| |
Symptom |
Cause |
Treatment devices |
Visual
(Water appearance) |
Cloudiness of water with a yellow, brown or black cast that clears after standing 24 hours |
*Turbidity |
Flocculation and sedimentation
or particle and microfiltration (POE) |
| Transparent yellow-brown tint to water that doesn’t clear after standing 24 hours |
*High levels of natural organic matter (NOM), usually in surface water |
Activated carbon filtration or chlorination followed by activated carbon filtration
Water utilities use flocculation to remove NOM. |
| Brown-orange
stains or reddish slime or tint to water |
Presence
of dissolved iron and iron bacteria |
Low amounts: reduce
with particle filter
or during reverse osmosis
or distillation
treatments (POE or POU)
High amounts: remove by potassium permanganate-regenerated
oxidizing
filter and particle
filter (POE)
Very high amounts: remove by chlorination
followed by particle filter
(POE)
Consider well and distribution/storage shock
chlorination to kill iron bacteria.
|
| Brownish color or rusty sediment |
Suspended iron and manganese particles |
Particle filter (POE) |
Visual
(Staining and deposits) |
Blackened or tarnished metal utensils and pipes |
High chloride and sulfate levels |
Reverse osmosis unit (POE) or distillation unit (POU) |
| Blackened or tarnished metal utensils and pipes |
High water acidity and high hydrogen sulfide |
Acid-neutralizing filters (calcite or calcite/magnesium oxide) (POE) or addition of alkaline chemicals such as lime |
| Stains in showers, toilet bowls, and faucet ends |
*Hardness |
Water softener (POE or POU) |
| Excessive staining in showers and aluminum cookware |
*Salinity |
Reverse osmosis unit or distillation unit (POU) |
| Green water stains |
Acidity |
Acid neutralizing filters (POE) or addition of alkaline chemicals such as lime |
| Soap deposits or excessive scaly deposits in plumbing and appliances |
*Hardness |
Water softener or reverse osmosis or distillation (POE or POU) |
| Excessive
salt deposits |
Alkalinity
(high pH and sodium) |
Reverse
osmosis or distillation
systems (POE)
Consider acid neutralization of excessive alkalinity |
| Other visual |
Houseplants stunted or with burned leaf tips |
*Salinity |
Reverse osmosis unit or distillation unit (POU) |
| Taste |
Taste of chlorine, gasoline, or oil |
VOCs,
including residual chlorine, disinfection byproducts,
pesticides, or fuel (gasoline, diesel, oil products) |
Activated charcoal filter or aeration (POE) |
| Metallic taste |
Acidity |
Acid neutralizing filters (POE) or addition of alkaline chemicals such as lime |
| Salty or bitter taste |
*High
total dissolved solids, sodium, sulfates, or nitrates
(salinity) |
Reverse osmosis or distillation (POU) |
| Smell |
Chlorine-like smell |
*VOCs, including residual chlorine, disinfection byproducts, pesticides, gasoline products |
Activated charcoal filter or aeration (POU) |
| Gasoline-like
smell |
Gasoline,
diesel, oil products |
Activated charcoal filter or aeration (POU) |
| Earthy, musty, or chemical smell |
Algae
products (geos-min and MIB) |
Activated charcoal filter (POU) |
| Rotten egg odor |
Excessive acidity, lack of oxygen in water source, or contamination by hydrogen sulfide gas (occurs naturally in aquifers and sediments) |
Oxidation of water during aeration (POE)
or chlorination and a particle filter (POE)
or oxidizing filter (POE) followed by an activated carbon filter
Acidity control may also be needed. |
| Illness |
Gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea and vomiting |
Pathogens |
Remove source of contamination. Reduce pathogens through chlorination, UV radiation, or ozonation (POE). Chloramine chemicals may be used after chlorination is completed in order to maintain acceptable chlorine residual levels. |
Appliance/
hardware problems |
Early applicance failure |
*Hardness |
Water softener (POE or POU) |
| Poor evaporative cooler performance |
Build-up
of scale on pads (high hardness, high salinity) |
Use bleed-off mechanism to prevent build-up of salts and minerals (more information on Water Conservation website) |
| Blackened/tarnished metal utensils and pipes |
High chloride levels |
Reverse osmosis unit or distillation unit (POU) |
| Blackened/tarnished metal utensils and pipes |
High water acidity and high hydrogen sulfide |
Acid-neutralizing filters (POE) or addition of alkaline chemicals such as lime |
