Well-Water Testing in High Demand

Well-Water Testing in High Demand

Earlier this month the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) rolled out free well-water testing kits for Michigan residents, using $5M in funding. Guess how long the kits lasted? Just one week, thanks to 15,000 different requests! These kits were designed to support residential well owners in assessing water quality, focusing on common concerns like chloroforms, nitrates, and metals. Unlike communal water sources, private wells aren't routinely examined after their initial installation, which leaves many residents uncertain about their water's quality. Water sources are regulated in larger Michigan cities, meaning nearly all of the requests came from rural and suburban regions.

Georgia Tech Introduces the ‘Minus Approach’

Researchers from Georgia Tech have introduced a transformative water treatment approach, coined as the “minus approach” (which honestly feels like a name straight out of an infomercial). Instead of relying on the usual chemical cocktail, the minus approach emphasizes physical methods. Techniques like bank filtration, biofiltration, adsorption, and membrane filtration are used to separate contaminants and byproducts, allowing for only minimal use of chemicals and UV light to crush bacterial growth. Professor Yongsheng Chen, one of the minds behind this innovation, is optimistic that this approach will foster a safer water supply and a greener environmental footprint.

DIY Guide for Testing PFAS

Popular Science writes about at-home PFAS water testing kits, emphasizing the importance of choosing a kit that aligns with EPA standards like Method 537.1 and Method 533 (turns out, "Just guessing" didn't make the EPA list). The article recommends Cyclopure's $79 PFAS test kit as an effective yet affordable choice that detects 55 types of PFAS. The article also discusses filtering solutions for reducing PFAS, ranging from whole-house systems to point-of-use filters.

Do Fridge Filters Work?

Modern fridges come with both water and air filters to help improve water taste and keep food fresher for longer. While the filters make the water taste better by removing contaminants like chlorine and lead, Fresh Water Systems claim they might not be as comprehensive as alternatives like reverse osmosis, recommending their own products as a way to boost filtration. The air filter side of things is all about odors and bacteria, which is just there to make sure your uneaten veggies and that leftover chicken alfredo from Friday remain fresh.

What else is happening:

• WQA association launches ‘Mark of Excellence’ recognition

• Water Research Foundation (WRF) is now accepting proposals for $4.9M worth of research funding

• Kinetico SWFL writes about their key solutions and what makes them different from the competition