have never had your well water tested, … Continue reading Identifying Water Problems by Symptoms
A Common Mistake: Failure to Properly Test the Well Water Chemistry
Continuing with our theme of common mistakes made while selecting a well water treatment system, today we will be focusing on the failure to properly test your well water chemistry. This could be considered one of the most important mistakes as it is the first step in selecting a treatment system. If your tests are … Continue reading A Common Mistake: Failure to Properly Test the Well Water Chemistry
Coliform Bacteria Testing: Why do it, How to do it, & How Often?
Health authorities strongly recommend annual coliform bacteria testing for private water wells as contamination can occur without any change in taste or odor to the water. There are many ways that well water can become contaminated by coliform bacteria, but it is most important to test: Once a year for all private residential water wells … Continue reading Coliform Bacteria Testing: Why do it, How to do it, & How Often?
Sources of Coliform Bacteria Contamination in Home Well Water
Coliform bacteria are common in the environment, present in the soil and intestines of animals, and are generally not harmful. However, the presence of these bacteria in well water or spring water usually indicates that the water may be contaminated with germs that can cause disease and can even contaminate your well water without any … Continue reading Sources of Coliform Bacteria Contamination in Home Well Water
What You Should Know About Coliform Bacteria in Your Home Well Water
Sources of Coliform Bacteria Contamination in Home Well Water Bacteria can contaminate your well water without any change in taste or odor to the water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends annual testing of residential water wells for coliform bacteria. Generally, there are two categories of coliform bacteria that are found in well water, total … Continue reading What You Should Know About Coliform Bacteria in Your Home Well Water
Removing Sand And Sediment From Well Water And The Four Most Effective Systems
This week on our blog we will be focusing on well water treatment systems for removing sand and sediment as it can often be a significant issue for property owners. Sand and sediment in well water is often a serious problem for many people using well water and will cause rapid deterioration of fixtures as … Continue reading Removing Sand And Sediment From Well Water And The Four Most Effective Systems
Well Water Water Testing
There are a large number of well water test kits and water testing labs available for the home water-well owner including some tests you can do yourself, quickly and accurately in the privacy of your own home. If you already understand your water is safe but are attempting to solve a specific well water problem such … Continue reading Well Water Water Testing