ALLIANCE WATER CONDITIONING & PLUMBING INC.
"Serving with distinction since 1973"
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ALLIANCE WATER CONDITIONING & PLUMBING INC. "Serving with distinction since 1973"
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Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Systems Aprilaire/ SPACEGUARD/ Research Products
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Water Quality Association:
WQA’S
Professional Certification Designations
The
Professional Certification Program tests and certifies only individuals, not
dealerships or companies.
Membership in WQA is not required for certification.
Four different professional certifications are offered: Certified
Water Specialist
(CWS)
Offered for individuals who own or are active in managing a business
involved in the safe, installation and/or manufacturing of water quality
improvement products and services.
Once an individual has reached the first level of CWS achievement, he or
she is eligible to be certified in four more-advanced levels (CWS II through V).
These levels focus on specific areas of expertise, such as disinfection,
filtration, reverse osmosis and deionization.
Certified
Installer (CI)
Offered for individuals who are responsible for planning, installing and
or servicing water quality products.
WQA’s
Professional Certification Program was created in 1977
“…in the exercise of its responsibilities to provide education and
professional development programs for the industry, and for the well-being of
the public…” Water Quality Association
International
Headquarters and Laboratory
4151
Naperville Road
Lisle,
Illinois
60532-1088
Facsimile:
630-505-9637 Telephone: 630-505-0160 For more information please visit the WQA's web site at: www.wqa.org
Common Water Quality Problems: Aesthetics Otherwise
harmless contaminants like chlorine, sulfur, iron and manganese that cause
taste, color and odor problems. Water
Hardness
Hard water contains excessive levels of the minerals calcium and magnesium,
a condition found in 85 percent of the United States.
Hard water shortens the life of household plumbing and water-using
appliances, makes cleaning and laundering tasks more difficult and gradually
decreases the efficiency of water heaters.
Lead Used extensively in plumbing materials (pipes and lead-based solder) until the late 1980’s, lead can leach into water supplies. Low levels of lead have been linked to learning disabilities in young children and high levels can cause hypertension in adults. Biological
Pathogens
Waterborne organisms that can cause disease in humans.
They include cysts like cryptosporidium and giardia; bacteria like
typhus, fecal coliform and cholera; and viruses like influenza.
These organisms typically cause unpleasant intestinal disorders and can
pose a significant threat to the immune-impaired.
Nitrates
Nitrogen compounds are sometimes found in ground and surface water in rural
areas, often as a result of nitrogen-based fertilizer runoff.
Excessive nitrate levels can interfere with the oxygen-carrying capacity
of blood, especially in babies and have been linked to high incidences of
miscarriage. Heavy
Metals
Metals like mercury, zinc, copper and cadmium usually enter the water supply
as industrial waste and, in excessive concentrations, can cause physiological
damage to humans, including damage to the central nervous system. Radium/Radon
Naturally occurring radioactive elements linked to cancer in humans.
Radon is found in gaseous form and is absorbed through drinking, as well
as through inhalation during washing or showering. VOCs
Volatile organic compounds, such as the petroleum distillate benzene and
the industrial degreasing solution trichloroethylene.
High concentrations of VOCs are linked to organ damage and cancer in
humans.
THMs
Trihalomethanes are by-products produced when chlorine reacts with
organic compounds in water.
THMs are primarily absorbed through inhalation and have been linked to
bladder d rectal cancer. Asbestos
A fibrous mineral that contaminates water naturally or through its
past use in concrete water pipes.
Asbestos has been linked to lung and other forms of cancer. Arsenic
Both a natural and manufacturing-induced ground water contaminant, arsenic
is linked to various cancers and may damage the circulatory and central nervous
systems. Sediments
Solid particulates in water that can settle out over time.
The presence of sediments in water is typically an aesthetic concern. Low/High pH pH refers to “potential hydrogen” and is a measure of acidity or alkalinity on a 14-point scale (zero through six is acidic, seven is neutral, and eight through 14 is alkaline). Extreme measures of acidity in water can be corrosive, whereas high levels of alkalinity can be the source of aesthetic problems. Household Water
Treatment Technologies:
Different
Solutions for Different Conditions No single
water treatment technology is effective in treating all water problems, which
can range from scale-depositing hard water to disease-causing organisms like cryptosporidium.
Specific technologies are applied to meet specific needs, either
individually or in combination.
Equipment using the various water treatment technologies is applied at
the point-of-use (POL), such as the kitchen sink where water is actually drawn
for drinking or cooking, or at the point-of-entry (POE), where water enters a
home or business. Water
Filters Water
passes through a filter media, such as a solid block carbon filter or a granular
activated carbon filter (usually a cartridge in smaller units), which either
absorbs or physically screens out various contaminants. Reverse
Osmosis
Reverse osmosis (RO) systems pass water through a
synthetic, semi-permeable membrane that rejects most contaminants.
Virtually all RO units have carbon pre- and/or post-filters to provide
additional treatment for health related contaminants. Distillation
Distillers heat water in one chamber and turn it into steam.
The steam then passes through a coiled line into another chamber, where
it is condensed back into water. More
than 99 percent of aesthetic- and health-related contaminants, such as lead,
some heavy metals, bacteria and cysts, remain in the heating chamber. Water Softening
Water softeners use the “ion exchange” principle to exchange ions of
either sodium or potassium for ions of hardness minerals (calcium and magnesium)
present in the source water. Some
health related contaminants also can be treated, such as radium and low levels
of lead. An offshoot of the technology using “anion exchange”
reduces arsenic, nitrates and mercury. Oxidants
Oxidizing chemicals like chlorine, bromine and ozone are added to water
through a feed system that controls concentration and allows appropriate contact
time. These chemicals neutralize
aesthetic organic contaminants in the water and also kill a variety of
biological pathogens. Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet (UV) systems use ultraviolet light to eliminate various
biological pathogens. Aeration
Aerators temporarily store source water in a tank to allow easily
evaporated volatile contaminants to be vented off.
Air can be bubbled through the water to speed the evaporation process.
***The
performance of equipment can vary, so it is important to look for products which
have been tested and proven successful for the specific contaminant(s) to be treated. |
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ALLIANCE WATER CONDITIONING AND PLUMBING INC. State of Ohio Plumbing License #38188 1097 WEST MAIN STREET, ALLIANCE, OHIO 44601 (330)823-2084, (330)823-2522, (800)233-2084 Last modified: September 12, 2011 |
