Water – The Gift of Life

Water is a natural recycled resource that begins with rain and goes through an obstacle course that eventually ends in evaporation – or storage in underground aquifers and above ground surface water lakes and oceans. One important cycle is the trickling or permeation of rain water through the earth surface that geologically cleans the rain water by filtration along with absorbing and dissolving certain minerals. These naturally occurring minerals are helpful to the overall stabilization of the water. And mineral water from underground wells are considered by many as the healthiest type of drinking water since these minerals are more easily and better absorbed for humans than from food or supplements. However, some minerals such as iron, manganese, and calcium that are naturally absorbed through this process starts out in a dissolved and stable state in natural groundwater storage, but then can becomes unstable once it is pumped to the surface especially when oxygen is introduced.

IRON: While Iron in small amounts is not considered a health concern in drinking water, even a small amount of iron can turn clear water into rusty water creating aesthetic and taste problems. Clear dissolved mineral (ferrous iron) is typically found in ground water sources and can quickly convert to a rusty reddish precipitated particle (ferric iron) once pumped up. This can cause discoloration and taste problems in drinking water and a stain developing problem in irrigation water. With the injection of one of our water treatment blends, (selection based on specific water characteristics), this iron molecule can be stabilized. When you apply our water treatment compound to water with this unstable ferrous iron molecule, our water treatment will combine with the reactive sites of the iron molecule to prevent the iron from precipitating. This unique aspect of or treatment is that a relatively low amount is necessary for this process. This is known as “threshold treatment” and is characterized in chemical engineering as a treatment requiring very low stoichiometric levels. With the addition of our water treatment, the iron remains in the dissolved state preventing discoloration and the taste associated with precipitated iron. In irrigation water, our treatment can combine with the iron molecule to prevent precipitation on the surfaces of buildings, sidewalks, living plants, etc. Amazingly, even after the water has evaporated on the sidewalk or building, our treatment keeps that iron that is still on the surface from preciptation days, months and even years later.

MANGANESE: Similar to iron, manganese is also a mineral ion that is usually stable in ground water in a dissolved state but then can becomes unstable and precipitate once pumped to the surface. If left untreated, manganese at even relatively low levels (0.05 mg/L and above) can oxidize turning into a black precipitate that eventually turns water to a cloudy gray. This also can easily and economically be controlled with the addition of small amounts of our water treatment. Again, low levels of manganese, like iron, is not a health concern. It is only the problems associated with the precipitation of these minerals that makes the water supply to have aesthetically undesirable appearance and can cause an unpleasing taste.

CALCIUM: Generally the process of rainwater filtering through the ground will absorb and carry with it much higher amounts of calcium (and magnesium) than iron and manganese to the ground well storage. Unlike iron and manganese, calcium generally does not cause discoloration of the water. However, in high levels (above 60 mg/L) it can cause scale builup in pipes lowering the carrying capacity of the system. High amounts of calcium (and magnesium) reduces the effectiveness of chlorine or chloromines for disinfection. Again, with relatively low levels of our water treatment, calcium and magnesium can partially be sequestered to reduce mineral scale formations and deposits on equipment and fixtures.

So, while nature provides us a unbelievable gift of life – WATER – we need to occasionally and when necessary fine-tune it to make it beneficial to us. SPER Chemical Corporation is dedicated at supplying the best and safest water treatment for potable and irrigation water systems.