Common Issues and Answers
Water touches practically every room in your home. Its quality affects how your water tastes and smells, the food you cook, how your skin and hair feel and even how your appliances, fixtures and plumbing look and last. There are so many ways that better water can make a difference in your life. We invite you to learn more.
The term "PFAS" refers to a class of thousands of man-made chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These substances were created in the 1940s to repel water or make surfaces slick. These harmful substances have slowly seeped into the ground over time, contaminating our food, water, soil, and air. They can be found everywhere, but water is where we are most frequently exposed. PFAS can raise your risk of developing cancer, thyroid issues, and high cholesterol. PFAS can also be harmful when it comes to the body's hormones, our ability to fight off infection and to the physical development of children. For this reason, it is crucial to test your water for PFAS. A PFAS Removal Rebate Program is now being offered by the state of New Hampshire's Department of Environmental Services to assist qualified homeowners in the purchase and installation of PFAS treatment. As a certified vendor with NHDES, we can take care of all the paperwork necessary for the rebate on your behalf, making treating your PFAS simpler than ever. Call us today to find out what's in your water, and your eligibility for NHDES Reimbursement and get PFAS out of your water.
Calcium and magnesium dissolve and create hard water. Whether provided by a municipality or a private well, the majority of residences have hard water. Many times, homeowners are unaware that they have hard water or the ongoing, costly damage it causes.
Many homeowners miss the evident indicators of hard water and attribute the issues to using insufficient detergents, cleaners, and appliances. Or they decide to accept that these issues are just a part of life. Hard water commonly results in issues including dry skin and hair, bathtub rings, stains on glassware and cutlery, as well as dull, dingy clothing. Long term hardness in water can also cause unsatisfactory performance, and a shorter lifespan of water-using appliances. Most people are unaware of the enormous amounts of time, money, and effort that go into the hard water battle. Let us help you win the battle against hard water today, give us a call!
Chlorine has been used as a disinfectant to eliminate hazardous microorganisms in water and in the pipes that deliver it since the 1850s. It has aided in eliminating a number of significant risks to public health. While chlorine is necessary at the water treatment facility and in the water delivery system, it is no longer required once the water enters your home.
Despite being essential for halting the spread of disease, chlorine has a cost. Chlorine has an unsavory odor and taste. Because bleach contains chlorine, it dries out skin and hair, causes clothing to fade, and can limit the lifespan of appliances by drying out the rubber seals. Protect your health, home and appliances, give us a call.
Water is a natural solvent that, under the correct circumstances and with enough time, can dissolve everything. Because of this, your water may contain iron or manganese. These minerals can cause rusty-orange or black staining, as well as, depending on the quality of your water, change the color of your hair. Another telltale sign is the recognizable blue-green streaks in water that occur due to a low pH. The stains can be seen on furnishings, clothing, sinks, tubs, water-using appliances, and toilets. In truth, anything that the water frequently contacts will show stains. If you are even able to remove these stains, it will be quite difficult. Stop the endless scrubbing and call us for a solution today.
In the United States alone, there are estimated to be up to 12 million instances of waterborne acute gastrointestinal sickness each year, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Bacteria, viruses, and protozoa that enter the water supply frequently cause these cases of sickness. And regrettably, these contaminants may survive for months in the water supply. Even state-of-the-art treatment facilities cannot guarantee that drinking water is completely free of microbiological pathogens. There are times when systems malfunction, and not every system performs as well as it should. Furthermore, because bottled water is unregulated and subject to large variances in regulatory standards, it may not offer any additional anti-germ protection over tap water. The NHDES recommends testing for bacteria and nitrate yearly to ensure the safety of your drinking water. Contact us today to test your water and protect your health.
Calcium and magnesium constitute some of the minerals that water accumulates while flowing through the ground. Most water supplies contain calcium and magnesium; when the water ultimately gets inside your house and is heated, it hardens into a scale buildup that resembles rock. On shower doors and other fixtures, scale is plainly obvious, but it can also form in places you can't see. Water pipelines and devices that use hot water, like your dishwasher and water heater, are common trouble spots. In order to get rid of that scale, homeowners frequently buy costly products and chemicals or use sharp tools to chip away at it. However, they are frequently dissatisfied with the difficulty, cost, and efficiency of their efforts. Plumbing and other surfaces can sustain damage from these products and efforts. Contact us today for a better solution.
In New Hampshire, there is a 25% chance that a private well will contain naturally occurring arsenic in concentrations more than 5 micrograms per liter (ug/L), or 5 parts per billion (ppb). As a result of New Hampshire’s heavily fractured bedrock, no two wells are alike in water quality. Even in high concentrations, arsenic in water has no color, flavor, or odor. Because of this, testing is the only way to find out how much arsenic is in your well water. Accordingly, a law passed in 2019 mandated the NHDES to establish a state arsenic MCL of 5 ppb (0.0050 mg/L), which would go into effect in July 2021, based on the most recent data on health impacts and treatment costs. See our services page for more information!
In New Hampshire, drilled well water frequently contains radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas. Radon gas is colorless, odorless and tasteless. Radon from drilled wells is released into indoor air during showering, dishwashing and doing laundry, these being your highest points of exposure. Associated with radon exposure is a higher chance of developing certain cancers, especially lung and stomach cancer when ingested in water. Radon concentrations in both air and water are measured in picocuries per liter (pCi/L). According to a general rule of thumb, the amount of radon in indoor air increases by 1 pCi/L for every 10,000 pCi/L of radon in a home's water supply. Although radon in drinking water is not subject to any federal or state regulations. The US EPA has issued a public health advisory regarding radon in drinking water, among others. NHDES advises the following:
•For private wells with radon concentrations at or above 10,000 pCi/L, the treatment of water is recommended in conjunction with mitigation of indoor air radon. Homeowners should consult with radon mitigation and water treatment providers.
•For private wells with radon concentrations between 2,000 and 10,000 pCi/L, the treatment of water may be advisable if air concentrations in the home exceed 4 pCi/L.
•Homeowners should retest air and water every three to five years if the radon concentration in your well water is below 4,000 pCi/L.
In New Hampshire, bedrock frequently contains radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas. Radon gas is colorless, odorless and tasteless. Most of the time, radon gas enters your home through foundation cracks or other holes after traveling through bedrock in the earth. Inhaling radon contaminated air in your home, including any radon that enters the building through the water supply, increases the chance of developing lung cancer. Lung cancer risk increases with radon concentration in both air and water, the higher the concentration, the greater the risk. In the United States, radon is the leading environmental cause of cancer mortality and the main factor in non-smokers' lung cancer.
Testing for radon air involves placing two vials in your home's lowest point and leaving it there for 48 hours, 72 hours, or 96 hours to test the radon levels. The overall exposure duration should fall within 4 hours of these increments. We can discuss a course of treatment after any test results are finalized. The most typical treatment is a Sub Slab Depressurization System. The illustration below shows an example. The basement floor is penetrated by one or more pipes. These pipes are attached to a fan near the top of the home, which pulls the radon out like a vacuum cleaner. The radon is discharged into the air above the home, where it is diluted to safe concentrations. We are National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP) certified; call us today to address your radon problems!
Take a look at the diagram below:
Take a look at the diagram below:
Hydrofracking may be the solution for you! The process of hydrofracking (also known as hydrofracturing) can be used to improve the flow of water from a well. This method is typically applied on low yielding wells. There are numerous cases where hydrofracturing enhances yield for homeowners. This service can be implemented at any time to an existing well with a poor or declining yield, not just when a new well is being built. It is only suitable for wells in which water is drawn from bedrock cracks and fractures. The process involves injecting high-pressure water via the drilled well into the rock formations surrounding it. Hydrofracking may widen fractures in the bedrock and extend them further into the formation and thus increase the network of water bearing fractures/ fissures supplying water to the well. Check out the diagram below. While we do not provide this service ourselves, we can give you several dependable referrals for low or no water problems relating to your well production. Give us a call today!
