This can be caused by Calcium or Magnesium hardness dissolved from bedrock. There is no drinking water standard but a hardness level above 120mg/L is most likely to cause these problems.
The solution to this is typically an ion exchange water softener which exchanges calcium and magnesium for sodium or potassium.
If you are experiencing any of these issues you may want to get your water tested for Total Hardness at our laboratory.
This can be caused by dissolved metals, most typically Iron. It is present in soils and rocks, generally in insoluble forms, however complex reactions can occur in ground formations giving rise to soluble forms that can make their way into drinking water supplies. The EU Drinking Water Directive standard is set at 0.2mg/L, however if you are noticing an orange colour your drinking water is likely to already exceed these paramaters. Exceedences can cause staining of laundry as well as reduce the palatability of your drinking water.
The solutions to this are typically ion exchange water softeners and oxidising filters. If higher concentrations are present, a specific Iron filter may also be used to reduce the level of Iron fouling in a standard ion exchange water softener.
If you are experiencing any of these issues you may want to get your water tested for Iron at our laboratory.
As with Iron, Manganese is found widely in soils and is a constituent of many ground waters. It, too, may be brought into solution in reducing conditions and the excess metal will be later deposited as the water is re-aerated. While there are no direct health impacts from consumption it can cause severe staining, hence the stringent EU Drinking Water limits of 0.05mg/L. It also has the secondary issue of making your drinking water less paletable.
The solutions to this are typically ion exchange water softeners and oxidising filters, specifically using the active material "glauconite" more commonly know as greensand.
If you are experiencing any of these issues you may want to get your water tested for Manganese at our laboratory.
Cloudy or hazy water can broadly be defined as Turbidity. Turbidity in water is best described as fine particules that remain after routine filtration, such as sand, silt, soil, and even Maganese and Iron that is insoluble.
While there are no specific EU Drinking Water Directive limits on the amount of Turbidity allowed in drinking water, some Turbidity can be related to sewage matter which can potentially harbour harmful bacteria and other micro-organisms that may be shielded by routine disinfection process as they cling to solid particles in the water.
Solutions to the issue can be difficult to narrow down without a better understanding of what is causing the Turbidity. However, broadly speaking, settlement and various types of filtration can be a successful means if not much is known about the source of the Turbidity.
If you are experiencing any of these issues you may want to get your water tested for Turbidity at our laboratory.
While not definitive, this can be caused by various types of harmful bacteria that find their way into your drinking water. Some examples of these bacteria include E. Coli, Enterococci and Clostridium Perfringens; all of which can cause considerable illness. While these can be specifically tested for, Total Coliforms and Faecal Coliforms tests are possible as indicators to the overall sanitation, presence of a wide number of coliform bacteria as well as human and animal waste.
The EU Drinking Water Directive has strict guidelines in place with regard to harmful bacteria, where any number found in a water sample is considered unfit for human consumption, without exception.
It can be difficult to diagnose the source of the bacteria, however those who live near farms and use private wells or group water schemes can be particularly at risk, especially if there are leaking pipes or no treatment facilities in place.
If you are concerned about the quality of your water supply, you may want to get your water tested for Bacteria at our laboratory, or a custom test for any of the other bacteria listed above.
While Irish Water's records state that there are no mains pipes that contain Lead, there are still instances of lead pipes in shared connections or short pipes connecting the mains supply to private water supplies and group schemes, as well as some older houses built before 1970 that made use of lead piping before the risks were well understood.
Lead is one of the most commonly found heavy metals in drinking water where it can accumulate in the body causing a wide number of symptoms (particularly in developing infants) such as neuromuscular, neurological and gastrointenstinal problems. Due to the high risk nature of dissolved lead in drinking water, the EU Drinking Water Directive sets strict limits of levels under 0.01mg/L.
There is no easy solution to remedy this issue if your personal pipeline is potentially effected apart from replacing old systems, but if you are concerned that you maybe be at risk, you may want to get your water tested for Lead at our laboratory.
While farming is the backbond of Ireland's economy, fertilisers, slurry and cattle can have a significant impact with regard to drinking water quality. Nitrates, Nitrites and Ammonia can leach from fertilisers and manure into the ground water and eventually into your drinking water supply, which can be hazardous to health, especially for infants and children. Nitrate itself is not particularly harmful, however the issues arise from its conversions to nitrite and ammonia. Pestidices are also an issue with modern farming that can pollute the water table and drinking water, most notably Organochlorine Pesticides and Organophosphorous Pesticides.
In the interest of protecting local water quality, the EPA have determined acceptible levels for nitrates, nitrates and ammonia as 50mg/L, 0.5mg/L and 0.5mg/L respectively. These levels can be minimised if Good Agricultural Practice is adhered to, such as spreading slurry during designated times throughout the year in periods of little or no rainfall.
If you are concerned about the quality of your water supply, you may want to get your water tested for Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonium, Total Nitrogen, Organochlorine Pesticides and Organophosphorous Pesticides at our laboratory.
/water-testing-kits-and-products/custom-test.264.html
An oily film or fuel-like smell can be caused by a variety of substances, from motor oil, petrol, diesel, cooking oils, animal fats. Many issues arise from water contaminated by oils such as reduced palatability and foul odour, however some Hydrocarbons such as PCBs and PCTs can be carcinogenic (cancer causing) and have serious adverse health effects. The EPA guidelines only offer acceptible levels for specific compounds, which can be determined by our laboratory analysis where then advice can be given on acceptible levels.
Solutions to this issue include but are not limited to series-activated carbon filtration. Routine testing may be required in order to determine the frequency of which the carbon filters need replacement.
If you are experiencing any of these issues you may want to get your water tested for Volatile Petroleum Hydrocarbons, Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons, FOGs or PCB-EC7 at our laboratory.
/water-testing-kits-and-products/custom-test.264.html
Pneumonia is an infection or inflammation in the lung tissue. It is a common disease in Ireland accounting for approximately 5% of all deaths in the country. The most at risk groups of people from the disease are older people and young children. What many don't realise is that it can be directly be caused by a bacteria known as Legionella. Legionaire's disease, legionellosis and pontiac fever can be contracted directly from your drinking water, generally from the hot tap, shower heads, or water tanks that see little use.
While not guaranteed, your systems can be treated via shock chlorinations and drinking water can be boiled prior to use in order to minimise the level of risk as far as reasonable practicable.
If you are concerned about Legionella in your water systems, you may want to get your water tested at our laboratory.
While modern landfills adhere to strict EPA regulations, landfills in the past were often poorly designed whereby large amounts of contamination leached directly into the groundwater below, an in turn polluted local drinking water supplies.
When rain percolates through waste, the material is broken down by bacteria and fungi. This process releases by-products and uses up any oxygen in the environment. In decomposing waste the temperature rises and the pH falls causing heavy metals to dissolve in the water creating what we now call Leachate.
Common metals ions that can leach into the water supply include, but are not limited to Chloride, Iron, Aluminium, Zinc, Lead, Nickel, Copper, Mercury, Manganese, Magnesium and Chromium among many other hazardous materials.
If you are concerned about any of these heavy metals in your drinking water supply, you may want to get your water tested at our laboratory.
/water-testing-kits-and-products/custom-test.264.html
Given the number of potential contaminants it can be difficult to know what to test for.
If you yourself are unsure, the Well Water Suite and Mains Water Suite may be your ideal choice.