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Welcome to the May edition of our newsletter. Mother's day is a day we honor and celebrate mothers; mother-hood, and maternal figures around the world, and the influence they have on society. Happy Mother's Day!
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Most of our smell complaints trickle in around the beginning of spring. People with wells are familiar with bacteria issues and often have to chlorinate to get rid of the coliforms. However, the rotten egg smell doesn't stem from coliform bacteria. It is typically caused by a sulfur-reducing bacteria present in groundwater that use sulfur as an energy source to chemically change sulfates to hydrogen sulfide.
If the smell is in both the hot and cold water throughout the house then it is coming from the well water. This awful smell can be solved by a number of remedies. These remedies are based on the level of bacteria, well size, iron and manganese levels and pH.
Activated Carbon: Mediation is best for low levels of hydrogen sulfide
Chlorinating: Most effective in well water with pH of 5-7
Ion Exchange Resin: Water with low suspended solids
Manganese Greensand filtration: Works best with well water containing less than 5ppm hydrogen sulfide and removes iron and manganese as well.
If the odor is only in the hot water then it may be your hot water heater that is to blame. In the hot water heater the bacteria reacts with the sacrificial anode. Anodes are the core of the heater; they protect the inside from rusting away by attracting corrosive elements. They typically are made of aluminum or magnesium and tend to need replacing every 5 years to prevent the hydrogen sulfide gas.
As you can see there are several ways to eliminate the sulfur smell coming out of your faucet. Contact a water treatment company to see what works best for your home; if you need some recommendations call our office at 207-784-5354.
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Improperly disposing of hazardous waste creates large fines and mistrust throughout the community in Firebaugh, 38 miles west of Fresno.
Panoche Water District in California has fired several top employees for ridding of hazardous waste improperly. EPA found 86 drums of used oil, solvents, antifreeze, chlorine, caustic soda and iron chloride. The items were buried on Panoche Water District's yard, which is not an authorized area for hazardous waste. Contamination is being remediated however the corruption has been going on for a long time including misuse of the public budget. Dumping hazardous waste is a serious fine (up to $10,000) with up to 6 months in jail. Panoche Water District will be implementing some careful new strategies as they endure the communities mistrust.
See more details:
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Legionnaires' Disease: Healthcare System Risks and Responsibilities
(Article Submitted by Kristin Majeska at Idexx Laboratories)
Hospitals and long-term care facilities are on the hook to reduce their patients' risk from Legionnaires' disease, a form of pneumonia which is deadly in 25% of cases contracted in a healthcare setting. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 9 out of 10 cases of Legionnaires' disease are preventable.1 Now, new standards, new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements, news coverage, legal battles, and million-dollar fines are making it clear that facility executives and managers are responsible for taking adequate prevention measures. In fact, with ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188-2015, Legionella
water safety management programs are now an industry standard for almost all large buildings, including most healthcare facilities in the United States.
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CDC, CMS. OSHA, ASHRAE, and experts throughout the country agree that an effective water safety management plan (WSMP) is the key to reducing the risk of Legionnaires' disease. In 2017 CMS released a memo requiring all Medicare and Medicaid funded facilities implement a Legionella risk reduction program that "specifies testing protocols and acceptable ranges for their control measures"
2.
The CDC recommends healthcare facilities have a WSMP that considers both buildings' hot and cold water distribution systems and includes validation through routine monitoring3.
Unfortunately, even in well-run systems,
maintenance, renovations, and service interruptions can produce hazardous conditions that might lead to bacterial contamination or disease outbreaks. Routine culture testing for Legionella
pneumophila,
the primary cause of the disease
4
and cause of all CDC tracked Legionnaires' disease outbreak deaths,is the best way to determine if a water safety management plan is effective.
According to OSHA,
"water sampling is critical to determining whether Legionnaires' disease bacteria are present and at what levels."5
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A & L Laboratory, a Division of Granite State Analytical Services | 207-784-5354 | rlabranche@granitestateanalytical.com | www.allaboratory.com
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