On 18 Mar, 23:11, "Clot" wrote:
jim wrote:
possibly OT but I intend to DIY the follow-on system so:-

Anyone know what I should expect to pay for a laboratory drinking
water anaylsis on our spring water? Seems we have acidity and Iron at
the least........
NB We're in West Yorks.

Spring water is different from well water. Springs can be shallow and
subject to variable quality as a result. This is particularly relevant for
bugs, coliforms and E Coli are the standard indicator organisms. A one-off
test on a spring is just that - the water quality was what it was at the
time of the test.

if the spring is shallow beneath grazing land then bugs from cattle and
sheep could be an issue.

Also, looking at the chemical aspects, nitrates could be an issue.pH is
usually undertaken as a standard test. Really more details of the situation
are required before one can recommend a suite of analysis. Only then can the
cost be estimated.

I can't recall now whether it was W Yorks or S Yorks EHOs that used to be
quite well informed about the quality of private supplies in their areas.
Has your supply ever been tested by the local Authority EHO. They are
responsible for this.

sorry for delay - been away!

Well, (no pun intended) the land above the spring is farmland with a
couple of horses, further up are some cows on rotation with other
fields, no chemical fertilising that I am aware of, and that's about
it. Of course the water may equally well come from anywhere in the
hillside..and the story would be the same as reagrds livestock and
land use - so your comments on bugs are apt.

We already have a UV system and sediment filters so hopefully (as long
as I keep changing the tube) that aspect is covered.

Locally, iron is very common in springs and streams, some very bright
orange out-flows can be seen around the valley usually from old mine
workings here and there - (clay, coal). In the primary tanks up the
hill above us, there is always a layer of orangey/brown sediment
coating the tanks and pipes, it is easily disturbed and from my
researches I would expect that to be soluble iron salts that have
reacted with aeration of the water and the resulting insoluble salts
have dropped out of solution. Our sediment filters trap a lot of this
and at rainy times of the year our water can taste a bit metallic and
in flood can be a little hazy too. We generally switch to (previously)
bottled until after a day or so all is clearer and taste improves once
again.

As regards testing by EHO, not in the 7 years we have been here altho
the spring does have a number as mentioned in the deeds. When we
bought it we had a respected water treatment firm round who did a
"briefcase" test, he was surprised at the quality and sold us only the
UV and sediment filters! House is 200+yrs old and has always been
supplied by the same spring, until we came there was one 'candle'
filter !!

The apparent pH issue (blue rings in baths and SWMBO's highlights
turning green in bath) is the one I am hoping to address in due course
now.

Hope that illuminates things enough..

Thanks to all for comments so far
Jim