Tag Archives: best water

Giving Back to Our Community: Working with Habitat for Humanity in Alachua County

Photo Credit: Alachua Habitat for Humanity

Earlier this month, Best Water Solutions had the honor of partnering with Alachua Habitat for Humanity and Santa Fe College’s Perry Construction Institute to build a house for a family in need in High Springs.

Since our founding in 1982, Best Water Solutions has always been actively engaged with the North Central Florida community. Serving and giving back to the community that fostered our growth for over 35 years is incredibly important to us, and working with Alachua County Habitat for Humanity has given us an exciting opportunity to do just that.

Alachua Habitat for Humanity Housing Project

Every year, the Santa Fe College construction apprentices build a home with Habitat for Humanity, putting their vocational skills to work by installing the plumbing, electricity, air conditioning and heating systems in the housing project. As a member of the Plumbing Advisory Committee for the Perry Construction Institute, Best Water Solutions has worked with the plumbing apprentices in the past, providing hands-on training in the water treatment industry. So it was a perfect partnership opportunity to join the plumbing students on this construction project, providing them with technical guidance and training to install our donated water treatment equipment in the home.

Cooperative Installation

The Best Water Solutions representative on site for the day was our very own Service Manager, Roy Duenas. Roy worked with the plumbing apprentices installing pipes and water treatment equipment at the High Springs housing project. The apprentices, some of whom have been mentored by our certified service crew in the past, put learned skills and information to the test alongside Roy to properly install the equipment on the home.

We’re looking forward to seeing a well-deserved family move into the new home shortly and enjoy the Safe and Pure Water provided by our donated water system. We loved installing it in the house, and we trust that it gives the family many, many years of health and happiness!

Stay Connected!

For updates on the Alachua Habitat for Humanity housing construction and our partnership with Santa Fe College Perry Construction Institute, follow us on Facebook!

Best Water Solutions is dedicated to providing you with Safe and Pure water. Schedule your FREE Water Analysis today by filling out this form.

Thank you @BestWaterFL & @SantaFeCollege apprentices for installing pipes & h2o softener yesterday! #BuildMoreTogether
cc: @CPPI_News pic.twitter.com/pbDOLr9O80

— Alachua Habitat (@alachuahabitat) June 9, 2017

What’s REALLY in Your City Water?

Do you ever wonder what’s actually in your city water? Drinking water represents only 1% of the water treated by municipalities. The other 99% is “working water” which is used to flush toilets, water lawns, shower, brush teeth, wash hair, do laundry, wash dishes, clean, fight fires, etc. Is it reasonable to expect that “working water” be brought up to the level of pure drinking water? The cost would be prohibitively foolish.

We are fortunate that municipalities in US disinfect water to remove disease-causing agents like bacteria and viruses which cause serious gastrointestinal illnesses and other problems. However, Chlorine and Chloramine, chemicals used to sanitize city water, create by-products such as Haloacidic acids (HOACs) and Trihalomethanes (THMs) −several of which are proven to cause cancer.

Municipalities are required by the EPA to diminish the level of some of the contaminants in city water, but they are not required to completely eliminate them. Numerous new chemicals have been invented and have ended up in our water supply since the Safe Drinking Water Act was enacted in December 16, 1974. Therefore, no minimum standards for an overwhelming majority of these contaminants have been established to protect our drinking water. Many impurities like endocrine (hormonal) disruptors, pesticides, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, Chromium-6, and several others remain in city water.

Municipal water treatment plants do a great job at sending disinfection chemicals like chlorine into the water distribution system to protect the water. However, on the way to our homes water can become contaminated by:

Leaching from pipe walls
Leaks in pipes
Repairs and replacements of pipes
Cross connection with waste
Corrosion from the water distribution system and from home plumbing
Biofilms, which are a collection of organic and inorganic materials (living and dead) in which cells stick together and adhere to surfaces regularly in contact with water such as water pipes. Microorganisms in biofilms can include bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. Current research has revealed that viruses and parasites can get trapped in biofilms after a contamination event such as a break, leak, or repair in a water pipe. There is concern for the potential of coliform bacteria growth in the pipe network. Some microbes may separate from biofilm producing odor, color, or taste problems in drinking water.

Once the water reaches our home it is up to us to prevent our family and pets from ingesting contaminants that may pose a health hazard and to limit exposure to unpleasant odors, taste and color in the water.

Best Water Solutions offers complimentary in-home water testing and consultation to determine what is in your water, as well as water treatment options available to help you reach the goals you have for your family and home. We have practical, proven, cost-effective technologies that ensure your family drinks great tasting, contaminant free water.

Discover how to make your water SAFE and PURE Today!

Contact us:

Gainesville: 352-372-2707 Ocala: 352-369-1707

Schedule your FREE Water Analysis today by filling out this form!

Or Email us: info@BestWaterSolutions.com

Visit our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BWSFlorida/

Tweet us: @BestWaterFL

Bacteria in Your Water

Bacteria, Viruses, and other Microbes in Water

You can rarely detect microbes such as bacteria, viruses, cysts, amoebas, protozoans and parasites in water through sight, smell or taste. Consequently many people go years before realizing they have a problem in their water.

Most waterborne microbes are harmless; others like E. coli, Giardia and Cryptosporidium can cause stomach cramps or pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, gas, fever, flu-like symptoms and dehydration.

If your water comes from a well the EPA recommends that you test it once a year.

However, it is wise to test it more often if:

A baby, child, pregnant woman or an elderly person lives in your home
Someone in your home has recurring gastrointestinal problems
Someone in your home has a compromised immune system
Install new well or pump
Repair or replace old well or pipe
Purchase a new home
You want to find out if your existing water treatment system is working
Your water has had a change in color, odor or cloudiness

To Disinfect Water with Microbes Use One of the Following Types of Water Treatment Equipment

Ultraviolet (UV) Light

Ultraviolet does not involve chemicals. It kills bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoans and cysts that may be present in water by exposing water to light at just the right wavelength for killing microbes. The light source must be kept clean and the UV lamp, pre and post filters, and replace periodically. However, UV light cannot remove gases, heavy metals or particulates. If these are present in your water additional filtration such as Granular Activated Carbon may be necessary.

Ozone

To produce ozone you expose oxygen to a high-voltage current. It quickly destroys viruses, bacteria and any other microbes while also removing sulfur, iron and manganese. Ozone decomposes rapidly and does not introduce foul odors, tastes or harmful disinfection byproducts into the water. This water treatment method is more costly and energy consuming than Ultraviolet.

Chlorination-Dechlorination

In this disinfection method, add chlorine water to kill microbes and break down manganese, hydrogen sulfide and iron. However, chlorine will not typically kill Giardia or cryptosporidium in their cyst form. A Chlorination System is a cost effective method that yields clearer, better tasting water.

Some people object to chlorine’s taste, odor and the harmful disinfection byproducts created when chlorine is mixed with naturally occurring compounds in the water. These byproducts (THM’s) are known to cause health issues, though you can be remove it with Granular Activated Carbon Filters.

Contact us today to learn more about your water and the Water Treatment Equipment that will protect the health of your family and give you the safe pure water you deserve.