What are some signs of Sand, Silt, Sediment & Clay in your water?

If your water is cloudy or has a gritty feel in the mouth, you are probably dealing with a sediment problem, which can include sand or silt or other solid material. This typically enters well water through ground water, runoff, or erosion.

The particles that make your water cloudy – or “turbid” – are typically invisible to the naked eye, but they can definitely be felt and tasted.

While sediment in water is normally not dangerous or unhealthy, it can make your water unattractive for drinking, cooking and washing.

What’s more, high amounts of sediment can build up in plumbing, in faucets, shower heads, and in appliances and often cause problems. Different locations in NJ have different water conditioning issues.

Radon is a dangerous, radioactive gas can occur naturally in the soil in certain areas.

It is created by the breakdown of uranium that may exist in the ground, forming a gas that can easily seep into the air in homes and buildings, and dissolve into underground water sources such as local NJ wells, and accumulate there.

The gas can then be released when you use the water, whether for showering, washing dishes, or some other purpose, and can also be consumed when you drink it. It is strongly recommended that you have private well water analyzed for radon.

Radiation can enter the water supply due to both natural and man-made sources.

Small traces of radioactivity are found in nearly all drinking water, but many people are concerned about the potential dangers of potential pollutants from nuclear energy plants, laboratories, and other sources.

What are PFAs/ PFOAs?

Per- and Polyfluorinated substances are a synthetic chemicals that have been long used in helping to make consumer products non-stick and water resistant, and in specialized applications such as firefighting foams.

The problems is that these compounds persist for a long time in the environment, and can accumulate in wildlife, and in humans. And eventually in NJ well water especially.

The long-term health risks of PFAs and PFOA haven’t been thoroughly studied, but human exposure has been linked to developmental defects in pregnancy and in breastfed infants, as well as effects on cancer, the liver, and the thyroid.

Nitrates and nitrites are naturally occurring compounds that are formed when organic matter decomposes.

In addition, various inorganic nitrates are widely used in fertilizers, which can then contaminate your water supply. Nitrates and nitrites are both ions that contain nitrogen and oxygen; nitrates include three oxygen atoms to nitrite's two. These compounds can also be converted one to the other, and are often grouped together when discussing their role as water contaminants. Nitrates in drinking water are colorless, odorless, and tasteless, and they cannot be detected unless water samples are laboratory tested.

Nitrate concentrations, Potassium and ammonium nitrate, both widely used in lawn and garden fertilizers, are the most common inorganic nitrates in water. Since most nitrogenous materials in natural waters tend to convert to nitrate, all sources of combined nitrogen are potential sources of contamination. Nitrates are very soluble and do not bind to soils, so they can easily get into groundwater. In addition, these compounds do...

You do not want lead in your drinking water!

The negative health effects are well known. Any amount of lead in water over 0.015 mg/l needs to be treated.

While most sources of lead have been phased out of home construction, it can still be an issue in older homes – where some lead plumbing and lead-based solder may still be present – and in communities where lead may remain in distribution systems.

Does your water look rusty or brown straight from the tap?

Do reddish brown particles settle to the bottom of your glass, your pot?

Do reddish brown stains occur in your shower, bathtub, toilets and laundry?

You probably have high levels of iron in your water. Besides leaving ugly stains on fixtures and your laundry, it can also add a metallic task to your water. And sometimes promote the growth of iron-reducing bacteria. That is troublesome.

What is Hard Water?

If you have ‘hard water’ it simply means that your water supply contains somewhat higher concentrations of dissolved minerals, such as calcium and magnesium. So-called ‘soft water’ has much lower mineral content. Hard water is not a problem as a health risk at all. In fact, some might consider that taking in more minerals is a good thing.

But having water with a high mineral content can create problems in other ways, such as:

• Scale and crust build-up on faucets and shower heads

• Spotting and film on glassware and dishes

• Poor lather with soaps and shampoos

• Stiff and scratchy laundry

• Limescale buildup in tubs and sinks and pipes

• Dry and itchy skin after showering

The Caribbean Blue Water Conditioning solution is one of our state-of-the-art water softening systems, which effectively swaps out the ‘hard’ minerals from your water. Works brilliantly. Ask us....

What is chromium? And what is it doing in my water?

Chromium is a naturally occurring element that becomes an issue in drinking water in the form of Chromium 3 and Chromium 6, which are typically generated in industrial processes. Chromium 6 – or hexavalent chromium – was made notorious in the movie “Erin Brockovich” where a major utility was held liable for contaminating water supplies with the chemical.

Chromium 6 is widely considered to cause cancer, and to affect the respiratory system, kidneys, liver, skin and eyes. It does not belong in your water.

Authorities do not agree on what level of Chromium 6 is acceptable or safe. There are studies underway. The current federal drinking water standard for total chromium is 0.1 mg/l or 100 ppb. (Parts per billion.)

We've all heard of Chlorine, but what exactly is it?

Chlorine is a gaseous chemical element that has long been known as an effective disinfectant.

It has the power to disrupt the outer membranes of living cells – such as bacteria – and cause them to break down and die. Which is a good thing, mostly. It’s the active ingredient in common bleach, for example.

And adding chlorine to drinking water has helped to eliminate deadly outbreaks of cholera and typhoid that once plagued cities for centuries. A very good thing.

But it remains that chlorine in drinking water can be unpleasant for many people, and perhaps even a problem.

What chemicals might be in my water?

A number of different chemicals may be found in your water, depending in part on where your water comes from.

To disinfect water, many municipal water treatment plants use chlorine or chloramines, which may linger and make their way into drinking water, making ‘tap’ water unpleasant for some people.

While municipal water plants do use filters and other methods to remove a wide range of potential contaminants – especially those with strictly mandated limits -- there are a may be a significant number of unregulated chemicals in water that many users may be sensitive to. The risk of chemicals in water may be even higher with water supplied by a private well, which taps into aquifers fed by groundwater.

Depending on the location, this groundwater be exposed to a range of chemicals and pollutants, including pesticides, spilled fuels, and toxins that have not been disposed of properly, including prescription medications and various types of hazardous waste. In some locations, older industrial...

Microorganisms

There are a range of microorganisms, including bacteria, protozoa, and viruses, that live and thrive in water, and can be a potential problem in drinking water.

If you get water is supplied through a municipal water company, it is typically treated to kill biological contaminants before it reaches your home.

But if you receive water through a well or other private source, it is possible for it to become contaminated with many organisms that can make you sick.

In most cases, contamination occurs when water supplies come in contact with untreated sewage, manure runoff, or other source of human or animal waste. It can be caused by leaky pipes and sewer connections, poorly sealed wells, or faulty septic systems.

What is Arsenic?

Arsenic is a metalloid element that is found naturally in rocks, soil, and plants, and is extremely toxic to humans in most of it is forms.

Ingestion of arsenic can cause headaches, drowsiness, diarrhea and vomiting, and discoloration of the skin and fingernails. Over time, chronic arsenic exposure can lead to severe stomach pain, numbness in the extremities, convulsions, paralysis, and blindness.

Arsenic can get into drinking water through natural deposits in the ground that eventually contaminate aquifers and wells. It can also be released into the environment through careless use of agricultural fertilizers and pesticides, and coal burning, mining, and smelting operations.

Simply put, Acid water is water with a pH below 7.

The pH is a measure of how acid or basic a solution is. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. The number 7 is neutral. Numbers higher than 7 are considered Alkaline or Basic. Numbers lower than 7 are considered to be acidic or corrosive. To put the importance of pH into perspective, remember that the pH scale is logarithmic. Water with a pH of 6.0 is ten times more acidic than water with a pH of 7.0, and water with a pH of 5.0 is 100 times more acid than a solution with a pH of 7.0.

Contact us at Caribbean Blue Water Conditioning, and we’ll be happy to perform an analysis for you. It’s what we do.

What is Sulfur?

In water, sulfur often appears as dissolved hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas, known for its distinct smell of rotten eggs, or sewer gas.

Hydrogen sulfide can gets into your water from decaying plant matter underground, or if your well is situated near oil fields, coal deposits, or in areas with high concentrations of shale or sandstone.

Most hydrogen sulfide is produced by bacteria that feed on sulfur and live in low oxygen environments, like those found in deep wells and water distribution systems.