Methods for cleaning water from a well

Stages of water treatment

Installation of water purification systems is carried out in several stages:

• Inspection of the site - for the competent design of a water treatment system, a photo of the object is usually sufficient. But, if the specialist has any doubts or questions, he will personally visit the installation site.
• Drawing up an estimate - with the customer, the timing of the work and their cost. This will allow you to immediately estimate all costs.
• Installing the system - connecting and configuring filters, checking the system's performance.
• Commissioning - testing the system for leaks, a thorough check of the performance of all elements.
• Delivery of work - conducting a visual briefing for the client, getting to know all the nuances of the filtration systems, answers to all questions.
• Installation of a water treatment system is an important stage for the high-quality and reliable operation of the equipment. You can independently find experienced plumbers, and our specialists will control the quality of their work at all stages and put the system into operation.

In order for the client to appreciate all the benefits of the water treatment system, we offer to analyze the water from the well after installing the filter and compare the new results with the original ones.

How to install well water treatment devices

Installation of a water treatment system depends on its type and performance.

Mechanical filters can be made independently or bought ready-made. In any case, their installation is a stage in the assembly of the well. Additional coarse cleaning elements are mounted on the water supply pipe. After them, deep cleaning systems are installed, during the installation of which it is necessary to follow the instructions.

For productive stations, it is usually necessary to allocate a certain space in the utility room of the house.

Of the common materials and tools for the installation of water treatment elements, you will need:

• gas and adjustable wrench;
• plastic pipes 30-40 mm and fittings for them;
• tools for cutting and soldering pipes and making threads;
• waterproofing for joints.

But since the filters are mostly expensive, then at the slightest doubt in your own abilities to install and configure the equipment, it is better to turn to specialists.

Well Water Filters

Most filter systems for home use are based on one of the cleaning methods above.

The following groups of devices are distinguished:

• flow systems with two or more sequential cleaning cartridges and/or membranes. The most effective option, removes almost all known contaminants;
• automatic self-cleaning filters based on catalytic purification and/or sorbents. In addition, aeration and hypochlorination is required, it needs a constant water pressure no less than that required for flushing (depending on the model). Can be specialized or universal;
• tank-based aeration kits. They are supplemented with a sediment filter, in addition to iron, they remove hydrogen sulfide, and also increase the oxygen content in the liquid;
• coarse filters of disk or mesh type. Used to remove large deposited particles, including iron compounds.

Flow systems with several cartridges for purifying water from a well for a country house, tap water in an apartment are considered optimal in terms of efficiency and the possibility of integrated water purification.

In addition, for cottage settlements where water is consumed from one well for several objects, or for other large structures, other devices are used to purify water from the well from iron - for example, block-modular water treatment stations.

Where does the iron in groundwater come from?

The presence of Fe in tap water is understandable - it is the result of corrosion of old metal pipes, storage tanks, distribution units, and so on. But what is the reason for the increased content of this metal in groundwater?

There are two reasons:

• natural. This is due to the extensive deposits of iron-bearing rocks next to the aquifer.Under the action of moisture, the metal oxidizes and enters the water, this is a natural reaction. It is also possible to seep into the aquifers of marsh waters with a high content of iron due to humus inclusions, the presence of Jurassic period clays (with a high content of pyrite) nearby. The amount of admixture is affected by volcanic activity nearby. Interestingly, deeper water horizons contain a large proportion of impurities - up to 3..4 mg/l;
• human factor. A large amount of wastewater with a high iron content is the result of the activities of metallurgical plants, metalworking enterprises, textile and paint and varnish enterprises, and agriculture.

There is a characteristic dependence - the more acidic the environment, the higher the percentage of ferruginous impurities in it. An increased pH of the water and a reduced amount of oxygen are almost always accompanied by a high proportion of iron inclusions.

In nature, iron is present in four forms: simple (pure), divalent, trivalent and organic. Simple iron, when it enters water, immediately oxidizes to trivalent iron and forms a characteristic rusty precipitate, which settles very quickly. Accordingly, the trivalent also precipitates in the form of a rusty suspension. Divalent is much more difficult to detect; it is not visually determined. Organic - these are complex compounds, including bacterial and colloidal. Precipitation is slower than that of the trivalent variant.

No. 2. Why is the main filter better than others?

The problem of polluted water is so massive that mankind has come up with a lot of different devices for cleaning it. We will not go into details, but among the most popular filtration systems today they use the following:

• pitcher-type filters and dispensaries do not belong to flow filters - a certain amount of water is poured into them, which after a while is cleaned by built-in cartridges. This solution is only suitable for water purification for drinking and cooking, since the volume of vessels, as a rule, does not exceed 3-4 liters;
• the filter nozzle on the tap allows you to purify water from large mechanical impurities, improve its organoleptic qualities. The filter is suitable if the water quality is satisfactory, meets the standards, but you just want to improve it a little. Such a filter is easy to install, you can even take it with you on trips, but it will not cope with serious pollution, has low performance and requires frequent replacement of cartridges;
• the “next to the sink” filter is also easy to install, connects to the water supply using a special adapter and provides an average level of purification, ridding the water of large contaminants and unpleasant odors;
• stationary filter "under the sink" is installed under the sink, allows you to purify water from mechanical impurities, chlorine, heavy metals, eliminate odors and tastes. This is a very popular system, it is easy to maintain, requires replacement of cartridges every 5-6 months, but the cost of its arrangement is higher than the previously listed options. This solution also has some drawbacks. The filter will not cope with the most serious contaminants, it has limitations in terms of performance and cannot be installed on pipes with hot water.

If any of the listed filters allows you to purify water to an acceptable quality, you are very lucky.But if you are not lucky, then you should not be upset, because there are flow-through main filters, which are actually a miniature water treatment station.

The main filter is built into the water supply system of an apartment or house, crashes into the water main and creates a serious barrier to the water entering the apartment, which, passing through the filter system, is cleaned of mechanical impurities, harmful elements and compounds. The filter can be put on hot and cold water, and since it will stand at the inlet, purified water will flow from all taps.

A flow-through main water filter is usually used in houses that have their own source of water supply (a well or a well), but recently a similar system has often been installed in apartment buildings where the water pipes are very worn out. Such filters allow you to solve several problems at once:

• water purification from harmful impurities, chlorine and microorganisms;
• improving the taste of water and getting rid of metallic and other tastes;
• softening, because hard water negatively affects the skin and hair, leads to the rapid wear of some household appliances;
• keeping plumbing fixtures in good condition. Conventional (non-main) filters purify water only at one point of consumption, and it runs through the rest of the pipes in the apartment silted and contaminated with particles of rust and other debris, which gradually leads to blockages and breakdowns. With the main filter, this problem disappears.

The main advantages of main filters include:

• high cleaning efficiency;
• high performance (the filter cleans 20-50 liters of water per minute);
• variability.Depending on what it is necessary to purify water from, various cartridges can be used;
• the ability to purify water for all water intake points with one filter;
• durability with proper use.

Among the shortcomings, we note only the complexity of installation - you will need the help of specialists. You can service the main filter yourself, but if a blockage occurs, you can hardly do without a professional. The cost of trunk systems, of course, is higher than that of simpler filters, but it is not sky-high.

Is cleaning necessary?

A number of indirect signs testify to the fact that water purification from the well is required. You may encounter:

1. Silt, indicating the accumulation of unwanted substances in the water, the appearance of which is caused by the processes of decay.
2. A characteristic metallic taste that worsens the taste characteristics of the produced water. After installing the filter, the organoleptic properties of the liquid are significantly improved.
3. Yellowish tint in plumbing and dishes. Its appearance is facilitated by dissolved salts and a number of other substances deposited on the surface.
4. Turbid sediment with some silt due to the presence of harmful bacteria.
5. Characteristic smell of "rotten eggs".

Water should not have an unpleasant odor and impurities

How to clean water from a well from iron

The most common problem with water lifted from wells is excessive iron content. If we talk about sanitary standards, then the permissible level of iron in water is 0.3 mg / l. If the concentration rises, a specific taste appears.With an iron content of more than 1 mg / l, the color already changes - after a short settling, a characteristic reddish - rusty - shade appears.

There is no reliable data on the occurrence of pathology or the development of any diseases when drinking water with an increased amount of iron, but drinks and food are far from the most attractive appearance and taste. But such water can help with a low content of hemoglobin in the blood, if you drink it long enough. Nevertheless, water is more often purified from iron, and, at least, to sanitary standards. The reason is that iron is deposited on household appliances, which often causes it to fail. There are several types of equipment for removing iron from water.

Reverse osmosis

This is perhaps the most effective way: almost all particles are removed. In this equipment for water purification from iron, there are special membranes that allow only H2O molecules to pass through. All the rest settle on the filter. A special well water purification system allows you to automatically remove accumulated contaminants that are discharged into the sewer or drain pit.

The principle of operation of the reverse osmosis system: a special membrane purifies water

Reverse osmosis removes not only iron, but also all other substances dissolved in water. The problem is insoluble particles, including sand and ferric iron (rust): they clog the filters. If you have a large amount of these impurities, coarse filters (described above) will be needed before the reverse osmosis equipment. Another nuance: this equipment is installed on a water pipe and works under a certain pressure.

An example of a well water purification system with pre-filters and an osmosis system for the preparation of drinking water. A membrane tank is needed here to create a constant pressure in the system

Still, the main disadvantage of such a system is its high cost, and the filters are also not cheap, and they need to be changed approximately at the same frequency as in cartridge installations (once every one to three months). Therefore, most often this equipment is installed for the preparation of drinking water - they are installed under the sink, a separate tap is removed and used only for drinking or cooking. To purify the rest of the water - for technical needs - use other methods and methods.

Well water filters with ion exchange resins

Filters for purifying water from a well with ion-exchange resins are very similar in design to cartridge filters, but they contain special filters with resins that replace iron with sodium. At the same time, water softening occurs: magnesium and potassium ions are also bound. This equipment has several types of devices. Cartridge filters are suitable for small volumes, for large volumes they are no longer enough and filter columns are installed, which can provide clean water at a significant flow rate. That is why when selecting filters and equipment for cleaning water from a well, an average and peak flow rate is also required: in order to choose the right capacity.

Ion exchange resins replace harmful substances with neutral ones

Removal of iron from water by aeration

Well water filters are effective, but far from cheap equipment. You can solve the problem easier: with the help of aeration.The fact is that iron is present in water in two forms: the dissolved divalent form and the trivalent form that precipitates. The principle of aeration is based on the addition of oxygen to the water, which oxidizes ferrous iron dissolved in water to trivalent iron, which precipitates in the form of a rusty precipitate. In addition to rust, this method neutralizes manganese, hydrogen sulfide (gives the smell of rotten eggs), ammonia.

Impurities in water: what do they affect?

Tap water, river and lake, underground water are not perfectly clean, it is still not a distillate. Therefore, the very presence of impurities in the liquid is normal, but their quantity and composition is another matter.

Standard "additives" in N₂O in quantities up to 500 mg / l are considered:

• organic. These are various substances of plant and animal origin, including pathogenic microorganisms. Fortunately, almost all of them are destroyed by boiling water;
• non-metals. This includes both relatively harmless (at low concentrations) fluorine, iodine, calcium and magnesium, as well as much more harmful chlorine, arsenic. Cleaning from some non-metallic inclusions is possible by settling, from some - only by multi-stage filtration;
• metals - iron, lead, manganese, aluminum, copper, mercury and so on. Filtration and settling required;
• complex compounds, including petroleum products, nitrates, pesticides. Multi-stage filtration removes most of these impurities.

The allowable amount of impurities is normalized by SanPiN 2.1.4.1074-01, table 2.

At the same time, one of the most frequent and at the same time easily determined components is iron, it should contain no more than 3 mg / l.

With an excess amount of Fe, the following problems arise:

• with health.Excess iron threatens with problems with the cardiovascular system, kidneys and the excretory system as a whole, the strengthening or development of allergies. Due to the effect on the liver, the manifestation of diabetes mellitus and hemochromatosis (impaired iron metabolism in the body) is possible, as a result - diseases of the liver and joints;
• with plants and pets. In plants, the development cycle is disrupted, animals get sick, like people;
• with technology - the rapid narrowing of the lumen of water pipes (especially metal ones) and bottlenecks in water-consuming equipment due to the deposition of iron on the walls. Acceleration of natural corrosion of metal elements. There is also a reddish coating on the working surfaces of washing machines and dishwashers, plumbing, bathtubs, sinks and toilets;
• dishes and linen - they may have “rusty” spots, plaque, the color of the products as a whole changes.

The influence of metal on health, equipment and things depends on the concentration and type.

Cleaning systems

Scheme of installation of a staged water purification system from a well

Well water filtration facilities perform the following functions:

• Preliminary purification, which involves the removal of coarse impurities from the liquid. For these purposes, mechanical mesh filter elements are usually used. Depending on the size of the cell, the cross section of the trapped fractions is also determined. But sometimes gravel options are also used. As a result, this reduces the wear and tear of equipment, including fine water treatment plants.
• Adsorption with the elimination of hazardous components, as well as an unpleasant aftertaste and odor of the liquid. The best filler is activated carbon due to its microscopic pores.It is poured into special cartridges to be replaced at regular intervals. Perform the functions of sorption and filters with membranes.

• Softening with trapping of hardness salts, lime, iron. Devices for deironing and water softening operate due to chemicals or on the principle of oxidation of metal impurities that precipitate and are retained by the filtration element. In addition to purifying water from a well or a well in a country house to drinking water, installations are used to protect household appliances from scale and rust.

• Biological purification to remove pathogens. Most often, ultraviolet cleaners act as "antibiotics". They are easy to operate and do not pose a danger to people and animals. Ultraviolet destroys pathogenic bacteria, viral agents, protozoa, fungi.

To immediately purify and soften water, ion-exchange plants are used. They are divided into two types: hydrogen and sodium. Heavy metal salts, traces of radionuclides, as well as harmful nitrates and nitrites pass through the purification devices and are converted into harmless compounds.

Reverse osmosis

The use of reverse osmosis eliminates all impurities. The main element of this installation is a special membrane that allows only water molecules to pass through. Fractions of impurities, having a variety of sizes, are removed into the sewer system. Water-soluble elements do not clog the membrane.

When sand or rust is present in the fluid, these impurities clog the equipment over time. In order to improve efficiency reverse osmosis works first, mechanical and coarse filters are placed. The disadvantage of using the installation is the high cost of equipment and its maintenance.

Water purification systems for an apartment: how to choose?

All well-known manufacturers offer an additional service: water analysis, after which experts select the best equipment. However, such a "gift" - an addition to the purchase - is not available to most people who live far from large cities. Therefore, to check the water, it is better to contact the city SES. Another option is a private laboratory.

When do you need a main cleaner?

You can't do without this element if:

• there are large particles in the water that are visible without "weapons" - without glasses, a magnifying glass or a microscope;
• the liquid flowing from the tap is turbid, has a shade - brown or yellow;
• rusty plaque on the toilet, white marks on the tap, washing machine is not an emergency, but the norm;
• after thawing, sediment remains at the bottom of the container.

When is the faucet nozzle enough?

This compact replacement for a jug has some advantage over it: the modules for it have an increased resource (from 750 to 1000 liters). The cleaning quality is also good, and the filtration rate is 200-600 ml per minute.

The nozzle will be a very suitable device when:

• even for a jug it is difficult to find a place;
• it is not difficult for the owners to remove and put on the nozzle on the tap;
• they don't mind waiting for the "tap release" that is often required for other things.

When can you get by with a jug?

Each well-known manufacturer produces a large number of varieties of jugs and types of modules that are ideal for water purification from hardness, mechanical impurities, microorganisms, chlorine, and for mineralization.

You can get by with a jug if:

• the water in the apartment is of normal quality, and the owners just want to improve it a little;
• they are not upset by the need to regularly change cassettes every 1-3 months, in some regions - once every few weeks;
• the owners of the jars are not embarrassed that the water, which at the beginning of operation flowed in a cheerful trickle, after a certain period of time begins to flow rather slowly, or even drip in a spoon per hour;
• water consumption for drinking and cooking is small - up to 500 liters per month;
• there is no place for a multi-stage water purification system for the apartment;
• not satisfied with the "loss" of a large amount of money at once.

When is a sorption flow system needed?

If the amount of chlorine, iron and mechanical particles in the liquid is within the normal range, and its hardness is from 4 to 8 mg-eq / l, then a standard three-stage (4-5) filter will cope with cleaning. The first module will remove large particles, after the second the liquid will be cleaned, softened and freed from iron. At the third stage, the smallest particles are removed, the water is conditioned.

This option is suitable if:

• owners are ready to buy and change modules every 3-12 months;
• moderate amount of impurities in water;
• there are at least two people in the family;
• there is space under the sink.

When is a reverse osmosis system required?

It is recommended to buy such an installation if the water hardness is from 8 to 12 meq / l. But serious requirements are imposed on the liquid supplied to the membrane. It should not contain organic impurities and an excess of other components. The limits are:

• suspensions - up to 0.56 mg/l;
• iron, chlorine - 0.1;
• manganese - 0.05;
• oxidizability is not more than 4 mgO2/l.

To achieve such a composition, preliminary cleaning with the help of sorbing, iron-removing modules is necessary.

A reverse osmosis system is ideal when:

• water is characterized by increased hardness;
• for her there is an opportunity to allocate a place under the sink;
• the pressure in the water supply is at least 3 atmospheres (otherwise you need to buy a pump);
• the owners are ready to install a main filter that frees water from large particles;
• they do not feel sorry for constantly "sacrificing" a sufficiently large amount of liquid, which will be sent straight to the sewer.

Water purification systems for an apartment are an urgent need, since it is difficult to find the area where crystal clear liquid would flow from the tap. Yes, utilities are cleaning it up, but, as always, there are not enough funds to replace obsolete equipment (corroded pipelines).

The best manufacturers of water treatment apartment devices: Aquaphor, Atoll, Barrier, Geyser, New Water. Maybe this video will help you choose a worthy candidate:

Disinfection

This is the final stage before obtaining a quality product. The following is used for the procedure:

• blocks with coal or other sorbents
• ultraviolet irradiation. The device for this looks like a steel case with a quartz case and a UV lamp inside, through which water is driven
• chlorination, fluoridation, as well as disinfection with subsequent removal of the remaining suspension

The choice of a water purification system depends on the groundwater biosphere, the results of chemical studies of the liquid, and the presence of anaerobic microorganisms in it. Typically, home stations use the first two methods.

Before buying equipment, the volume of consumption, the possibility of sewerage for draining flushing waste, the degree of automation, and dimensions are taken into account. The complex can consist of only one or two cylinders and a reagent tank. Together with a coarse and household filter, this is usually enough for a private house. Sometimes it is cheaper to install a treatment plant than to change equipment, household appliances that are broken due to the accumulation of deposits and corrosion, not to mention the health benefits.