Pink “Slimy” Stains Pink stains and slime around toilet bowl waterlines, on shower curtains and on fixtures are caused by airborne bacterium called Serratia Marcescens. These bacterium thrive on moisture, so it’s fitting that pink slime and stains form in wet areas. This is actually not a water issue and the best way to combat…
Black Stains / Manganese A common water issue in New York is high manganese. This causes black or brown stains and residue buildup on sinks, toilets, tubs and showers. Many people experience this problem with water wells alongside elevated iron levels. Even if your water appears clear, iron and manganese can still produce staining and…
Forever Chemicals: Water Contamination from PFOA, PFOS, and other PFAS The introduction of per- and polyfluorinated compounds (PFASs) in the mid-twentieth century unleashed a wave of persistent and toxic chemicals into the environment, contaminating everything from food and drinking water to the dust around us. Also known as “forever chemicals,” these substances continue to persist…
Light “Tea” Colored Water While tannins in drinking water are not harmful, they can cause yellowing of glasses and fixtures and poor water taste. Tannins (humic acid) appear as a result of water passing through decomposing vegetation and are sometimes accompanied by iron or manganese. Water high in iron or manganese may appear red, rusty,…
Dirty Water / Colloidal Clay Filtering colloidal clay from your water can be a difficult feat to achieve. The extremely fine particles can lead to cloudy well water and cannot be removed with standard filters. Typical sediment filters of 30 microns will probably not be adequate. Colloidal clay usually must be coagulated before filtering, which…
Bacteria, Viruses and Parasites in Drinking Water Bacteria is everywhere in our environment, including New York’s surface waters and groundwater. Some of these bacteria can be harmful to human health. Drinking water with disease-causing bacteria, viruses, or parasites (collectively called pathogens) can make you sick. It is not practical to test drinking water for every…
Sandy Water Rock cuttings or loose soil resulting from drilling a new water well installation of a new well and will usually disappear over time. However, some water wells suffer from a continual influx of small rocks and sand which fall from the walls of drilled water wells. Water-borne calcium and magnesium can also produce…
Minerals & Hard Water Hard water issues can cause cloudy or foggy water stains on clean dishes, shower doors, and faucets. This water “hardness” results from abnormal amounts of calcium, magnesium or iron. Hard water produces two major problems: Scale- Scale forms when calcium and magnesium precipitate out of water and adhere to the insides…
Hydrogen Sulfide – Rotten Egg Smell Is there is a rotten egg odor in your home? It just might be coming from your water. Elevated levels of sulfur or hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) in your water can cause rotten egg smell and worse. Hydrogen sulfide is actually a corrosive gas that can affect the taste…
“Rusty” Reddish Brown Water Does your sink, tub, or toilet have “rusty” stains? This is caused by high levels of iron in your water. Iron is one of the most common elements in the Earth’s crust and is found groundwater worldwide. The maximum contaminant level (MCL) established by US EPA guidelines is 0.3 parts per…