Most Commonly Asked Questions About Drinking Water

My water smells and or tastes funny.   Why?

Why does my sink or toilet turn orange?

Why is my water hard?

This signifies that your water is high in magnesium and calcium salts. Your water has passed through or over rocks containing these elements. If your water is hard you will use more soap. Excessive hardness (>150 mg/l) can lead to scale deposits in your pipes.

What does a water softener do?

Positively charged ions in the resin bed of the water softener are exchanged for the calcium and magnesium ions responsible for "hard water". The process adds sodium ions in "exchange" for calcium and magnesium. Eventually the resin will have very few sodium ions left to exchange and the resin bed becomes "exhaused/spent" or used up. The water is no longer treated or "softened" until the resin is recharged or re-generated.

I live near the ocean. Should I be concerned with salt getting into my drinking water?

Only if you have a deep well that is used for drinking water. You should have your water tested to determine the chloride levels. Also, if you use your shallow well for drinking or irrigation purposes you should get your water tested annually. Some plants do not tolerate salt very well. The leaves may turn yellow or brown and the plant will eventually die.

How do I know that my city water is safe to drink?

By law, public water systems are routinely monitored to assure that is safe to drink. In Volusia County, the Health Department has an engineering section that is responsible for regulating public water systems and checking that all required testing is performed.

I live near a Fernery and I have a private drinking well. What should I be concerned about?

Primarily nitrates because of run off from fertilizers 

Should I be concerned about lead in my drinking water?

It can be a concern if you live in an old house where pipes may have lead solder. If you are unsure, have your water tested. Flushing the tap before drawing a glass of water to drink will help lower lead levels if they are present in your water. Water that sits undisturbed for over 8 hours in your pipes may have a higher lead content if there is lead present in your piping system.

What is that "bug" found on fruit and vegetables from other countries I have been hearing about?

Cyclospora, a new protozoan parasite has been found to be responsible for causing cramping, abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, nausea, fever and fatigue. It is a relative of cryptosporidium another parasite that has caused problems in drinking water taken from rivers or reservoirs that has not undergone filtration. It is believed that fruits and vegetables become contaminated when washed or inundated with contaminated water containing the organisms.

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