With more than 30 years’ experience in the residential and commercial water treatment space, Mark Nelson is a Class 1 Drinking-Water Operator and a CBWA (Canadian Bottled Water Association) Certified Plant Operator. As founder and president of Nelson Water in Ottawa, Mark focuses on dealing with challenging water treatment system designs for problem water. He also heads the largest water bottling plant in the city of Ottawa with a delivery network throughout the Valley.

The entire process of designing, planning, and building a new home is exciting. There are many challenges to overcome, but you have the opportunity to create a home that will suit the needs of your family perfectly. But, there are considerations that go beyond planning the design and layout. Every modern home needs infrastructure, and water is something that we simply cannot survive without. Where your water is sourced, its characteristics and easy access are all important considerations. In this article, we will look at some of these topics in more detail to help you make informed decisions.

Municipal or Private Well Water?

The vast majority of homes are supplied with water from a municipal source, but in some areas, you may have some flexibility on how you get your water. The decision will largely be made for you depending on the locality and infrastructure. Both types of water supplies have their pros and cons to consider, and the quality of your water will be affected by where it’s sourced from. Let’s take a look at each option in more detail.

Municipal Water

If your new home is connected to the municipal water supply, it will have been disinfected with chemicals before it arrives at your property. Most water treatment plants still use chlorine or chloramine, which is chlorine mixed with ammonia, to boost the efficacy. These chemicals are extremely effective at killing bacteria, viruses, cysts, and pathogens. But, many people don’t like the “swimming pool” taste and odor of water that’s been treated with chlorine or chloramine. This can make water unpleasant to drink, and it may affect the taste of food cooked in that water. Another problem is that municipal water treatment plants cannot remove certain contaminants that may be harmful to our health. In recent years there have also been concerns raised about health issues related to chlorine byproducts found in municipal water, but more research is needed. Finally, although municipal water is cleaned to a good standard, microorganisms can still enter the water supply through cracks and breaks in the water pipe delivery infrastructure.

Private Well Water

When your water is sourced from private well water, your primary concern will be contamination. Every private well use is solely responsible for the quality of their own water supply. So, it’s extremely important to conduct regular water testing to understand the makeup of your well water. Once you know the type of contaminants that you have, you can select the cleaning and filtration systems to clean the water. Many well water uses have cloudy water, which is caused by the presence of dissolved solids in your well. This can occur after periods of bad weather that may disturb the soil and create a lot of fresh rainwater. Essentially, the water is clouded by the presence of soil particles, and you need a filtration system that can remove this.

Hard Water

Both municipal and private well water sources may contain elevated levels of dissolved mineral content. When you have high levels of minerals, including calcium, magnesium, and iron, it will cause a number of problems in your home. This is known as hard water. It can cause the formation of scale, staining issues, and affect the taste of your water. Hard water will not affect your health, but it will cause damage to your plumbing pipes, fixtures, and water using appliances.

The Water Quality in Your Neighborhood

It’s a great idea to research the water quality in the area where you’re building your new home. Find out if the water is hard or soft, if there are certain contaminants present, and what types of problems they cause. Every municipality publishes an annual Consumer Confidence Report, which is a good place to start. But, you may wish to carry out some water testing with a local water treatment specialist. This will give you a detailed breakdown of the water supplied to your home and help you to evaluate your water treatment options.

Protecting Your Well Water

If your home will be supplied with private well water, you can make your life easier if you plan your well before you start building. The well location can have a huge effect on the quality of your water. Always consult an expert, scout out the possible well sites, and have your plans set before you proceed with the construction. Once your well is sited, you need to think about how you will manage the water quality. Many homes install a pre-filter to remove sediment, followed by a reverse osmosis (RO) system to remove contaminants and an active carbon filter to give the water a final polish. If you live in a hard water area, you will also need a water softener to remove the hardness. But, every home is different, and your water quality concerns may not be the same as your neighbors down the street. As an example: if you have a bacterial problem, you may want to install an ultraviolet (UV) system to disinfect your water without using chemicals. Regular water testing will be essential, and you may need to periodically sanitize your well.

4 Common Water Problems

Once you understand the water quality issues in your home, you will notice that there are four broad categories of water problems to solve:

  1. Iron Stains: Elevated levels of iron will impart a metallic taste to your water, sulfur odors and cause extensive staining to fixtures and your laundry. This can be fixed with a filtration system that can remove iron.
  2. Microorganisms: If bacteria or other microorganisms enter the water supply through a break or you have them in an improperly sealed well, your health may be affected. The solution is to install a final barrier of protection in your home to remove microorganisms, and private well uses need to chlorinate and seal their wells.
  3. Acidic Water: If you live in an area where the water doesn’t have a neutral pH balance, it will have an effect on your home. If you have acidic water, it can corrode your pipes and fixtures, leading to an expensive repair bill. This problem can be fixed by installing an acid neutralizer in your system.
  4. Hard Water: We covered this in some detail above; the best water to remove hardness from water is to install a water softener.

If you want to improve the water quality in your home, contact your local water treatment specialist for expert help and advice today.