DELOACH BLOG

If you’ve been following the news, you know a growing problem with PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) exists.

PFAS, a group of synthetic chemicals in a wide range of products, is causing a growing concern. Despite their widespread use, some PFAS compounds have been found to degrade into potentially harmful byproducts like PFAS-methyl tetrahydrofuran. What's more alarming is that these chemicals have infiltrated our drinking water sources, even in areas with high water tables. This is why it's crucial to understand effective methods for removing PFAS from water.  What should you do if you suspect that there’s a problem with your water? Check the source of the water, test it, and treat it if necessary.

Follow these steps to remove PFAS from drinking water.

Test Your Water

Although knowing how to remove contaminants is essential, it’s even more important to understand how to test your water for contamination. A water test kit can help you determine whether there are contaminants in your water and whether they are at a dangerous level. You can purchase water test kits at grocery stores, hardware stores, and online retailers. Generally, these kits come with the standard set of tests for a home water filtration system, but they also often include tests for specific contaminants. Use these tests to determine whether your water is safe to drink. If your water contains contaminants, remove them from your water source. This can be done by digging a more bottomless well, installing a water filtration system, or getting a water purification system. If your water does not contain contaminants, you don’t need to do anything except continue drinking your water.

Check the Source

Understanding the source of your water is a crucial step in addressing contamination. Whether you have a well or a water treatment system, knowing where your water comes from can provide valuable insights. By tracing the water's journey from the source, you can determine if contamination occurs upstream. This knowledge is essential for well owners, who might overlook the significance of understanding their water source. If you find contamination at the source, you can address it immediately, such as reducing the distance between the source and your dwelling or seeking alternative, uncontaminated sources.

In water treatment, it is often required to remove small particulate matter from the raw water.

One of the most cost-effective ways to accomplish this is with a pressure filter. Sometimes referred to as “sand filters,” a pressure filter consists of a rigid filter vessel capable of withstanding internal pressure, combined with pipework to distribute and collect water and one or multiple types of filter media. Pressure filters are commonly used in municipal water systems, industrial facilities, residential well water systems, and swimming pools. Typical pressure filter construction is shown below:

At the top of the filter vessel, a distributor is used to break up and distribute the water flow so that there are no concentrated flow jets that stir up the media bed. Inflow distributors are usually oriented to direct flow at the top of the vessel to disperse the flow further. Below the distributor is the primary filter bed. The filter bed contains fine-grained media, most often sand, including crushed anthracite coal, activated charcoal, garnet, or other granular bulk products. The media bed is the thickest layer in the filter vessel and is the region that does the actual filtering of the water or other fluid. Below the media bed will be one or more support layers. These will usually be larger-sized gravel that is chosen to support the filter bed while allowing high flow through the support layer and into the outflow header. The outflow header can take several forms but is often composed of a large central pipe with multiple smaller pipes or “laterals” attached. The laterals are slotted or perforated. This allows the pressurized water to flow into the laterals and out through the outflow header into the downstream components of the water treatment system.