Troubleshooting tips Appendix 9:
Contents
1. reduce iron in bore water aerate the bacteria could also be present they water and allow the iron to settle out F form a brown sticky gelatinous slime before distribution The bacteria cause odours and clog If iron bacteria are present chlorinate bores and clean the bore Lead Pb Caused by What to do Lead dissolved in water has no taste or smell Lead can be a problem in corrosive Flush water before drinking to remove Laboratory tests are needed to find out if lead is water supplies if pipes or solder are any build up of lead from pipe corrosion present made from lead Replace lead pipes or solder Rainwater tanks can be contaminated Discard rainwater contaminated by lead by lead dust paint or lead flashing and clean sediment out of the tank Stormwater pipes fittings are not Replace lead paint or flashing Check designed for potable water and may all pipework fittings are suitable for contain lead drinking water See Australian Standard AS 4020 Manganese Mn Caused by What to do Bitter metallic taste dark brown or black stains Manganese occurs naturally in the Consider aeration followed by filtration sometimes black ooze sloughing off pipes ground and in surface water especially near decaying organic matter Manganese deposits can be released under anaerobic conditions Petrochemicals Caused by What to do Unpleasant chemical Petrochemicals spilt onto plastic Replace affected pipes taste2. Troubleshooting tips These troubleshooting tips provide basic guidance on how to rectify some common water quality problems Conduct a risk assessment and seek further information before making any major changes to your water system Consult the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines for more details on contaminants We also used the Water Quality Complaint Investigator s Field Guide Lauer 2005 Use the key below to find what might be causing your water quality problem and then look up the corresponding entry in the Look up column If the level of any contaminant is extreme do not drink the water and consult the emergency poster Troubleshooting tips Key What colour is the water Look up Blue or green Copper Brown or black Manganese Reddish orange lron Yellowish brown or tea coloured Tannins Water has a white milky appearance that Air in water disappears with time Water is opaque and cloudy with fine particles that settle to the bottom Turbidity Does the water leave a deposit scale or scum shower roses and other hardware Green or brown organic slime Slime What does the water smell like Bleach Chlorine Musty or earthy Algae Rotten eggs Hydrogen sulfide What does the water taste like Look up lron or Copper or Manganese metals See also Acid Look up i Known source of lead contamination Lead Community Water Planner field guide 41 42 Troubleshooting tips for commo
3. e stirred up sediment and clay it Check that disinfection is effective after rain Turbidity can reduce the effectiveness of chlorination and UV disinfection Community Water Planner field guide 45
4. installed plumbing or Insulate at connections if pipe materials defective pipe materials Copper hot are dissimilar Consult a plumber water pipes in a concrete slab need room to expand and contract Unpleasant tastes odours contaminated water Accidental connection of mains pipes Do not drink the water Consult a mixed with mains water with other pipes e g Sewage pipes plumber Ensure all pipework is correctly marked Soap forms curds and rings on bathtub and will High calcium and magnesium in Detergents work better than soaps in not lather groundwater hard water Look for detergents that say works in hard water Clean kettles and fittings with vinegar Hydrogen sulfide H2S Caused by What to do Rotten egg 3 Anaerobic no oxygen condition Return the bore to aerobic conditions swampy smell in bore promoting growth of sulfur Chlorinate the bore reducing bacteria Anaerobic conditions in surface water Mix water to aerate kill algae with promoting algal and bacterial growth algaecide Consider alternative offtake points Community Water Planner field guide 43 44 Rusting reservoir or iron piping Metal pipe with corrosive water and no internal lining to protect against corrosion Flush pipelines clean Replace with plastic or PVC pipe when possible If pH is very acidic consider consulting a water specialist about correcting pH Water naturally high in iron Iron To
5. minated water Contaminated water can get sucked Make sure there is an air gap between is in mains pipework back into the mains pipework if there any hoses taps and sources of is no air gap between for example a contaminated water Consult a plumber hose and a horse trough if a backflow prevention device needs to be fitted Calcium carbonate CaCQ Caused by What to do High levels Calcium carbonate leaching into water Flush periodically especially before of calcium from new cement pipes drinking the water The problem should a carbonate can ease over time make water alkaline pH Groundwater with naturally high Consult a water specialist about dosing above about concentrations such as groundwater with acid 7 5 Water has from limestone a bitter taste and metals and minerals precipitate out See also Hard water Unpleasant bleach taste Excess chlorine has been added to Leave water with too much chlorine for a water through equipment failure few days and test again Exposure to air operator error or sudden change in raw or heat will remove the chlorine water quality Copper Cu Caused by What to do Green or blue coloured water causing Copper from pipework leaching into Flush the pipes before drinking the green or blue stains water Even low concentrations of water especially if the water has been copper can stain white porcelain standing in the pipes for a long time Improperly
6. n water quality problems Acid pH below about 6 5 Caused by What to do Sour tasting Acidic groundwater or surface water Consult a water specialist about Can corrode copper adjusting the pH and iron pipes which causes the water to become discoloured and taste metallic Milky appearance that clears Tiny bubbles of air in the water supply Water with air bubbles is fine to drink with time from the bottom system Air can enter after mains Bubbles will clear if water is allowed to of the container up repairs through a faulty air valve or stand in an open container because of a poorly functioning pump Flush the pipe to let the air escape Changes in pressure or temperature Check that air relief valves are working can cause air bubbles to form cold Check that pump pressure and flow rates water can hold more dissolved air are normal Service the pump if required than hot water water under high Make sure pipes are buried to keep them pressure holds more air than under low cool pressure Clean the tank Kill the algae using an algaecide Stop sunlight getting in to the tank and keep lids secured Algae in the reservoir Use an offtake point away from the algae Consider aeration Check for any sources of nutrient contamination e g sewage or fertiliser Algae in the pipes Keep water flowing through the pipes stop water standing in pipelines Backflow Caused by What to do Water smells or tastes bad conta
7. sometimes a pipes dissolving them multicoloured slick on surface of water Petrol pesticides or other chemicals If chemicals have spilt into supply spilt in water supply SEE EMERGENCY POSTER Slime biofilm Slime growing inside pipes can come Flush the pipes Maintain chlorine in water supply free if the water pressure increases or residual to prevent growth chlorine is suddenly increased Sediment in storage tank is disturbed Make sure storage tank sludge is cleaned regularly Keep lid on tank bly foamy appearance on the surface of the Fatty acids and other natural organic Usually no action needed Vater Sour e Natural foam can have a ioe matter which is released when lseFoWwn colour and dissipates lt SE vegetation decays more quickly than white i lt a ca foam from human _ Ra Detergents from human activity Locate the source and prevent further pactivity a contamination Tea coloured or brown Tannins phenolic compounds humic Consult a water quality specialist about yellow water acids leach into streams and dams treatment options such as activated as trees leaves and other vegetation carbon breaks down Salty taste Groundwater with high levels of salt Drink from an alternative supply white crusts Near the coast shallow bores can go l or spots on salty if too much freshwater is drawn hardware and saltwater from the sea intrudes Allow the water to settle before drinking q alga
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search