Home water systems can help clear up a variety of water quality issues

Jan. 24—WILLMAR

— Water is a necessity of life, so having access to a clean, healthy source of water is paramount. High-quality water, which is soft and free from odor and discoloration can also be a quality-of-life issue. Homeowners have a variety of options to better their property's water quality — from water softeners to filter systems and even a reverse osmosis system for drinking water.

"Safe drinking water is super important, not just for drinking but also for cooking," said Jay Johanneck of

Johanneck Water, an EcoWater Systems water conditioning business

with locations in Willmar, Redwood Falls, New Ulm and Mankato, in an email to the West Central Tribune.

One of the top issues for homeowners with regard to water quality is hardness. Hard water, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, is water with high levels of dissolved minerals, usually calcium and magnesium. Water hardness is measured by how much calcium carbonate is found in a sample. Soft water is considered 60 milligrams of calcium carbonate per liter of water. Hard water is 121 to 180 milligrams per liter, and 180 mg/L is very hard.

"Willmar is known to have pretty hard water," Johanneck said.

Hard water can be damaging to human skin and hair, Johanneck said, along with being pretty destructive to home appliances and fixtures. The most common type of home water softener helps remove the "hard" minerals from the water by replacing them with sodium chloride, or salt, which then makes the water soft.

"This will remove calcium from the water so skin and hair can keep their natural oils, and appliances run far more efficiently and will last longer with conditioned water," Johanneck said. "Water softeners are sized based on the hardness and iron in your water, so we typically start with a water test to determine the size of water softener that will work best for each family's needs."

What type of softener a homeowner purchases can have a big impact on the area's water quality down the line. According to Sara Sietsema, environmental specialist with the city of Willmar, more than 70% of the households in Willmar have a water softener. Because wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove chlorides from the wastewater, it ends up being released into the watershed environment, such as Hawk Creek near Willmar.

"High levels of chloride in the environment can be toxic to fish, amphibians, macroinvertebrates and other aquatic organisms," Sietsema said. "It can also affect the aquatic plants and change the plant community."

Luckily, water softeners today are much more efficient than in years past, using less salt to do the same job. They are on-demand, meaning the water is softened only when needed. EcoWater has models that can determine how much salt and water it needs when running through the regeneration cycle. Newer softeners can also be programmed to soften water to a certain level of hardness, again reducing how much salt is being used.

"Water does not need to be softened to zero grains of hardness to achieve desirable results for drinking and protecting appliances," Sietsema said. "Shoot for 8 to 10 grains of hardness."

Sietsema understands that Willmar's water is extremely hard, and that most households probably won't go without a softener. She does hope that, as more households replace aging softeners, they will go with the higher-efficiency model. Doing so could make a huge difference in the chloride level of Willmar's wastewater and help the city meet more stringent water quality standards.

"If every home had a salt-efficient, demand-based water softener that was adjusted to the appropriate settings for the hardness of the water being delivered to the home, we would definitely see a decrease in the concentration of chloride in the wastewater," Sietsema said.

While those who live in towns and cities have ready access to treated water, homeowners that get their water directly from the underground aquifers through wells need to have their own treatment systems, to make sure the water is safe to drink and use.

"Out on private wells we deal with a variety of issues starting with iron, rotten egg smells and high amounts of tannis and arsenic," Johanneck said.

Many well users install a reverse osmosis system that removes bacteria, organics and other contaminates including from the water. According to the

Minnesota Department of Health,

a reverse osmosis system can remove a wide range of contaminants — from arsenic and calcium to lead and uranium.

"An EcoWater reverse osmosis system will provide that 'bottled water' quality in your home so you don't have to go get it, and typically at less cost per gallon," Johanneck said. "Pretty quick return on investment."

There are also microbiological systems and filters that can clear up other water issues.

"Some have other issues like rotten egg smell (hydrogen sulfide), black specks (manganese), tea-colored staining (tannins) or arsenic. In situations like this, we will install our EcoWater air-injected iron filter or a purpose filter," Johanneck said.

When a water issue arises at a home, Johanneck said it is important to respond to it, both for financial and health reasons. Water issues can cause staining, corrosion and even higher utility bills, and systems have to work harder and longer to operate. This leads to having to replace equipment from water heaters and dishwashers to shower heads and other fixtures more often.

"To prevent the damage it could and will create on not just themselves but their homes," Johanneck said.

Johanneck Water has been responding to residential, commercial and industrial water issues for nearly 40 years. It is a family business that originated in Redwood Falls but now serves customers from across west central and southern Minnesota. It deals exclusively with EcoWater Systems, which started in 1925 as the Lindsay Soft Water Company in St. Paul.

"I basically say 'when you think of water, think of EcoWater.' We can help resolve water issues in commercial, industrial and livestock applications all over the state and surrounding states," Johanneck said. "We're here for you. Even if it's a question and you want a good honest answer — call, text, email and ask!"