207-594-4947 or 800-244-4947

info@haskellwater.com

46 Farwell Dr, Rockland, ME 04841

Water Contaminants

Arsenic

Arsenic in well water is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. The only way to identify its presence is to have the water tested through a state certified laboratory. Maine’s state limit was dropped in 2006 to less than 10 ug/L. The State of Maine estimates that 1 in 10 private wells in Maine have arsenic concentrations above this limit. There are two different types of arsenic prevalent in well water, arsenic III and arsenic V, therefore, if you do have arsenic above the acceptable limit, we will recommend doing an arsenic speciation water test. This test will determine which type, or how much of each type, of arsenic is present in your water. This step is very important in determining how your well water is treated for arsenic. Other factors, such as iron, manganese, and pH level will need to be tested also.

Arsenic is a known human carcinogen that may cause cancer of the skin, bladder, lung, kidney or liver. It may also cause an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, peripheral neuropathy, skin hyperpigmentation, and diabetes. Major exposer occurs when drinking or cooking with contaminated water. Boiling the water concentrates the amount of arsenic in the water and in turn, exposes you to a higher dose of arsenic. We highly recommend you do not drink or cook with water that is found to have high levels of arsenic. Additional exposure may occur when showering, bathing, and brushing teeth.

There are several methods of removing arsenic, but it is very important to test your water. That’s why we recommend doing a complete water test first and having one of our technicians do a FREE onsite evaluation.

Arsenic Removal Systems

If your water has been found to contain arsenic, we can treat it with an arsenic removal system. There are two ways of arsenic removal, a point of use filter or a whole house treatment system. Typically, we recommend a whole house treatment system as it will ensure you eliminate exposure for you and your family.

Due to the sensitivity of an arsenic treatment system the water going into it must conform to certain guidelines. Therefore, treatment equipment for other contaminates may have to be installed.

If you do have arsenic in your water, please contact us directly to discuss your options.