System Should Suit Need
Choosing a home water treat
ment system can be confus
ing. The Federal Trade
Commission offers information on
several common types of systems
appropriate for treating various
water problems.
Water quality equipment should
be installed in a definite sequence.
If there is an acid condition, the
water must be neutralized; then
any iron, manganese or hydrogen
sulfide must be oxidized and filter
out. If hardness is present, it can
be removed by a water softener.
Taste, color, odor and bacterio
logical contamination may be
removed at several places in the
sequence.
Systems or units can be as so
phisticated or as simple as your
water problem(s) require.
Common types to look for in
clude these:
Physical filters: These are sim
ple units designed to remove parti
cles from the water such as grit,
sediment, dirt and rust. While
some can even remove small or
ganisms such as cysts and bacteria,
they cannot remove all disease
causing organisms. They arc inad
equate to treat microbiologically
unsafe water.
Activated carbon filters:
These remove some organic chem
ical contaminants that may cause
undesirable tastes, odors and col
ors and may reduce some inorgan
ic chemicals such as chlorine.
Some may specifically remove
lead. However, they typically do
not remove salts or metals other
than lead. They should not be used
exclusively on water that contains
harmful organisms, but may be
pari of a more complex treatment
system.
Also, carbon filters may become
saturated with chemical impurities
or bacteria and have a limited life
time. Filter cartridges should be
changed according to manufacturer
instructions. Ask the dealer if the
filter can be replaced; how fre
quently replacement is necessary;
how to know when it needs replac
ing; where filters may be pur
chased and at what price.
Activated carbon filters come in
several forms: granular, powdered,
powder coated paper and pressed
carbon block.
Carbon filters registered as bac
teriostatic does not mean the filters
are adequate to control bacterial
growth or to treat water that is mi
crobiologically unsafe, such as fe
cally-contaminated water.
Reverse osmosis units: These
units remove substantial amounts
of most inorganic chemicals such
as salts, metals (including lead),
asbestos, minerals, nitrates and
some organic chemicals. But when
used alone RO units arc not rec
ommended for treatment of micro
biologically unsafe water.
Be aware that 75 percent of tap
water put into the RO system is
wasted, so it may take 4 gallons or
more of tap water to get 1 gallon
of RO filtered water. Where water
shortages are a problem, this unit
may not be suitable.
The membranes through which
the water passes are subject to de
cay and failure and must be re
placed periodically. The tap on the
tanks where the treated water is
stored flows more slowly than that
on a regular faucet.
Distillation units: These come
in different shapes and sizes, but
all vaporize water and condense it.
This process removes most dis
solved solids, such as salts, metals,
minerals, asbestos fibers, particles
and some organic chemicals.
These may not remove all chemi
cal pollutants and some bacteria
may pass through. Distillation may
be an effective water treatment,
but the water heating adds to ener
gy use and costs.
Ultraviolet disinfection units:
These may destroy bacteria, inacti
vate viruses and leave no taste or
odor in the water. However, UV
units arc not effective to remove
most chemical pollutants from wa
ter. The Environmental Protection
Agency also questions whether
UV is effective against spores and
cysts.
As with other types, the systems
must be properly maintained. Dis
solved and suspended solids from
the water may build up, blocking
the UV light from reaching the
running water. Periodic cleaning is
needed.
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Soil Testing Basic Step
In Establishing Landscape
A soil test is the first step in
getting a new landscape off
to a good start ? whether
your plans include a lawn, flower
beds or vegetable garden.
A soil test can indicate what a
property owner needs to do to make
sruc soil fertility and lime levels are
correct. Proper pH and fertility is
basic to success, said Wilton Harrel
son, a technician with the Bruns
wick County Agricultural Extension
Service. Without this, everything
else is much more difficult.
Soil testing is a free scrvicc pro
vided by the N.C. Department of
Agriculture. Obtaining a sample is
easy and simple. Soil testing boxes
and a soil sample data sheet can be
picked up either from a local garden
or lawn supply center or from the
extension office in Shallottc.
The data sheet gives directions
for taking the sample. The sample
itself may be returned to the garden
centcr or extension office for for
warding to the state soil lab in
Raleigh.
Preparing the sample takes a few
simple steps.
Use a small planting trowel or
scoop to collect samples at eight to
12 locations in your garden site or
lawn. Simply collect a core approxi
mately 7 to 7 inches deep from each
location. Place the cores in a clean
plastic bucket; detergents or other
materials in the bucket could con
taminate the sample and give mis
leading information.
Crumble up the soil cores and
Soil testing is a
free service
provided by the
N.C. Dept. of
Agriculture
shake the buckct to give a good
mixture. From this mixture select a
couple of handfuls to place in the
sample box. Close the box and and
carefully fill out the information
sheet. Indicate what you plan to
grow and what has been used (if
you know) in the way of fertilizer
and lime in the past year or so, as
well as the crop grown.
Try to avoid irregular areas in
your garden, such as places where
drainage water stands, where ashes
may have been dumped, garbage
buried, or old bricks piled up. In
other words, said Harrelson, try to
include in this sample areas that are
most representative of the garden
site.
Under normal working condi
tions, about 10 to 14 days will be
required for your soil sample to
reach Raleigh, be analyzed and re
sults returned.
A property owner who needs as
sistance in reading and interpreting
the report may contact the county
extension office at 253-4425, or a
local lawn/garden supply dealer.
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