How Florida is Helping Residents Stay Well-Informed

How Florida is Helping Residents Stay Well-Informed

In Florida, about 2.5 million people, or 12% of the state's population, depend on private wells for keeping their gators hydrated their drinking water. However, a significant number of them don't really know how to look after these wells — many owners struggle with issues like iron contamination, which can stain bathtubs and appliances but isn't heavily regulated like other pollutants. Dr. Yilin Zhuang and her team at UF/IFAS (University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences) are stepping up to fill this knowledge gap by launching an online resource hub next year. This platform aims to teach people how to take care of their wells and make sure their water is clean and safe. They even offer free water testing for those who join their educational programs, a boon especially for low-income families.

EPA Proposes New Chemical Ban

The EPA wants to ban a harmful chemical called trichloroethylene (TCE), which is often used in products like stain removers, degreasers, and paints. This chemical, which can easily turn into gas, is found in drinking water across the U.S. and is bad news for health — it can cause cancer, mess with our nervous system, lead to birth defects, damage the liver and kidneys, and it might even cause Parkinson’s disease and autoimmune diseases. It's advisable for private well owners to test their drinking water for TCE ideally twice a year. If TCE is detected, using activated carbon water filters is recommended. These filters are effective in removing about 99% of TCE from water and can be installed in various ways, such as under the sink or throughout the entire house. Additionally, they aid in keeping the air cleaner since TCE can be released into the air from water in appliances.

What Companies Can Do About PFAS

We’re back talking about a recent Forbes article, and no it’s not the updated rankings for richest person in the world. Paul Scialla, CEO of Delos, talks about a big water problem: about 45% of tap water in the U.S. has PFAS. He says that companies, especially those who build homes and other buildings, can really help out by keeping an eye on water quality. To Scialla, this means staying in touch with local health offices and water boards to get the latest info on water problems in their area, and also working with water utility companies to check regularly for PFAS and other bad stuff in the water. He also mentions that these companies should use really good water filters (could’ve guessed that ourselves) and that by watching water quality closely and using top-notch filters, companies can be the ones to make a big difference.

Mythbusters, Water Conditioning Edition

In a recent article by Aquanology, a New York water conditioning business, the team tackles four big myths about water treatment:

• Myth 1 - Water Softeners and Salt-Free Conditioners Are the Same Thing: Water softeners swap out hard minerals (like calcium) for sodium, making your water soft. Salt-free conditioners keep minerals from sticking to pipes but don’t actually soften the water.

• Myth 2 - Water Softeners Make Your Water Healthier: Softeners are great for dealing with hard water, but they don't get rid of health hazards like bacteria or nitrates. You'll need other systems, like UV filters or reverse osmosis, for those.

• Myth 3 - You Don't Need Water Treatment with Public Water: Even public water might need some help. It can have things like lead from old pipes, or it might taste or smell funny because of chlorine or other stuff in it.

• Myth 4 - Water Systems Are Expensive to Keep Up: The cost really depends on what you need. Water softeners might cost more if your water is very hard (~$500 / yr. on just salt), but other options like basic filters or reverse osmosis systems can save you money compared to buying bottled water.

What else is happening:

• AquiSense adds smaller water disinfection system called PearlAqua Kilo (designed for industrial systems)

• R2J Chemical Services writes about the dangers of Legionella bacteria in water systems

• Cascadian Water is back with another hit: To Soften or Not to Soften Water - The Million-Dollar Question

• Plumber’s Choice, exclusive dealers of the Flow-Tech Home Anti-Scale System, release a recent article around why Flow-Tech is eco-friendly