Thursday, September 4, 2014

Water Treatment for Well Water High in Odor and Hardness

Dear sir,
I have an old well that recently developed foul odors.  There always used to be a slight odor to it, but recently we have had gas and oil rigs drilling in our area and the odor has gotten much worse.
My wife wants to me do something about it. She also has always complained the water is hard, and we want to see about getting a water softener at the same time.  She does NOT want chlorine.  What do you suggest?
- James S., Pennsylvania
Dear James,

We recommend a two stage approach.  The first stage is an Air Charger Sulfur Filter.  This removes odors without the use of chemicals by using natural aeration combined with powerful filter media to remove hydrogen sulfide and other odors in well water.  The system is fully automatic, and requires no routine maintenance.


The second stage is a special type of water softener, designed for well water. The softener removes high levels of hardness yet is salt efficient, using less salt and water than comparable water softeners.

Here is more information:

For Treatment of Odors:
The best and easiest option is a self-contained sulfur filter which uses air injection directly in the filter to oxidize the sulfur out, and then passes the water through a mixed bed of filtration media specifically designed to remove odors from water.  This is an automatic backwashing system that rinses out the media once every night or two nights in order to keep the media clean as well as maintain a head of air for the oxidation.


Air Charge Sulfur Filter
  • ¾” pipe connectors with bypass valve
  • 1.5 Cubic foot of Centaur carbon filter media
  • Dimensions:
  • Filter tank diameter: 10 inches
  • Height including control valve 61 inches
Iron / Sulfur Air Filter Includes:
Eliminator Plus 115v control valve

How the system works:  The AIO air filter maintains an “air pocket” in the top of the tank while the system is in service.  As water passes through the air pocket, iron and sulfur are oxidized.  The Nelsen AIO filter media bed then removes the oxidized iron and sulfur from the water.  
Additionally, dissolved oxygen is added to the water.  By utilizing a patented piston in the control valve, the AIO Sulfur filter is able to put the whole oxidation process inside one tank, keeping maintenance costs and down time to a minimum.
For Treatment of Hardness:
I would recommend our CWS Digital Plus softener.  The CWS Digital Plus Series professional grade softeners come with everything you need (except salt which can be purchased from most hardware or grocery stores) including easy installation instructions. Any plumber or person familiar with basic plumbing can install them.   Below I’m showing information on the 48K size softener, which works well for homes with your level of hardness, but we do offer larger and smaller systems as well if needed.
Softener CWS Plus Series- 48K Size         
Includes 1 inch or 3/4 inch pipe connectors; by-pass valve; 2.0 cubic feet of high-grade softener resin; heavy-duty brine tank with salt-grid; and 165 Series NSF Certified digital metered-regeneration control valve.
Specifications and Features: High-grade softening resin for maximum performance. Filter tank is NSF certified: one piece seamless polyester construction for long life. Max pressure recommended is 100 psi.