New house, high tds.

Cory · Jun 14, 2016

So what should i know about my new well water? The tap tds comes in at 900-1000ppm. After ro its about 30ppm.

I wonder if i could skip the deionization resin and just add it directly to my limewater. Would you use 30ppm tds?

Downbeach · Jun 14, 2016

No, I would not use water with a reading of 30tds, and I'm not sure that a tds level of 1000ppm (depending on what they are) is even fit for drinking water. Another problem often associated with well water is high levels of CO2, which will burn through your DI resin very quickly.

Cory · Jun 14, 2016

I guess it depends whats the 1000tds right?

I wonder if the limewater would render most of that 30ppm tds harmelss? Copper would precipitate. Same with any po4. Calcium and magnesium would too. So what would be left mostly after its in limewater?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 14, 2016

Do you have an analysis of the water for drinking purposes?

Cory · Jun 14, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Do you have an analysis of the water for drinking purposes?

I cant find anything online but this:
http://environment.alberta.ca/apps/regulateddwq/Summary.aspx?y=2016&m=4&id=-14

Its a small town, ill have to go to the government office and ask for a detailed report. Not sure why they would even bother with testing maganese and iron?

Kungpaoshizi · Jun 14, 2016

Just add an extra carbon block (or two) and that should bring down tds before the RO membrane.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 14, 2016

Cory said:
I cant find anything online but this:
http://environment.alberta.ca/apps/regulateddwq/Summary.aspx?y=2016&m=4&id=-14

Its a small town, ill have to go to the government office and ask for a detailed report. Not sure why they would even bother with testing maganese and iron?

I thought it was your own well. Some of the problem issues, such as copper, may come from your own pipes.

It is likely OK, but there is some level of risk to RO only. Folks with the very highest copper levels in potable water will still have some significant amount after RO only (regardless of the TDS), but for most people, RO only is likely good enough.

Let the water run for a bit before collecting any to flush out metals that would be in the pipe just before the RO membrane.

jason2459 · Jun 14, 2016

I have around 9 tds after RO and before DI. However, its practically all copper so I have to use DI. TDS is not a good indicator of water quality. 1 TDS could kill and 100 could be harmless. You need to know what is in the water. Then there are times when the local utilites will treat the water or pipes and you wont know it until your tank reacts negatively as what could be used for treating is considered perfectly fine for human and most animals but not marine life. Then there's the sporadic and uncommon events which require boil orders but may be to late before that order goes out and your tank is nuked.

And then there's Flint Michigan.

Cory · Jun 14, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I thought it was your own well. Some of the problem issues, such as copper, may come from your own pipes.

It is likely OK, but there is some level of risk to RO only. Folks with the very highest copper levels in potable water will still have some significant amount after RO only (regardless of the TDS), but for most people, RO only is likely good enough.

Let the water run for a bit before collecting any to flush out metals that would be in the pipe just before the RO membrane.

Okay well thats good news. Our town has around 500 houses, we are supplied water from the town, and they use well water. Ive requested a detailed water ananysis that she will email me tomorrow. So we can see how it looks.

I will run it first as you said. If the main concern is copper, then i was thinking of using some cuprisorb at the output of the ro, to remove any excess copper. The benefit is its recharable iirc.

Would that be a viable method? Deion seems exspensive. Also since all top up water is going into my limewater, i thought it would precipitate?

Cory · Jun 14, 2016

jason2459 said:
I have around 9 tds after RO and before DI. However, its practically all copper so I have to use DI. TDS is not a good indicator of water quality. 1 TDS could kill and 100 could be harmless. You need to know what is in the water. Then there are times when the local utilites will treat the water or pipes and you wont know it until your tank reacts negatively as what could be used for treating is considered perfectly fine for human and most animals but not marine life. Then there's the sporadic and uncommon events which require boil orders but may be to late before that order goes out and your tank is nuked.

And then there's Flint Michigan.

Is that with well water?

jason2459 · Jun 14, 2016

Cory said:
Is that with well water?

City supplied with lots of old copper pipes in house. It's still the main ground for the power in the house. The city water doesn't seem to bad coming in around 250-300 TDS. It's usually around 7-9TDS before it hits the first DI stage. I do use a water softener before the RODI unit too.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 15, 2016

Cory said:
Okay well thats good news. Our town has around 500 houses, we are supplied water from the town, and they use well water. Ive requested a detailed water ananysis that she will email me tomorrow. So we can see how it looks.

I will run it first as you said. If the main concern is copper, then i was thinking of using some cuprisorb at the output of the ro, to remove any excess copper. The benefit is its recharable iirc.

Would that be a viable method? Deion seems exspensive. Also since all top up water is going into my limewater, i thought it would precipitate?

I do not recall if it is rechargeable, but that seems reasonable.