|
Symptom |
Cause |
Treatment Devices |
Visual
(Water appearance) |
Cloudiness of water with a yellow, brown or black cast that clears after standing 24 hours |
*Turbidity |
Flocculation and sedimentation
or particle and microfiltration (POE) |
Transparent yellow-brown tint to water that doesn’t clear after standing 24 hours |
*High levels of natural organic matter (NOM), usually in surface water |
Activated carbon filtration or chlorination followed by activated carbon filtration
Water utilities use flocculation to remove NOM. |
Brown-orange stains or reddish slime or tint to water |
Presence of dissolved iron and iron bacteria |
Low amounts: reduce with particle filter or during reverse osmosis or distillation treatments (POE or POU)
High amounts: remove by potassium permanganate-regenerated oxidizing filter and particle filter (POE)
Very high amounts: remove by chlorination followed by particle filter (POE)
Consider well and distribution/storage shock chlorination to kill iron bacteria. |
Brownish color or rusty sediment |
Suspended iron and manganese particles |
Particle filter (POE) |
Visual
(Staining and deposits) |
Blackened or tarnished metal utensils and pipes |
High chloride and sulfate levels |
Reverse osmosis unit (POE) or distillation unit (POU)
|
Blackened or tarnished metal utensils and pipes |
High water acidity and high hydrogen sulfide |
Acid-neutralizing filters (calcite or calcite/magnesium oxide) (POE) or addition of alkaline chemicals such as lime |
Stains in showers, toilet bowls, and faucet ends |
*Hardness |
Water softener (POE or POU) |
Excessive staining in showers and aluminum cookware |
*Salinity |
Reverse osmosis unit or distillation unit (POU) |
Green water stains |
Acidity |
Acid neutralizing filters (POE) or addition of alkaline chemicals such as lime |
Soap deposits or excessive scaly deposits in plumbing and appliances |
*Hardness |
Water softener or reverse osmosis or distillation (POE or POU) |
Excessive salt deposits |
Alkalinity (high pH and sodium) |
Reverse osmosis or distillation systems (POE)
Consider acid neutralization of excessive alkalinity |
Other Visual |
Houseplants stunted or with burned leaf tips |
*Salinity |
Reverse osmosis unit or distillation unit (POU) |
Taste |
Taste of chlorine, gasoline, or oil |
VOCs, including residual chlorine, disinfection byproducts, pesticides, or fuel (gasoline, diesel, oil products) |
Activated charcoal filter or aeration (POE) |
Metallic taste |
Acidity |
Acid neutralizing filters (POE) or addition of alkaline chemicals such as lime |
Salty or bitter taste |
*High total dissolved solids, sodium, sulfates, or nitrates (salinity) |
Reverse osmosis or distillation (POU) |
Smell |
Chlorine-like smell |
*VOCs, including residual chlorine, disinfection byproducts, pesticides, gasoline products |
Activated charcoal filter or aeration (POU) |
Gasoline-like smell |
Gasoline, diesel, oil products |
Activated charcoal filter or aeration (POU) |
Earthy, musty, or chemical smell |
Algae products (geos-min and MIB) |
Activated charcoal filter (POU) |
Rotten egg odor |
Excessive acidity, lack of oxygen in water source, or contamination by hydrogen sulfide gas (occurs naturally in aquifers and sediments) |
Oxidation of water during aeration (POE)
or chlorination and a particle filter (POE)
or oxidizing filter (POE) followed by an activated carbon filter
Acidity control may also be needed. |
Illness |
Gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea and vomiting |
Pathogens |
Remove source of contamination. Reduce pathogens through chlorination, UV radiation, or ozonation (POE). Chloramine chemicals may be used after chlorination is completed in order to maintain acceptable chlorine residual levels. |
Appliance/
Hardware Problems |
Early applicance failure |
*Hardness |
Water softener (POE or POU) |
Poor evaporative cooler performance |
Build-up of scale on pads (high hardness, high salinity) |
Use bleed-off mechanism to prevent build-up of salts and minerals (more information on Water Conservation website) |
Blackened/tarnished metal utensils and pipes |
High chloride levels |
Reverse osmosis unit or distillation unit (POU) |
Blackened/tarnished metal utensils and pipes |
High water acidity and high hydrogen sulfide |
Acid-neutralizing filters (POE) or addition of alkaline chemicals such as lime |
Table 3. Symptoms, Tests, and Possible Sources (* indicates a common Arizona water quality issue) |
