Water Quality

Doghouse Riley · 13-10-2011, 11:21 AM

]This topic comes up regularly.

It might be interesting to compare the quality of tap water, (what we start with) between the various regions where we have our pools.....
and there again, it might not!
All utility suppliers should provide that information on-line. It's just a matter of imputing your post code where we live.

So here's an analysis of our tap water, according to United Utilities for those of us who live in the "Soggy North-West."

Analysis........Typical Value.........UK/EU limit..............Units

Hardness level.........very soft
Hardness .................11.5.......................200... ................µg Al/l
Calcium.....................9.00.................. ............................mg Ca/l
Residual chlorine -Total 0.5............................................... mg/l
Residual chlorine - Free 0.47.............................................m g/l
Coliform bacteria...........0..........................0... .................number/100ml
Colour.....................<0.884................. .....20...................mg/l Pt/Co scale
Conductivity...............86.2................... ...2500.................uS/cm at 20oC
Copper.....................0.0106................. ........2.................mg Cu/l
E.coli..........................0................. ...........0..................number/100ml
Iron.........................<10.................. .......200..................µg Fe/l
Lead.....................<0.306................... .....25...................µg Pb/l
Magnesium.................1.41.................... ..........................mg Mg/l
Manganese...............<1.26..................... ...50..................µg Mn/l
Nitrate.......................1.51................ .......50..................mg NO3/l
Sodium......................7.56.................. ......200................Na/l

Gazfish · 13-10-2011, 03:55 PM

Hi DH,

Unfortunately although they do provide these they are not that accurate as they are done over a wide area and if you was to have yours individually tested it could be completely different.

I know it sounds nuts but true

Doghouse Riley · 13-10-2011, 05:45 PM

Agreed,

Like ours, most utility companies will put a disclaimer in with the the data. It will change from time to time and the figures provided are taken at random. They also do say that there may be rare occasions when they have to draw water from adjacent areas which will produce different readings.
But my point is really that I'm providing a "base line" from where we all have to start.

Davej · 13-10-2011, 07:16 PM

Hi DH,

There are Guys a stones throw away from me that have water that is significantly different from ours.

As a matter of interest do you measure your GH? and what is it?

Dave

terrydog · 13-10-2011, 07:51 PM

hi dh
have you got a link to this web site

Doghouse Riley · 13-10-2011, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davej

Hi DH,

There are Guys a stones throw away from me that have water that is significantly different from ours.

As a matter of interest do you measure your GH? and what is it?

Dave

Hi Dave,

I only use the strip tests, as they never show anything untoward I don't bother with anything else. I put it down to the size of my filter in relation to my pool and my constant trickle change. I know many members go into the analysis of their water thoroughly, but if my strips are OK (when I do them) and the fish look alright, I can't raise enough interest, to dig any further.
I started this thread as I actually wondered, apart from hardness, how much difference there was in the analysis of the water supplied in different regions of the country.

Quote:

Originally Posted by terrydog

hi dh
have you got a link to this web site

Hi Terry,

This is United Utilities web site "water quality page."

United Utilities: Drinking water quality

If they're your water supplier, you just punch in your post code.
If you or anyone else is in a different area with another supplier, they've probably got a similar site, just look for a link that says "drinking water quality."

Davej · 13-10-2011, 09:35 PM

Hi DH

Think its already been suggested the generic data is pretty useless from a Koi keeping point of view, its what is in the water that comes out of your tap that matters. Hence my question about your GH.

Dave