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Ground and Borehole Water Filtration
All spring and most bottled water that you buy is water that comes from the ground … Valpre and Nestle both pump water from boreholes. Most companies that sell bottled water first filter the water by means of reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration or conventional filters such as sand and carbon filtration.
If you are going to drink the water from a borehole it is a good idea to have it analysed just to make sure it is fit to drink. A simple SANS-241 test will confirm if it is potable or not. We offer these services and will be able to do a water analysis for you.
How can borehole water be contaminated?
Just like rivers found on the earth’s surface, water in aquifers can flow in a particular direction and as it moves through the ground, it can dissolve minerals or chemicals and transport pesticides and micro-organisms.
Groundwater pollution occurs when man-made products such as fuel (diesel & petrol), oil, fertilizer, and chemicals get into the groundwater and cause it to become unsafe or unfit for human use. Some of the most common sources of pollutants are chemical spills, contaminated runoff from impervious surfaces, failing sewage treatment systems, animal holding pens (corrals), leaking fuel storage tanks, inappropriate chemical storage sites and landfills. It is advisable to have the quality of your borehole water checked before using it in the home.
Some contaminants that we have found in boreholes are faecal bacteria, faecal coliforms, E-coli, high levels of arsenic and other heavy metals that will have an effect on a person’s health if the levels are too high.
We have products that are able to remove these contaminants from the water and make it safe for consumption
Are all borehole water contaminants a health risk?
Some contaminants are simply a nuisance as they cause a stain, smell or discoloration. An example of this can be found in some metropolitan areas where iron oxide leaches out of the soil causing a red brown stain on walls and footpaths.
Other contaminants such as nitrate, arsenic, pesticides and petroleum products are of health concern, particularly if bore water is used for drinking or watering vegetables.
Do I need to treat my garden borehole water?
It is not usually necessary to treat your bore water providing it:
- Has a pH greater than 5;
- Is colourless and odourless; and
- The chemical analyses reports that its fit for human consumption.
- Turbid water can be filtered to sparkling clarity.
What should I do if borehole water is my only supply of drinking water?
Borehole water should not be used for drinking unless it has been professionally tested and approved for human consumption. Microbiological test should be undertaken on an annual basis by an accredited laboratory.
- Find out about the aquifer that supplies your water, the direction of travel, depth and origin;
- Be aware of activities that occur in the catchment area that supplies the aquifer as these will affect your water quality
- Keep rubbish, pesticides, fertilizers, animal and compost away from the bore head
- Use only pipes and materials that are either food grade or ‘drinking water approved’; and
- Use the water sparingly so that there is enough for all.
Use a professionally designed and installed water treatment system that is appropriate to the water quantity and quality of the borehole.
Boreholes intended to provide drinking water must be located at least 30 metres away from any effluent disposal system or probable source of pollution.
Can I use borehole water in my swimming pool?
In most areas the answer is YES. Certainly the geology underlying most of greater Johannesburg is of exceptional quality and has very little iron in it – which is the main culprit for staining swimming pools.