Anyone Knowledgeable About Residential Water Treatment/Filtration?

I see it as an investment into my health & my home.

I don't think I want to pursue a water softening unit. I'm not able to separate the outside faucets/hose bibs from the house supply.

At this moment I'm suffering from I'net search overload. Too much "static" to filter out these days.
 
Is biochar another term for activated carbon? Now that can get expensive.

It is. And it's free if you make it yourself. I have a hard time finding room for all of the stuff I've made. It works so good in the grill I only use about 1/5 of what I used to use with the store bought stuff.

For filtration and cooking you don't have to activate it. It'll get activated from filtration and make a great soil amendment after that.

A piece of large PVC a couple feet long full of it would probably last decades before it'd have to be swapped out. It's pretty amazing just how much lateral surface area there is on small piece of char.
 
I've been doing this for 17 years, buy a Apec RO system from Amazon.. about 180 and it will cover everything you need. I had high arsenic in my water and freaked and made the seller put in an arsenic removal system.. basically a water softer that removes arsenic... expensive and require salt/chloride... I also had the RO on my sink.. you can buy arsenic test kits from amazon on the cheap... I've been doing this for years with great success... just get the RO system and test anually for arsenic and replace filter as necessary.. I have a TDS meter for $20 that keeps an eye on the dissolved solids.
 
I've been doing this for 17 years, buy a Apec RO system from Amazon.. about 180 and it will cover everything you need. I had high arsenic in my water and freaked and made the seller put in an arsenic removal system.. basically a water softer that removes arsenic... expensive and require salt/chloride... I also had the RO on my sink.. you can buy arsenic test kits from amazon on the cheap... I've been doing this for years with great success... just get the RO system and test anually for arsenic and replace filter as necessary.. I have a TDS meter for $20 that keeps an eye on the dissolved solids.

What are your thoughts on pharmaceuticals, herbicides, pesticides?

Thanks.
 
It is. And it's free if you make it yourself. I have a hard time finding room for all of the stuff I've made. It works so good in the grill I only use about 1/5 of what I used to use with the store bought stuff.

For filtration and cooking you don't have to activate it. It'll get activated from filtration and make a great soil amendment after that.

A piece of large PVC a couple feet long full of it would probably last decades before it'd have to be swapped out. It's pretty amazing just how much lateral surface area there is on small piece of char.

I've seen the long piece of pvc or a larger canister type where they start off with small gravel, progress to smaller size, sand and than the carbon. Would be great for rain water collected of the roof. Some sheeple think they'll just put a pail under a gutter spout and be set to go. Ha, best case scenario is they only get a bad case of Montezuma's revenge. Have read someplace you shouldn't really make your own, you should post your recipe. Inquiring minds want to know.
 
rain water collected free of contact with anything is cleaner than any water you can get from any public utility service. it fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere and is some of the best water for you or your plants
 
Rain water harvest is part of the long term plan, after the garage is built.
 
rain water collected free of contact with anything is cleaner than any water you can get from any public utility service. it fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere and is some of the best water for you or your plants

That's just it, you'll need something large enough to collect enough water to have any worthwhile amount and most roofs are asphalt shingle with plenty of toxic stuff in them let alone all the bird crap, etc. Metal roofs are a better but a clean tarp hung with a hole in the center would be better to drain and than filter.
I still wonder about unfiltered rain water with all the junk that it passes through on the way down. Its pretty much been proven that chemtrails are real and lots of aluminum gets fed into the atmosphere. Remember the old acid rain, killed loads of fish in the Adirondack lakes, don't know if they've recovered any yet.
Remember too that lots of places now are making it illegal to harvest rain water.
 
It will be collected from asphalt shingle roof into a standpipe sand filter to large above ground storage tank for irrigation purposes.
 
I'm digging how I get put on the spot for no reason then it turns into rainwater harvesting


DON'T DRINK RAINWATER!!!!!! EVERY DROPLET HAS A MICROSCOPIC SPEC OF DUST IN IT!!!!!!!


(and the rain water harvesting laws are usually very very old, and still on the books. Not anything new).


And for those worried about the nasty roofs, most collection systems have a dump valve that don't collect the first water from a rain. They let the roof get the loose debris washed off, then the collection happens.


....the sediments settle in the tank, then the pickup isn't on the bottom and on the way to a charcoal filter (note: charcoal filter) :)
 
I'm digging how I get put on the spot for no reason then it turns into rainwater harvesting (which has nothing to do with home water filtration)


DON'T DRINK RAINWATER!!!!!! EVERY DROPLET HAS A MICROSCOPIC SPEC OF DUST IN IT!!!!!!! Don't listen to Grass Doctor either! He should know that the reason all grass is dead is because of rain water is full of dihydrogen monoxide and that poison is everywhere!!! :)


(and the rain water harvesting laws are usually very very old, and still on the books. They're normally rancher type laws so that the upstream ranch couldn't divert or dam water to starve out a down stream herd or community. Not anything new).


And for those worried about the nasty roofs, most collection systems have a dump valve that don't collect the first water from a rain. They let the roof get the loose debris washed off, then the collection happens.


....the sediments settle in the tank, then the pickup isn't on the bottom and on the way to a charcoal filter (note: charcoal filter) :)
 
Earl, Not sure where you feel that your info was not appreciated. That was not my intention. I think the Biochar is very interesting. Just not suited to my situation at this time.

Rainwater collection is a different scenario. That is something I would like to incorporate into the construction of my garage someday.

Thank you.
 
JM, it wasn't you. I was yet another low post count 'expert' that trying to convince me to stop posting on message boards and FB.


...and it's slowly working.


Also, read up on charcoal. That shit's older school than a vacuum gauge and it flat out works.
 
really illegal to harvest rain water GTF out , thats absurd !!!

Remember, where demonrats are in control, funny things happen. Who said that. Anyway it was illegal for a long time in Colorado but in 2016 they changed the law and households are allowed to have 110 gallon capacity now. Utah is 100 gallons iirc because at one time they claimed the water rights. Most states its encouraged though.
How about NJ's rain water tax. Being NJ they'll find a way to make every property owner pay.


Than there's local laws and such. I know its bat shit crazy. How about places that push solar and wind power but than require it to be hooked into the grid. I guess if you produce your own power it will take away a fraction of their tax base.
MI in all their wisdom has now made it illegal to shoot deer over a food plot you planted even on your own land. Its getting lots of flak.
 
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