Potable plumbing and sewage infrastructure is the hallmark of a civilized society. Water has a pivotal influence on health, happiness, and wellbeing. Issues such as the quantity and quality of the water supplied are important in improving the health of individuals, as well as whole communities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), municipal water quality has a significant influence on public health — whether in the short-term with bacterial contamination, or longer-term with contaminants like Arsenic, Nitrates, and Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), amongst a host of other contaminants of concern.
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1974, with amendments added in 1986 and 1996, to protect the water that we drink. Under the SDWA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets minimum standards for drinking water quality and monitors states, local authorities, and water suppliers who are responsible for enforcing the standards. As part of the SDWA, the EPA has also set maximum contaminant levels, as well as centralized treatment requirements for over 90 contaminants that can exist in public drinking water.
Municipal water management professionals work tirelessly to supply Americans with a virtually unlimited supply of clean, clear water available on-demand, 24/7. This is a very difficult job, since budgets are limited, raw water resources are dwindling, and there is an ever-expanding stream of emerging contaminants being discovered that complicate the process of providing affordable clean water to homes and businesses.
Why Water Treatment?
Municipal water that meets federal and state minimum standards is generally safe to drink, but it is typically processed further using certified products/components to address water quality concerns either for the whole building (point of entry) or simply at the tap (point of use).
The most common waterborne contaminant addressed in American municipal water is simple mineral hardness. While not a health-risk, naturally occurring Calcium and Magnesium ions in water interact with piping systems, heating appliances, soaps, and other cleaning compounds, causing many undesirable side effects and a negative environmental impact. For example, untreated scale in a heating system can cause a significant increase in the amount of heating energy required while also contributing to the premature failure of water heating appliances. Water hardness can be addressed by completely removing it through a softening process (ion exchange, membrane separation, capacitive deionization, etc.), which provides benefits for both scale and soap, or a salt-free system that can control scale without removing hardness from the water. Each type of hard water mitigation strategy will require various equipment with their own specific installation and maintenance requirements.
As much of the country deals with unprecedented drought conditions, another very common issue being uncovered is an increase in baseline conductivity, which is exposing more building plumbing systems to corrosive conditions. Corrosion potential is often addressed with Phosphate injection systems, or conductivity reduction systems — each requiring their own application-specific installation.
The COVID-19 pandemic response caused a significant number of buildings nationwide to remain unoccupied for extended periods of time, which inevitably allowed biofilm to grow unrestricted in many plumbing systems. Biofilm reacts with residual chlorine in safe municipal water, lowering the disinfection capability, contributing to Microbially Induced Corrosion (MIC), and potentially creating a safe harbor for other dangerous organisms like Legionella Pneumophila. This kind of bacterial overgrowth requires careful selection of decontamination strategies, along with potential deployment of continuous disinfection/sanitation equipment and chemistries. Each have their own nuances and specific requirements for installation and maintenance.
Aesthetic drinking water quality is now more of an issue to Americans than ever before. A variety of sources report varying statistics affirming a consensus that more than half of Americans are currently dissatisfied with their municipal tap water and almost a quarter refuse to even drink tap water. There is a definite demand for certified solutions to address tastes, odors, conductivity, and other concerns.
Selection and Sizing
As with all technologies, education and related experience is crucial when selecting the appropriate water treatment device and sizing it properly for the application. If the wrong treatment technology or device is chosen, the treatment strategy will not perform as expected and it might even result in unintended consequences like excessive brine discharge, energy-waste, or even the development of potential health risks due to unexpected chemical interactions. The Water Quality Association (WQA) has developed a comprehensive curriculum for training individuals who design and select water quality improvement devices to help water quality improvement professionals serve their customers better. This body of knowledge is invaluable for plumbing and mechanical specifiers to ensure that they select a sustainable solution that will work properly without unintended consequences.
Installation
Even with correctly selected equipment, the entire installation could fail catastrophically if not properly installed by an appropriately trained and certified professional — someone who has the demonstrated ability to install equipment safely and in compliance with governing code and industry best-practices. Improperly installed equipment will at best cause a mechanical failure or failure of the treatment design, and — at worst it will endanger human health through cross-connections, bacterial contamination, improper thermal protection, and other risks. Even experienced plumbing/pipefitting professionals have much to learn about the nuances of how to properly install water treatment technologies.
Maintenance
Like everything in life, water treatment equipment is subject to wear and tear, necessitating testing, maintenance, and recalibration. For example, as one of the hardest working appliances in an American home, a typical water softener will process hundreds of pounds of inorganic calcium in a single year, as well as filtering solids > 30 micron in size from the water. Along with minerals, sediment and other related contaminants, the softener must also contend with bacteria from the ambient environment and even from the salt used to clean itself; periodic cleaning and disinfection is crucial to the proper and safe operation of water softeners.
The Benefit of Qualified Professionals
Water quality management and improvement is complex. It sometimes feels like it’s as much an art as it is a science, with various manufacturers touting best-practices and other recommendations from well-meaning individuals. The WQA developed the first independent qualifications for the men and women who assume the solemn responsibility of making their clients’ water cleaner, safer, and better for use. This Certified Water Professional Program has set the standard for effectively educating and credentialing professionals in the industry. In 2017, with the participation of WQA members, an initiative was launched by ASSE International to explore the creation of a Professional Qualifications Standard for Water Treatment Equipment Personnel. This year, an ASSE working group is forming to continue development of the proposed ASSE Series 22000, Professional Qualifications Standard for Water Treatment Equipment Personnel. The Series 22000 establishes the minimum knowledge and education requirements for qualified installers, service technicians, and repairers of water treatment equipment to become certified. Members of this working group represent both water treatment and plumbing professionals working toward an industry-developed certification program to provide water treatment installers with the necessary skills, and code and technology competencies. The result will be properly trained professionals, properly operating water treatment equipment, and safer, healthier, and happier water consumers.
Conclusion
Americans and the world-at-large are starting to realize the importance of the trades to our economy and the modern water quality improvement professional needs to be smarter than ever before. Education and sensible personnel certifications enable smart people to make a difference. Utility workers, plumbing engineers, master water specialists, plumbers, pipefitters, and certified installers can all work together to protect the health and safety of the public while saving energy, minimizing waste, and our enhancing environmental impact.
Resources
- World Health Organization, Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, Volume I, 2nd Edition, WHO, Geneva, 1993
- World Health Organization, Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, Volume II, 2nd Edition, WHO, Geneva, 1996
- Water Quality Research Foundation (WQRF), Contaminant Occurrence Map, accessed at https://www.wqrf.org/map.html
- United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Primary Drinking Water Regulations, accessed at https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/national-primary-drinking-water-regulations
