Maryland’s Guidelines to Arsenic Treatment in Private Wells

Arsenic is a naturally occurring substance that can be found all around us in the air, water, soil, food and rocks. It can be found in many private wells due to minerals dissolving from rocks and soil over time and entering the groundwater supply. If you have a private well in Maryland, it’s important to know if there is arsenic present and how to get arsenic treatment in private wells. The state of Maryland has detected elevated levels of arsenic in water throughout the Coastal Plain Province, so it’s important to know if your well is impacted. If you’re in Anne Arundel or Queen Anne’s county, here is what you need to know.

What Is Arsenic?

Many people know that arsenic is bad, but most don’t know that it can be found all around us. Arsenic is so dangerous because it can be toxic when consumed in elevated quantities, particularly when consumed over a period of years. Chronic exposure can increase your risk of skin cancer and tumors on your lungs, liver, kidneys or bladder. Arsenic can also be linked to diabetes, heart problems and blood vessel damage. The current guideline from the Environmental Protection Agency is 0.010 milligrams per liter or less in order to protect your health.

Photo by Maryland Department of the Environment
Water Management Administration

How Do I Know if I Need Arsenic Treatment in Private Wells?

Part of what makes arsenic hazardous is that it will not impact the taste, smell or appearance of water so you will not know that it is present without testing. Hague Quality Water of Maryland offers well water testing throughout Maryland. Our tests can include detailed information about the amount of many substances in your water, including:

  • Arsenic
  • Calcium
  • Chloride
  • Chromium
  • Fluoride
  • Hardness
  • Iron
  • Manganese
  • Nitrate
  • pH
  • Phosphate
  • Sodium
  • Sulfate
  • Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
  • And more!

The only way to know if your private well needs arsenic treatment is through testing. We will be able to evaluate your private well water and give you advice based on the results. We have a variety of treatment solutions that can help meet your efficiency, cost and maintenance preferences and protect your health.

In addition to onsite water tests, we offer a comprehensive, convenient, at-home water testing kit for $200. You receive it by mail directly to your home and will mail it back to a professional lab. Once testing is completed, you will get detailed results that you can discuss with Hague Quality Water of Maryland. We will identify the best path forward for well testing and treatment, as well as arsenic removal treatment in private wells.

How Can You Perform Arsenic Treatment in Private Wells?

There are multiple filtration and treatment methods that can remove arsenic from your well water. Some of the options include:

  • Special Iron Oxide Adsorptive Media: Iron-based adsorption is an innovative technology that removes both kinds of arsenic from water without fear of backwash, or returning the arsenic that was filtered out back into the water through regeneration. Depending on your water usage, the media can last 2-3 years before it needs to be replaced.
  • Activated Alumina Adsorption: This process gets rid of arsenic by swapping the arsenic with hydroxide ions on the surface of the alumina. This is a more complex method that requires pre-oxidation to convert Arsenic III to Arsenic V, and if you use chlorination as your pre-treatment method you might then need to do another step to get rid of the chlorine that you added into the water.
  • Anion Exchange: This can be very good at getting rid of Arsenic V. Pre-oxidation must occur before you can complete anion exchange, and this is less effective if there is more than 50 ppm of sulfate present in the water. You also must invest in maintenance to ensure that your anion exchange unit is properly working. If you can maintain your unit properly, this is a great way to go about arsenic treatment in private wells.
  • Reverse Osmosis: This is a great method of keeping your water clean and performing arsenic treatment in private wells. You can use it on a single tap to reduce arsenic V levels and also remove other compounds from the water.

Our recommendation for the best method to treat arsenic in private wells is the WaterMax® System. This innovative system can reverse a poor odor or strange taste and be used in conjunction with many of the methods listed above. Our customized, patented, whole-house water treatment systems can be used together to give you great water. We can use your water testing results to create a customized plan that uses our WaterMax® System and reverse osmosis, salt-free chlorine removal, iron removal, UV disinfection and other methods to take your well water from dangerous to safe and delicious.

When you use our WaterMax® System, you will receive a 25-year Manufacturer’s Limited warranty that gives you the peace of mind that your water will stay healthy and clean for years to come. We are a trusted resource for Maryland residents and can help you with any of your well testing or arsenic treatment issues. To learn more about our innovative system and how it can change your well water for the better, click here to visit our website. You can schedule an estimate or service for your home on the same website to start your water filtration journey today!

Get Help for Arsenic Treatment in Private Wells with Hague Quality Water of Maryland

If your family lives in Anne Arundel or Queen Anne’s County and you are concerned about the quality and contents of your water, we are here to help with your water improvement projects. Whether you need the Hague WaterMax® System or additional filtration beyond that, our team cares deeply about the health and safety of your family. To purchase your kit today, click here. For additional assistance, call Hague Quality Water of Maryland at (410) 757-2992.

 

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