Clean Water?
Mar 1, 2023By Phil Maybee – EMC MUD No. 3 Director
Driving through Texas it is common to see a small sign entering a town that says, “State approved water supply.” While most will not see or pay any attention to these signs, but they piqued my curiosity some years ago.
The State guidelines basically require that there not be any living organisms in the water that can cause sickness in human consumption. Thus, the common term the Bac-T test or in other words bacteria and other fungal issues as well are searched out in your water. Rarely is water tested for complete analysis data to identify every constituent in the water.
Water can come from either the ground or surface storage. Water from the ground travels through underground water pathways that filter out through the earth at various depths below the earth’s surface. For our wells that happens to be the Jasper and Evangeline aquifers. The pathway water takes to get to the aquifers allows for the collection of all sorts of chemicals, minerals, and other pollutants into the water. It is common now to find things like acetaminophen and ibuprofen in ground water.
Surface water has the same issue with runoff from farming, irrigation, boat exhaust and fluids, animal feces and decay – so many things that just do not sound pleasant to want to consume in our homes. To make sure the water does not have bacteria or fungal colonies that might make us ill, MUDs treat the water with chlorination to kill the viable organisms. Have you seen the “poison” label on chlorine or bleach bottles?
No wonder bottled water is the number one beverage in total sales in the world today. So, what does this mean to a homeowner or renter that finds the water is not pleasant to taste, smell or appearance? The person consuming the water needs to be the one in charge of how clean they want it to be. A municipal utility district cannot provide the amount of cleanliness that would be required to remove all of the various pollutants to zero. Instead, its water provided meet the State standard that we spoke of from the beginning – no live organisms in the water. Treating the water more effectively is not expensive for the various things that would be of concern.
Sediment filters will take the larger color pollutants out of the water and can be installed in line for water supply to the home. These will improve the life of small appliances like coffee makers and water heaters from build-up of sediments. They will also extend the life of other filters in the system. Most importantly, they will make the water you drink esthetically more pleasing.
Water softeners or de-scalers are available to keep the water from leaving hard water deposits on surfaces of bathroom fixtures and dishes in the dishwasher. These can make a difference in the life of clothing, or the amount of work required to clean.
Activated carbon filters can remove chemicals and odors from the water making it taste and smell better. They can remove trace amounts of things like the acetaminophen or ibuprofen along with sulfur and other sediments.
When you have drinking water dispensers in the refrigerator the filters inside the appliance are a combination of sediment and activated carbon to make the water better tasting. DR Horton planned for there to be water filters under the kitchen sink of each home. The kind of filter that you use is your choice, but it can also be similar to the one in your refrigerator – filtering both sediment and taste and odor.
Have you replaced your filter elements? Follow the instructions on your water filtration systems and change out filters as recommended. The MUD endeavors to deliver the water that meets state regulations and is of the highest quality as possible. Help us by filtering at your home faucet.
Phil Maybee, known to many as “The Filter Man”, is the President of your Municipal Utility District. He is also the founder of The Filter Man LTD, a Montgomery County based business specializing in air and liquid filtration for commercial and industrial properties. He is the past President of the National Air Filtration Association and USA contributor to the National Standards Institute. Phil has been an educator and innovator for Indoor Air Quality and Environmental Improvement for over 35 years and continues to consult on air and water quality issues.