FAQ's

  Is there a large difference between tap water and bottled water? Let’s take a look at some of the differences! When it comes down to the molecules, water is water. The important question is what contaminants are in the water you are drinking? The majority of water that we use for drinking comes from underground wells and lakes and rivers. This water is then treated, either by a municipality or by a private company. Municipal water is what most people have running in their homes. People refer to the water coming from their faucet as “tap water”. This is true regardless of whether the water is treated by your local municipality or privately at home. Now, it us usually assumed that bottled water is of a higher quality than tap water. However, it is estimated that up to 30% of bottled water is really just bottled tap water with no further treatment added. Tap water is typically thought to be less pure than municipal water. To an extent, this is true, as all tap water will have contam

  What is water softener regeneration? Water is a solvent. That means water is very good at breaking down things like minerals, which it then carries within itself. The amount of minerals in water is known as its hardness. High mineral levels means your water is hard while low mineral levels is soft water. A water softener system removes minerals from water so that you have soft water. A popular water treatment system is the ion exchange system. This system runs water over resin, typically made from sodium chloride, to attract and remove minerals from your water. Regeneration is the process of flushing these minerals from the resin so that it can continue to remove minerals from water. This is done by using salt, which must be replenished regularly by the system’s owner. How often should it regenerate? Broadly speaking, a water softener will regenerate as frequent as multiple times a day to every two or three days. The more often the softener regenerates, the less minerals with

  A water treatment system may be just what you need to solve these problems with your water.   Storm Water Runoff Runoff from storms can carry a number of contaminants into drinking water sources. Pollutants form vehicles, chemicals, and other substances that remain on the surface of the ground are picked up and carried by the water. This is especially true for those with shallow wells or who live near urban settings.   Storm runoff also includes runoff from snow melting, which carries road salt. Iron Staining                 Water can be very good at dissolving material given the right conditions. Over time, groundwater can even dissolve iron and carry it into your drinking water. In high enough dosages, iron can cause orange or black staining on almost anything it comes in contact with. This includes clothes, water fixtures, sinks, tubs, and toilets. It can also leave a metallic aftertaste in food that is cooked using it. Hard Water Water can dissolve more than just ir

  If you have a private water well for drinking water, then it falls into one of these three types: dug, driven, or drilled. Take a look at what the difference between these wells are, and some key things you should know about them.   Dug Wells Dug wells are dug by shovel or backhoe before being lined with a casing to prevent the well from collapsing. This casing is typically made of stone, brick, or tile, but other materials can be used. These wells have a much wider diameter than the other two and are relatively shallow in comparison, stopping around 30 feet deep. These are what you likely imagine an old well looks like, with a bucket and rope or chain used to draw water. These wells work by digging below the water table so that the well is filled to the same level as the water table. Dig deeper and the well will completely fill or even overflow. Driven Wells Driven wells are created by driving pipe into the ground, ending around 50 feet deep. These wells are cased continua

Tomorrow is the first day of fall! To celebrate the change of the seasons, let’s look at what steps you can take to keep your well maintained this fall. 1.Keep Your Well Cap Clear of Debris  Remove any physical debris from around your well. Leaves, twigs, branches or anything else that can obstruct your well cap should be cleared away. This is a great chance to also check the well cap itself for signs of deterioration 2.Prep Your Well For Winter Make sure any exposed pipe that runs through non-heated space is insulated against the cold. Foam pipe insulation is a popular choice for its ease of use. 3. Yearly Service This is also a great time to have your system checked for any issues. Many mechanical problems in your water system will become worse in winter. The cold and snow can also make it more difficult to solve these issues. If you have not had your annual service yet, get it scheduled before snow falls. That is it! Follow these three steps and you are ready to go for the fal

  Many people ask how deep their well should be. After all if there is water at 30 feet, shouldn’t we stop drilling? Let's find out.   How deep should a water well be? According to the Water Systems Council’s Wellcare program, the average consumer water well ranges between 100 and 800 feet, but some do reach over 1,000 feet deep. The purpose of drilling a water well is to find water, but there several things to consider when drilling. 1.       Contaminants There may be water very shallow under the surface. The issue with this is there may be any number of contaminants from the surface accessing that water. Road salt, car exhaust, or anything else may seep into that water. Also, in times of drought, a shallow well is more likely to run dry. 2.       What Is In The Ground When drilling, a contractor can go through several different layers of soil before hitting bedrock. There may be water available at a relatively shallow layer of soil, but this soil could be made up of c

  So you had your well water tested and need a water filtration or treatment system. What do you need to know about choosing a water treatment system?   What water treatment system you need depends on what is in your water. Systems are created to filter out specific material or chemicals such as minerals or heavy metals. Even if you clearly have sediment in your water, you should have it tested so you know exactly what and how much material is in your water. With that being said let’s look at some common water treatment systems. Ion exchange System Ion exchange systems use resin to replace either cations or anions with sodium ions and chloride ions. They typically use sodium chloride to provide these ions. This neutralizes the water. Salt brine is then used to recharge the water. Ion exchange systems can be used to soften water and remove certain chemicals depending on the resin used. Water Filtration Systems Water filtration systems are used to remove particulates and mate

Is it Time To Get Your Well Water Tested? In last week’s blog post about what to know about your well, we learned that well water should be tested at least once a year. In today’s post we are looking at signs that you should get your water tested sooner rather than later.   The number one way you know it’s time to get your water tested is if it has been a year or more since it was last tested. Well water should be tested at least once every year. This should align with having your water system reviewed and serviced each year. Now let’s look at some other reasons. Visual or taste difference in water If there is a sudden difference in how your water looks or tastes, then you should have your system looked at and water tested. Problems in well water usually take a long period of time to become noticeable. If there us a sudden change, that might indicate a a significant breakdown in your water system. Heavy rainfall or extreme weather If there has been flooding from heavy rai

  What's that boy? There’s a well in the backyard! Here’s everything you need to know about water wells, before you close on your house.   In 2015 it was estimated that 42 Million people in the United States used wells for their home’s   water supply. A great majority of these homes are located in the north east, so it should be no surprise to you if you move to a house and find it uses well water. Well, no pun intended, this is your guide to what to look out for when you are interested in buying a home that has a well. How Does It Work? If you remember in high school learning about the water cycle, then you know that a good portion of water from runoff, lakes, rivers, rain, and snow all soak into the ground. This excess water that is not absorbed by plants will pool together deep in the ground. You can access this water by drilling deep enough. The hole has a metal tube placed in it called a casing that stops the ground from collapsing in on itself. Now, unless you plan on

  You reach to turn on your shower faucet, waiting for the soothing hot water to prepare you for the day ahead. You wait. And wait. And wait. Nothing. You turn to the sink and find the same thing. No water! Is your well dried up, or has your pumped failed? Let’s find out! First lets look at some warning signs that you may have a dry well. Dry Well Warning Signs • Your faucet is sputtering more often than normal • Your water appears murky or muddy • Lower water pressure than normal • Pump runs longer than usual • Water well recovery takes ridiculously long to recover after heavy usage • Your neighbors are having similar struggles If you begin having these issues with your water then you may have a dry well. But before you call us, here are some things you can do to troubleshoot your water well and pump. 1. Is it plugged in? Seriously though, check that your pump is receiving power. Especially after being serviced, the pump may be unplugged, or an electrical overload may

Need a new well, but don't have the cash? You may be able to drill your well for free with thi s grant. Homeowner Well Grant N ew York State has a grant through the office of Community Renewal that allows for low-income homeowners to install a new well as as well as some other benefits too. It's called the Community and Development Block Grant (CDBG). Eligible applicants will receive up to $500,000 to use on installing a new well, replacing a septic system, or decommissioning a septic system. The grant is meant for low income homeowners living in cities, towns, and villages with a population under 50,000 and counties under 200,000. You can check if your home is in an accepted location here .     Those who think they qualify must go through a five step application process by 4:00 PM on August 25th to be accepted. You can find everything you need to apply on hcr.ny.gov . Keep reading to learn how to apply.     The application process is as follows:  Step 1 – Completing five onlin