WATER QUALITY – ISSUE NO. 236

Over the weekend I began my search for purchasing a water softener. I have a small cottage (500sq feet) located in Caseville, Michigan. Our cottage has its own well and we have come to a point that the water quality needs to be addressed. I have to say we have the typical "hard water" issues, some yellow on the bathroom shower, the taste of the water has a little iron flavor, but those and other reasons are not why we are wanting to purchase a water softener. The main reason we need to address this now is that our water heater is being replaced. Our plumber let us know that the hard water over time could have been one of the reasons we had to change the tank. The hard water built up on the heater and it became ineffective (calcium build up). That got me to thinking about all of the departments I get to visit. So many of them have hard water and they do not have any form of treatment. Some of the staff at these facilities state that they have it on their list but .... "you know it is capital and we are in the Q with all of the other capital". In my search for my water softener, I found a great website that has lots of information on water including EPA standards. Here is a quote I want to share with you "The buildup of calcium and magnesium can damage plumbing, appliances, hot water heaters and make it virtually impossible to get good results from washing machines and dishwashers." Duh, how many of us have water issues and this statement just supports the need of having the best water quality possible in reprocessing. Think of your washer and its heat exchanger or the buildup of calcium deposits on the walls of your washer. As many of you know, water quality is so key in what we do, many of the guidelines and standards support monitoring your water quality in your department; the quality can change once it enters the building because the water travels so many different paths. So as I figure out what is the best option for my "little" cottage watering system, I suggest you test your water in your department and keep records. It is always good to know what is going on in your department and checking your water quality on a regular basis just makes good common sense.