More than 15% of Americans rely on well water for their drinking purpose. Most people face high pH problems in their well water, which is very harmful to human health. Ph indicates that your well water is acid or alkaline. The normal pH range of water is 6-8.5, if pH is below 6 then it indicates that water is acidic, or more than 8.5 is considered alkaline. Both of these more acidic or alkaline well water is harmful to humans.
In this article, we’ll explore how to treat acidic well water and teach about some common causes of high pH.
Treatment of High Ph Well Water
There are several methods to treat acidic well water, which include calcite neutralizer, acid injection, Aeration, or Reverse Osmosis.
1. Testing Well Water
First of all you should test the pH of your well water, that’s help you to select the proper method to solve your pH problem. If you set up the wrong pH neutralizer, then it may make your well more harmful.
2. Calcite Neutralizer
Calcite is the most common method to decrease the Ph of your highly alkaline well water. Calcite is present in house neutralizers that dissolve calcite when water passes into these filtrates and decrease pH of well water, neutral well water.
Calcite is a substance created when we crush white marble, which is very high in calcium. Warning! Calcite is also harmful to humans, so you should need a professional to set up calcite neutralizers.
3. Acid Injection
Many people inject acid such as Sulfuric Acid or Hydrochloric Acid into their well water to lower the pH of well water. In this step, you should deeply test your well water contaminants.
4. Aeration
It is a suitable method to decrease the pH of well water. Aerating well water by exploring it into the air, reacts with carbon dioxide, and forms carbonic acid (H2C03), which decreases the pH of well water.
This step is useful to adjust the pH in your well water, that’s why professionals recommend using the Aeration process to decrease pH because it is a natural friendly method.
5. Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis is another easiest way to decrease the pH of well water. RO systems are highly effective in removing alkaline minerals like calcium, and magnesium in your well water, which causes high pH in well water.
This system has a highly specialized membrane that filtrates out alkaline contaminants in your well water.
Causes of High pH in Well Water
There are many causes of High pH in your well water which are given below:
1. Alkaline Soil
Alkaline soil can increase pH of your well water. If the soil of your house, or nearby your well may be alkaline, that dissolves alkaline contaminants in your well water, and causes high pH.
2. Human Activities
Some human activities such as agricultural runoff, discharges, industrial, and wastewater cause high pH of well water. These pollutants dissolve in well water and increase the pH of the well water.
3. Faulty Water Treatment
Sometimes, water treatment processes can increase the pH of your well water if the system is not properly maintained.
4. Weathering of Rocks
Weathering of rocks, containing minerals like calcite or dolomite, can increase the pH of well water when these minerals dissolve in well water.
5. Carbonates or Bicarbonates
High levels of carbonates or bicarbonates, present in soil and rocks around the well, may dissolve in well water, and increase the alkalinity of the well water.
Effect of High pH on Your Health
Alkaline well water is safe for humans at certain ranges. When pH of well water becomes too high then it is very harmful to human health. Some side effects of high ph in your health is given below:
1. Gastrointestinal Issues
Drinking alkaline well water can lead to gastrointestinal disorders, including nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and other disorders in your body.
2. Dental Health
Alkaline well water can also lead to dental health by eroding tooth enamel over the passage of time.
3. Mineral Imbalance
Alkaline water contains higher levels of minerals such as calcium, or magnesium that cause minerals imbalance in your body.
Conclusion
High levels of well water pH (alkaline) are very harmful for human health. You should properly test your well water to identify acidic or alkaline levels in your water. You can choose a neutralizer, acid injection, or reverse osmosis system to decrease water pH, and make well water suitable for drinking.
If you do not select a proper filtration system, it may badly affect your health. That’s why the treatment of alkaline well water is essential.
FAQs
How to test the pH of well water at home?
You can test your well water in your house by using a high-quality pH meter. pH meter indicates the pH of your well water.
What are the causes of high pH in well water?
Carbonates, bicarbonates, alkaline soil, limestone deposits, and human activity are some common causes of well water.
How to treat the high pH of well water?
Neutralizing filters, chemical additives, or aeration are some common treatment methods to decrease the pH of well water.
Which treatment option is best for me?
Professionalists advise using an aeration process to decrease pH of well water.
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