Well Water Resources
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Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of more than 9,000 manmade chemicals that have been in use worldwide since 1940, primarily in industry and numerous commercial and consumer products. The widespread use of PFAS for the past several decades has raised concerns due to their persistence, bioaccumulative nature, and potential adverse health effects. This resource provides information about the background, uses, and environmental and human health consequences of PFAS chemicals.
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C 1016
Odors in Your Water
Homeowners sometimes experience unpleasant odors in their household water. In many cases, the exact cause of the odor is difficult to determine by water testing; however, this publication provides a few general recommendations for treating some common causes of household water odors.
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B 1563
Oxidizing Filters
Private well waters often contain high levels of iron, manganese, and hydrogen-sulfide. While these contaminants are not considered to have any human health consequences, they can cause various issues such as staining, impaired taste, and odor problems once their concentration exceeds certain levels, and homeowners need an appropriate system to remove them—such as an oxidizing filter. Oxidizing filters operate using oxidation, which occurs when a substance comes into contact with oxygen or another oxidizing substance. Everyday examples of oxidation are rust and the brown color that develops on a cut apple. This publication discusses various aspects of oxidizing filtration technique such as applicability, types of filter media, maintenance, etc.
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Activated carbon, also called activated charcoal, is usually produced from charcoal in granular or powdered form. It is a form of carbon that has been processed (activated) to make it highly porous, with a very large surface area available for physical adsorption or chemical reactions. Among others, water treatment is an important application of activated carbon. Activated carbon filters treat general taste and odor problems, including chlorine residue, various organic chemicals, and the radioactive gas radon. This publication discusses various types of activated carbon water treatment systems, their usefulness and limitations, along with required maintenance.
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Arsenic in your drinking water may damage your health. Because arsenic in household well water is usually dissolved from natural rock in the aquifer, water treatment is the only way to eliminate it. This publication describes methods for removing arsenic from household drinking water.
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An abundant supply of clean, safe drinking water is essential for human and animal health. Water from municipal or public water systems is treated and monitored to ensure that it is safe for human consumption. Many Georgia residents, especially in rural areas, rely on private water systems for human and livestock consumption. Most private water systems are supplied by wells. Water from wells in Georgia is generally safe for consumption without treatment. Some waters, however, may contain disease-causing organisms that make them unsafe to drink. Well waters may also contain large amounts of minerals, making them too “hard” for uses such as laundering, bathing or cooking. Some contaminants may cause human health hazards and others can stain clothing and fixtures, cause objectionable tastes and odors, or corrode pipes and other system components.
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Pathogens in household waters pose a serious threat to human health. The CDC has recorded many drinking water microbial-associated disease outbreaks in the U.S., causing illness, hospitalization, and even death. To protect human health, disinfection is considered important in most water treatment systems. This publication provides necessary information on the various disinfection options for household water as well as important points to consider before buying disinfection equipment.
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Presence of bacteria in your drinking water supply does not necessarily pose a health hazard. Certain types of bacteria in household water are more of a nuisance issue. Your water may test negative for coliform and E. coli, but it may still contain other bacteria, typically nuisance bacteria. The two most common types of nuisance bacteria are iron (manganese) and sulfur bacteria. Iron (manganese) bacteria are generally more common than sulfur bacteria because large amounts of iron can be present in ground water. Iron and sulfur bacteria can live together in a household water supply system, so it can be very difficult to determine whether the problem is from one or the other, or both.
Water tests looking for the presence of iron bacteria are seldom recommended and are generally not required. Instead, the confirmation of the presence of iron bacteria is usually based on visual inspection. The unmistakable “rotten egg” odor of hydrogen sulfide gas is the most obvious sign of a sulfur bacteria problem.
Once iron bacteria are well established in a household water supply system, their complete elimination is extremely difficult or even impossible. Preventive measures are more critical and effective than corrective actions. This publication includes some simple preventive measures as well as control and treatment options.
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C 1027-11
Sources of Water for the Garden
This publication discusses the advantages and disadvantages of various sources of water for a community or school garden, including municipal water, rivers or creeks, ponds, wells and rainwater.
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