Maine Water Testing Services & Solutions
Serving the needs of the people in southern and central Maine since 1989
Water Testing
We provide free on site testing for hardness, iron, manganese, Ph, and sulfur. We also will come draw samples and take them to state certified labs for a reasonable price. Once we have your test results, we provide free consultation and treatment recommendations.
COMMON WATER PROBLEMS
Click the button below to view our list of common water problems and their respective solutions. Regardless of the state of your water, rest assured that we can figure it out together. Following our water test, we can install whatever filter will best suit your water’s needs.
Our Southern Maine Water Testing Services:
We Test for chemicals & harmful substances
We can draw tests for bacterias such as total coliform & E.Coli, as well as arsenic, lead, nitrates, PFAS & PFOAS, radon, uranium, gasoline/petroleum related compounds, and more.
What to expect with our testing service
We will come to your home and talk to you about problems you are having with your water or are concerned about, help you decide on what you should test for, draw samples and take them to the lab for you. We typically see results within a week, and using those results we will recommend equipment that suits your needs. We pride ourselves in working with excellent manufacturers who back up their equipment and provide exceptional support.
Schedule Your Water Test
Give us a call today to schedule your water test. Don’t worry, if we find any issues, we’ll figure it out together! We offer a full suite of purification services that will solve any issue and ensure your water’s purity.
Common Water Problems & Their Solutions
Every solution to your water needs starts with a lab analysis that we will provide at a reasonable rate. This allows us to tailor a system that is designed specifically to your needs. Common problems in our area include iron staining, sulfur odor, corrosion and more.
ISSUE: A colorless, odorless, and tasteless natural element that is not actually a metal but has some of the properties of metal. Arsenic has been shown to have negative health effects and is present in over one million private wells. Arsenic raises the risk of many cancers, including bladder, lung, and kidney.
SOLUTION: There are two types of arsenic and it’s easily removed with absorptive media.
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Well and ground water contamination is becoming a serious threat throughout the US. Bacteria that contaminates water cannot be seen, smelled or tasted, yet certain organisms that may occur in water can cause disease in humans and animals. You can never tell when a water supply becomes contaminated, so it is best to protect it at all times.
Solutions: Chlorine Shock Treatment, Chlorination / Dechlorination, Iodination, Ultra Violet Treatment, Ozonation, Mechanical Filtration + chemical treatment.
Chlorides in elevated quantities can add a salty taste to water. In even higher levels, a brackish or brine taste can occur. Chloride levels should not exceed 250 mg/..Sulfates can be present as sodium, calcium or magnesium sulfate. Calcium sulfate imparts a bitter, astringent taste when levels are >500mg/l, while sodium and magnesium sulfate gives water a medicinal taste.
Solutions: Reverse Osmosis, Distillation, Anion Exchange.
To put it simply, chloramines are a family of chemical compounds formed when ammonia is added to chlorine to treat drinking water. Even though chloramine is potentially less dangerous in water than chlorine it can cause problems. Side Effects include bad taste and noticeable odor, eye, skin and lung irritations have been reported after exposure to chloramine-treated water. Chloramine is deadly to fish and other aquatic animals so this chemical MUST be removed before adding to an aquarium or pond.
Solution: Highly Activated Carbon Filter
While utility companies do what they can do give us good, clean water, it’s generally ‘utility-grade’ water. The disinfection process uses chemicals that are not very healthy, in particular, chlorine and too much fluoride. Using the right filter can purify your water by pulling out the dangerous chemicals.
Solution: Staged filtration – customized for your specific water quality.
Although no one questions the benefits of fluoride, too much can cause dark brown spotting on teeth or, in some cases, leads to a chalky white appearance in teeth. Levels between 1.4 and 2.4 mg/l are optimal and the SDW Act lists a maximum content of 2.5 mg/l for drinking water.
Solutions: Reverse Osmosis, Anion Exchange, Distillation, Deionization System.
ISSUE: Hydrogen Sulfide Gas occurs mainly in well waters and has a characteristic rotten egg smell. Aside from the unpleasant odor, it has a bad taste and can turn some beverages to a black color. Hydrogen Sulfide Gas is also extremely corrosive and can cause serious damage to pumps, tanks, piping, heaters, fixtures and can eventually ruin the bed of a water softener.When combined with iron, it forms iron sulfide, which is black in color. Only a small amount is required to blacken water and can stain clothing and other items.
Solutions: REACTR Filter, Chlorination / Dechlorination, Aeration, Manganese Greensand Filter, Ozonation.
In water, Iron and Manganese will manifest as either ferrous or ferric; both forms create havoc in water supplies. Iron is found in almost all our natural water supplies, particularly well water. When ferric, it causes those familiar red stains.
Solution: REACTR filter, Ion Exchange Softener, Chlorination/Dechlorination system, Manganese Greensand Filter, Ozonation.
Nitrates can enter our water from a number of sources including fertilizers, manure, human waste, composts, sewage sludge, legume and ‘green manure’ crops. The Safe Drinking Water Act allows a maximum of 10 mg/l Nitrates as safe. There are serious health effects to both humans and animals that can result from high levels of Nitrates.
Solutions: Nitrate Ion Exchange System, Reverse Osmosis, Deionization System.
PFOA AND PFOS are toxic chemicals that are bio-permanent, resistant to direct oxidation and do not break down naturally in the environment or the human body. Studies suggest that exposure to these chemicals may lead to cancer.
Solution: Pioneer Removal system is the first of its kind, for Whole-House Lead, Cyst and PFOA/PFOS Removal. It successfully removes these chemicals and is installed where the water line enters your home, business or restaurant.
ISSUE: Water that is highly acidic is considered corrosive and can damage your plumbing over time. There are also health concerns with ingesting acidic water.
Solutions for Acidic water: Neutralizer / Calcite Filter (pH > 5.5), Calcite / Magnesia Oxide Filter (pH > 5.0), Soda Ash / Caustic Soda Feed (pH < 5.5).
Both Radium and Radon on radioactive substances. Radium leaches from phosphate and granite into the water aquifer.As the Radium mineral degrades, it gives off Radon gas. Radon will quickly escape from water; as water is run at a faucet, for example, the gas is inhaled. There are serious health risks associated with these substances, including genetic disorders, bronchogenic cancer and leukemia.
Solutions: Radium – Water Softener, Reverse Osmosis. Radon – Aeration, Granular Activated Carbon Filter.
Pure water is both tasteless and odorless. Although difficult to pinpoint, common substances that cause an unpleasant taste (bitter, sour, sweet, salty or chemical-like) or odor (musty, chemical-like or rotten egg) are hydrogen sulfide gas, iron, manganese, sulphates, lime, sewage, salts, industrial waste and chlorine.
Solution: Granular Activated Carbon Filter at the point of entry or an R/O System at the point of use.
ISSUE: Turbidity is a cloudiness in water caused by the presence of insoluble suspended matter. Although not a health issue, it can cause extra wear and tear in washing machine parts, valves, faucets and appliances. Turbidity levels should not exceed 1 NTU.Water color generally ranges from clear to deep brown. Darker colors are usually caused by tannins in solution from decaying vegetable matter.
Solutions for Turbidity: Line strainers, Sand separators, Ag Filters, Other Depth Media Filters. Solutions for Color: Granular Activated Carbon Filters, Tannin Ion Exchange System, Chlorination / Dechlorination System, Ozonation.
ISSUE: Calcium and Magnesium are the hardness minerals in our water, which, if not removed, can cause a variety of problems. Ranges of these minerals as they affect our water are: 0 to 60 mg/L (milligrams per liter) as calcium carbonate is classified as soft; 61 to 120 mg/L as moderately hard; 121 to 180 mg/L as hard; and more than 180 mg/L as very hard. Hard water greatly reduces the effectiveness of soaps and detergents and can cut the useful life of fabrics by up to 35%. In the area of personal grooming, water deposits can stick to hair leaving a dull film that can’t be rinsed off. Even our cooking is affected by hard water, especially when cooking vegetables.
Solution: Ion Exchange Water Softener or Lime-Soda softening process.