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Find the water treatment methods specific to your problems. This page will help narrow the possible water contaminants found in your water. It is meant to be used as a reference and it is always recommended to have a professional water specialist test your water for accurate results.
Color
- Blue/Green
- Dark Brown/Black
- Reddish/Orange
- Yellow or Borwn Tea-Like
Deposits
- Soap scum, Bath tub rings
- Whitish Scale
Smells
- Like Bleach
- Like Rotten Eggs
- Like Sewage
- Like Sweet Solvent
Spots
- Glassware, dishes, flatware
- My Clothes
- Spotting and mottling of teeth
Stains
- Blue/Green
- Brown/Red
- Dark Brown/Black
- Grey
- Red/Orange
Tastes
- Bitter
- Like Salt
- Metallic
- Sour
| Copper |
| MCLG |
|
| MCL
| |
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
|
| Potential Health Effects from Ingestion of Water |
- Gastrointestinal irritation
|
| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
- Natural/industrial deposits
- Wood preservatives
- Plumbing
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| Manganese |
| SMCL
|
- 0.05mg/L (Total Manganese)
|
| MCL
| |
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
|
| Effects on Water |
- Dark brown-black stains
- Bitter, metallic taste
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| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
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| Iron |
| SMCL
|
- 0.3 mg/L (Total Manganese)
|
| MCL
| |
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
|
| Effects on Water |
- Rusty color
- Sediment
- Reddish or orange stains
- Metallic taste
|
| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
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| Color |
| SMCL
| |
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
|
| Effects on Water |
|
| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
- Tannins
- Natural deposits
- Iron
- Copper
- Manganese
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| Hard Water (measured as Calcium Carbonate,CaCO3) |
| SMCL
|
- No federal limit
- Soft: <17.1 PPM
- Slightly hard: 17.1 to 60 PPM
- Mod. hard: 60 to 120 PPM
- Hard: 120 to 180 PPM
- Very hard: 180 PPM and above
|
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
- Remove all calcium and magnesium ions with a cation exchange water softener
|
| Effects on Water |
- Consumes soap and makes cleaning more difficult
- Whitish scale deposits
- Soap curd and lime scum residue
|
| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
- Natural deposits causing calcium (limestone) and magnesium salts in raw water
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| Total Dissolved Solids(TDS) |
| SMCL
| |
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
|
| Effects on Water |
- Hard water
- Deposits on glasses and fixtures
|
| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
- Natural deposits
- Brackish water intrusion
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| Chlorine |
| MCLG |
|
| MCL
| |
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
|
| Effects on Water |
|
| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
- Chemical added to disinfect municipal water
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| Chloride |
| SMCL |
|
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
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| Effects on Water |
|
| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
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| Sulfur |
| SMCL
|
- 3 (threshold odor number)
|
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
|
| Effects on Water |
- Rotten egg
- Musty
- Garlic
- Chemical smell
|
| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
- Chlorine
- Hydrogen sulfide
- Organic matter
- Gasoline contamination
- Methane gas
- Septic contamination
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| Odor |
| SMCL
|
- 3 (threshold odor number)
|
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
|
| Effects on Water |
- Rotten egg
- Musty
- Garlic
- Chemical smell
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| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
- Chlorine
- Hydrogen sulfide
- Organic matter
- Gasoline contamination
- Methane gas
- Septic contamination
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| MTBE (Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether) |
| SMCL
| |
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
|
| Effects on Water |
- Sweet solvent odor at 0.020 mg/L
- Possible human carcinogen
|
| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
- "Oxygenator" additive for reformulated gasoline
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| Xylenes (total) |
| MCLG |
|
| MCL |
|
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
|
| Potential Health Effects from Ingestion of Water |
- Liver, kidney, nervous system effects
|
| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
- By-product of gasoline refining; paints, inks detergents
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| Fluoride |
| MCLG |
|
| MCL |
|
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
|
| Potential Health Effects from Ingestion of Water |
- Skeletal & dental fluorosis
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| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
- Natural deposits
- Fertilizer
- Aluminum industries
- Water additive
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| Aluminum |
| SMCL |
- 0.05 to 0.2mg/L depending on case-by-case circumstances
|
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
|
| Effects on Water |
|
| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
- Alum coagulation treatment
- Natural deposits
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| Alkalinity (measured as Calcium Carbonate, CaCO3) |
| SMCL |
- No federal limit. Low : <30 mg/L High: >300 mg/L
|
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
- Raise: Soda Ash
- Lower: White Vinegar, Citric Acid
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| Effects on Water |
- Low alkalinity waters tend to dissolve minerals and metals
- High alkalinity waters tend to precipitate minerals and metals
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| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
- Presence of bicarbonates, carbonates, and hydroxides
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| Sulfate |
| MCLG |
- 500 mg/L (proposed standard)
|
| MCL
|
- 500 mg/L (proposed standard)
|
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
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| Effects on Water |
|
| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
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| Corrosivity |
| SMCL |
|
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
|
| Effects on Water |
- Metallic taste
- Corrosion
- Fixture staining
- Leaking plumbing
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| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
- Very high or very low TDS
- Dissolved gases in water, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide
- Low pH
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| Zinc |
| SMCL |
|
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
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| Effects on Water |
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| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
- Industrial wastes
- Natural deposits
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| pH |
| SMCL |
|
| WQA Recommended Treatment Methods |
|
| Effects on Water |
|
| Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
- Industrial wastes
- Natural deposits
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MCLG = Maximum Contaminant Level Goal.
Established at the level at which no known or anticipated adverse effects on the health of persons occur and which allows an adequate margin or safety; expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/L) unless otherwise specified.
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MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level.
established as close to the MCLG as feasible, taking into consideration costs and treatment techniques applicable at public water systems; expressed in milligrams per liter unless otherwise specified.
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SMCL = Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels.
Specifies the maximum contaminant levels which, in the judgement of the Administrator, are requisite to protect the public welfare; expressed in milligrams per liter unless otherwise specified.
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