Pure Water Occasional, June, 2022
 
Greetings from Pure Water Products, the Pure Water Gazette, and the Pure Water Occasional.
 
 
 
In this Early Summer Occasional you'll find a lot of information about PFAS, the "forever chemicals" and how to deal with them, our favorite brand of carbon block cartridges, the differences beween conventional water softeners and TAC alternative units, the advantages of our city water backwashing filters, and how to measure your water well pump's output capacity. And, as always, there is much, much more.
 
Thank you for reading.   And sincere thanks from Pure Water Products for your continuing support.  We consider our greatest asset to be the many faithful customers who have kept us going over the years. We really appreciate your business!
 
Thanks for reading!

For article archives and water news, please visit the Pure Water Gazette.
 

Our Coconut Shell Catalytic Carbon Backwashing Filter for Whole House Treatment

For City Water Treated with Either Chlorine or Chloramine

 
We’ve been selling whole house filters to city water for several years in a variety of styles, with different carbon choices and different control valve configurations. This page features the best backwashing filter we can build for city water users. We present it in four basic sizes, with recommendations based on family size.
 
American cities use either chlorine or chloramine as a basic disinfectant. Both have advantages and disadvantages, but it’s no secret that when they reach your home they’ve done their job and you will like the water much better if you remove them from water that you bath in and drink.
 
An issue in filter choice is that although chloramine and chlorine are removed by filter carbon, chloramine is much harder to remove, so a specialty carbon known as “catalytic carbon” is the carbon of choice if your city uses chloramine. The high quality catalytic carbon used in the filters below is Aquasorb coconut shell catalytic. It is excellent for chloramine and much better than it has to be for chlorine removal.  Aquasorb is a hard carbon for long life and it is exceptionally clean carbon that puts few if any carbon particles (fines) into home service lines.
The mineral tank is the water saving Vortech and the control valve is the SXT electronic version of the tough and reliable Fleck 5600
 
 
Unit Description
Tank Black Vortech. No support bed needed. Excellent service flow. Saves thousands of gallons of backwash water over its lifespan as compared with conventional media tanks.  10 year manufacturer’s warranty.
Control Valve Fleck 5600 SXT. Digital version of the old faithful 5600. Programmed before shipping. Installer has only to set the time of day.
Extras Stainless steel bypass. Drain tubing. Instructions for installation and startup. Support by phone or email. All included at no charge.
Media The best carbon available. Jacobi coconut shell catalytic. Extra clean, effective for both chlorine and chloramine plus all the other chemicals that carbon removes. Extremely hard and durable carbon for a long life and minimum release of particles (fines).
Shipping Shipped UPS. We pay shipping. Ships within one or two days of receipt of order.
Recommended media replacement 5 years. This can vary according to use and local conditions. The media lasts longer when treating chlorine than chloramine.
Note: These filters are for homes with ¾” or 1″ service pipes. Please call for information about equivalent filters for larger applications.
 
Part Number Tank Size. Media Load. Family Size Recommendation
BW011 9″ X 48 – 1 cubic foot.
Chlorine: Up to 3 people.
Chloramine: 1 or 2 people.
BW012 10″ X 54″ – 1.5 cubic feet.
Chlorine: Up to 4 people.
Chloramine: 2 to 3 people.
BW013 12″ X 52″ – 2 cubic feet.
Chlorine: Up to 4 to 6 people.
Chloramine: up to 4 people.
BW014 13″ X 54″ – 2.5 cubic feet.
Chlorine: Up to 7 people.
Chloramine: Up to 5 people.
 
Other Backwashing Filters in This Series. Prices for these units can be seen on this page as well.
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

TAC or Water Softener: Pros and Cons

With the growing popularity of alternatives to conventional water softeners, most notably Template Assisted Crystallization (TAC) systems, residential customers are finding it more difficult to choose a home treatment system for hardness.
 
Below here are some issues that come up and our comments on them, based both on our direct experience with the products themselves and on discussions we’ve had with customers who use them, In each case, we’re comparing a standard TAC unit to a standard conventional water softener.
 
The choice between a softener and a TAC unit is mainly a city water choice. With private wells, unless the water is exceptionally clean and iron/manganese-free, a conventional softener is the better choice.
 
Adds salt to water:  The softener works by exchanging salt for calcium and magnesium, so, yes, it adds salt.  TAC does not use salt.
 
Removes hardness.  Calcium and magnesium are the minerals that cause water to be hard. A softener removes them.  TAC “conditions” them so that they are less offensive; it does not remove hardness, so it really should not be called a softener. There is currently no  simple way (like a hardness test) to quantify the effect that TAC units have on hardness.
 
Gives the water a feeling of slickness.  Softener, yes; TAC, no. The slick feel, of course, is a positive effect for some users, a negative to others.  And, unfortunately there is currently no test for “slickness.”
 
Makes soap lather better, thus saving soap.  Softener, yes; TAC, perhaps a little.
 
Makes plumbing and appliances last longer.  Yes in both cases.
 
Initial cost comparison. Softeners vary in price, a lot, depending on style and manufacturer.  In general, TAC units cost more than good quality softeners but less than high-end softeners.
 
Upkeep. Operating Cost.  If the user’s labor is considered, or if the user pays someone to keep the softener cleaned and full of salt, the softener costs more. The single “upkeep” cost for TAC units is media replacement, which is expensive, but it only happens about every third year.  TAC uses no salt, no water for regeneration, no electricity, and has no moving parts that break. TAC units are so simple that most users can do the occasional media replacement themselves.
 
Environmental impact.  TAC uses no water for regeneration and adds nothing to the waste stream. Softeners use considerable amounts of water for regeneration and add salt to the city’s waste stream or the septic tank. Why is this a big deal? Because city water departments are hard-pressed to dispose of the waste water, which usually can’t be used for irrigation because of the salt content. Softeners, by the way, can be regenerated with potassium chloride rather than sodium chloride, which is regarded as more environmentally friendly but which is considerably more expensive than plain old softener salt.
 
Health issues.  Although we believe that the amount of salt added to drinking water by a softener probably has no negative health impact unless you drink outrageous amounts of it, not everyone would agree. The salt can be removed from softened water by an undersink reverse osmosis unit. RO removes salt handily.  TAC adds nothing objectionable to drinking water–at least nothing we know about yet. Softeners add salt and remove calcium and magnesium; TAC units neither add nor remove minerals.
 
Aesthetics. Some people (usually people who grew up with softened water) like the “slick” feel and the illusion that soap can’t be washed off the skin. Some people (usually people who grew up bathing in hard water) don’t.  TAC units do not affect the water aesthetically. The water feels, smells, tastes, and looks the same as untreated water.
 
Installation.  The TAC unit is easier to install. The softener needs electricity and a drain connection.  TAC needs neither. The softener has a control valve to program and a startup procedure to follow; TAC units require no programming or setup.
 
Pre-treatment — A sediment filter is essential in front of the TAC unit and is usually a good idea in front of a softener. In general, softeners are tougher and require less protection. Softeners actually remove small amounts of iron and manganese, but TAC units must be protected  from them by pre-treatment. Likewise, TAC units are very sensitive to copper and have to be protected from new copper piping by remaining in by-pass mode until new copper piping is seasoned. Both softeners and TAC units last longer with pre-treatment for chlorine or chloramine  in city water, but this is not essential.
 
 
 
 The conventional softener in the picture consists of the tall resin tank, the control valve on top, and the brine tank where salt to regenerate the resin is stored.  TAC units have only the tall tank and the top valve does not require electricity. No brine tank is needed. 

 
 
 
 


Determining the GPM Output of a Water Well

If you are installing water treatment equipment on a private well, it is often important to know how many gallon per minute the well pump will put out on a sustained run.  You can't necessarily depend on the manufacturer's gpm rating of the pump.  Here's how to  make sure that your pump is putting out all the water you need for your filter or softener to regenerate properly.

Turn off all taps and water-using appliances in the home.
 
Find an outdoor spigot in a place that will allow you to observe your well pump's activity. You'll need to know when the pump turns on and off. The output capacity of the spigot itself doesn't matter.
 
Run water from the spigot until the pump comes on, then close the faucet and let the pump fill the tank and shut off.
 
With the tank now full, find a container, or multiple containers (e. g. 5-gallon buckets) that will allow you to measure the content of your well tank. Turn on the spigot and catch the water until the pump comes on.
When the pump comes on, immediately close the faucet and time the seconds it takes for the pump to turn off. (This means that the tank is full.)
 
Now you know the amount of water the tank holds and the number of seconds it takes to refill it. You can determine the well pump's gallon-per-minute capacity by using the following formula:
 
Gallons collected, divided by seconds it took to refill the tank, multiplied by 60. (You multiply by sixty to convent the seconds to minutes, because your answer needs to be in gallons per minute.)
 
For example, if you collected 15 gallons and it took 75 seconds for your pump to refill the tank, your equation would look like this: (15/75)X60 = 12 GPM.
 
If you collected 18 gallons and it took 55 seconds for your pump to shut off, the formula would be: (18/55) X 60 = 19.6 GPM.
 
 

U.S. drinking water widely contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’

By Timothy Gardner

The contamination of U.S. drinking water with man-made “forever chemicals” is far worse than previously estimated with some of the highest levels found in Miami, Philadelphia and New Orleans, said a report on Wednesday by an environmental watchdog group.
 
The chemicals, resistant to breaking down in the environment, are known as perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Some have been linked to cancers, liver damage, low birth weight and other health problems.
 
The findings  by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) show the group’s previous estimate in 2018, based on unpublished U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data, that 110 million Americans may be contaminated with PFAS, could be far too low.
 
“It’s nearly impossible to avoid contaminated drinking water from these chemicals,” said David Andrews, a senior scientist at EWG and co-author of the report.
 
The chemicals were used in products like Teflon and Scotchguard and in firefighting foam. Some are used in a variety of other products and industrial processes, and their replacements also pose risks.
 
Of tap water samples taken by EWG from 44 sites in 31 states and Washington D.C., only one location, Meridian, Mississippi, which relies on 700 foot (215 m) deep wells, had no detectable PFAS. Only Seattle and Tuscaloosa, Alabama had levels below 1 part per trillion (PPT), the limit EWG recommends.
 
In addition, EWG found that on average six to seven PFAS compounds were found at the tested sites, and the effects on health of the mixtures are little understood. “Everyone’s really exposed to a toxic soup of these PFAS chemicals,” Andrews said.
 
In 34 places where EWG’s tests found PFAS, contamination had not been publicly reported by the EPA or state environmental agencies.
 
The EPA has known since at least 2001 about the problem of PFAS in drinking water but has so far failed to set an enforceable, nationwide legal limit. The EPA said early last year it would begin the process to set limits on two of the chemicals, PFOA and PFOS.
 
The EPA said it has helped states and communities address PFAS and that it is working to put limits on the two main chemicals but did not give a timeline.
 
In 2018 a draft report from an office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the risk level for exposure to the chemicals should be up to 10 times lower than the 70 PPT threshold the EPA recommends. The White House and the EPA had tried to stop the report from being published.
 
Source: Reuters report via Yahoo News.
 
 

EPA Standards for PFAS Are Just Around Some Far-Distant Corner

The Environmental Protection Agency announced interim health advisories for four perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are substantially lower than the advisory levels issued by the agency in 2016.  The EPA’s  heath advisory from 2016 called for no more than 70 parts per trillion for the combined concentrations of PFOA and PFOS.  A Health Advisory, or HA,  is miles of political maneuvering away from an enforcable standard that would actually require municipal water providers to reduce PFAS to a specified level.  

PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s. There are thousands of different PFAS, some of which have been more widely used and studied than others. One common concern is that PFAS generally break down very slowly, meaning that concentrations can accumulate in people, animals, and the environment over time. They are often referred to as “forever chemicals.”  PFAS ingestion has been implicated in human health issues from birth defects to cancer.
 
The updated EPA  Health Advisory for PFOA is 0.004 ppt.  That’s parts per trillion. For PFOS it’s 0.02 ppt.
 
Although it may take years of political wrangling before EPA enforceable standards are finally set for these “forever chemicals,” the PFAS issue is not as complicated for individuals. Here’s what you should know.
 
First, PFAS, like arsenic, fluoride, lead, nitrates, and some other significant water issues,  are almost entirely an ingestion issue. There is general agreement that routine household use of PFAS-contaminated water, including bathing, does not pose a health risk.  It is a drinking water problem.
 
Removing PFAS from drinking water is not hard at all. Point of use reverse osmosis units remove PFAS handily. Likewise, good quality carbon drinking water filters.
 
Whole home treatment of PFAS is more difficult, but high quality carbon block filters with regular cartridge change can provide PFAS-free water for the whole home.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

MatriKX Cartridges Are Now Certified for Reduction of PFAS

 
The MatriKX Chloraguard drinking water cartridge pictured above is now rated to treat an incredible 45,000 gallons of chlorine, 4,000 gallons of chloramine, 3,500 gallons of PFAS, and 750 gallons of VOC.

When we started building our Model 77 Countertop Filter around 1990, the standard cartridge for the unit was the MatriK KX-1.  The KX-1 was a really good cartridge. It was a bituminous coal-based carbon block that boasted 20,000 gallons of chlorine capacity. The manufacturer’s advertising line called it “The Chlorine Guzzler.” We used the KX-1 in the Model 77 countertop as well as our Black and White series undersink filters and RO units. Over the 30 plus yeas that we’ve been using the cartridge it has been reformulated and renamed a few times. It is now called CTO Plus.
 
The CTO Plus is now made with coconut shell carbon. The chlorine capacity has gone up to 30,000 gallons (not that you would every use it that long) and it now has a 750 gallon capacity rating for VOC reduction. VOCs, “volatile organics,” are a challenge, and 750 gallons is something to brag about. Chloramines are also a challenge. The new spec sheet for the cartridge now shows its certification at 2.000 gallons capacity for chloramines, as well as 3,500 for the difficult “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.
 
All four of the basic MatriKX cartridges now have certification for chloramine reduction and all but the standard CTO make claims for VOC reduction. All four are now made with coconut shell carbon and all are manufactured with the latest and most advanced technology. (This is important. Not all carbon block filters are created equal. Much of their effectiveness depends on the processing of the carbon and the binding materials used.)
 
The manufacturer’s fact sheets for the four basic cartridges can be found on our website. Follow the links below. Performance data is given for the four basic standard filter sizes–from drinking water to whole house.
 
PB1 – Lead/Cyst Removal Carbon Block.  (A great choice for countertop and undersink filters. Not recommended for use in RO units.)
 
CTO Carbon Block  (Our standard RO prefilter.)
 
CTO Plus Carbon Block  (Standard equipment in our Black & White RO units, undersink filters, and Model 77 countertop filter.)
 
Chloraguard Carbon Block (Best of the group for chloramine reduction.)
 
Below is a comparative breakdown of the four basic styles in the drinking water size only.  You do not need a six stage filtration unit to get superb performance.  To illustrate, our standard double undersink filter, which uses the MatriKX PB-1 and the MatriKX CTO Plus,  provides 60,000 gallons of treatment of chlorine,  4,000 gallons of chloramine, 6,500 gallons of PFAS, 1,250 gallons of VOC, 3,750 of lead, plus protection against cysts.  It is generally recognized that a carbon filter that reduces  VOCs (which are very difficult to remove) also offers protection against the literally thousands of chemicals and pharmaceutical products for which no testing is done.

MatriKX Summary Sheet – 9.75” X 2.75” Cartridges

MatriKX Cartridge
Performance Summary
MatriKX PB1
Coconut Shell Carbon Block. Nominal 0.5 Micron
PWP Part FC004
Chlorine Removal : 30.000 gals. @ 1 gpm
Chloramine Removal: 2,000 gals. @ 0.5 gpm
PFAS Removal: 3,000 gals. @ 0.5 gpm
VOC Removal: 500 gals. @ 0.5 gpm
Lead Removal: 3,750 gals. @ 0,75 gpm
Cyst Removal:Yes, for life of cartridge
MatriKX CTO
Coconut Shell Carbon Block. Nominal 5 Micron
PWP Part FC003
Chlorine Removal : 12,000 gals. @ 1 gpm
Chloramine Removal: 1,000 gals. @ 0.5 gpm
PFAS Removal: 3,250 gals. @ 0.5 gpm
VOC Removal: Not Rated
Lead Removal: No.
Cyst Removal: No.
MatriKX CTO PLUS
Coconut Shell Carbon Block. Nominal 1 Micron
PWP Part FC001
Chlorine Removal :30,000 gals. @ 1 gpm
Chloramine Removal: 2,000 gals. @ 0.5 gpm
PFAS Removal: 3,500 gals. @ 0.5 gpm
VOC Removal: 750 gals. @ 0.5 gpm
Lead Removal: No
Cyst Removal: No
MatrikX Chloraguard
Coconut Shell Carbon Block. Nominal 1 micron
PWP Part FC040
Chlorine Removal : 45,000 gals. @ 1 gpm
Chloramine Removal: 4,000 gals. @ 0.5 gpm
PFAS Removal: 3,500 gals. @ 0.5 gpm
VOC Removal: 750 gals. @ 0.5 gpm
Lead Removal: No
Cyst Removal: No
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Places to visit for additional information:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thanks for reading. The next Occasional will be out eventually--when you least expect it.
Pure Water Products, LLC, 523A N. Elm St., Denton, TX, www.purewaterproducts.com. Call us at 888 382 3814.
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