# about water



## Parcero (Jul 16, 2011)

Hello to all.

I got a bad watersource and am thinking ways to make it usable, asking for advices.

Without any filtering its about 260µs. It contains metals and bacteria and what not. With some filtering it drops down to 160µs or so.
160µs might be doable in hydro?
I bought a small RO unit and it was money wasted, I cant get enought pressure to make it filter properly, efficiently so thats out of the game.

Is there anything what one can aply to this filtered water to kill the bacteria in it?

And if you have lots of metals in your water what kind of filter do you use to get rid of them, not RO?

Thanks plenty for all.

Parcero


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## pcduck (Jul 16, 2011)

What is 260µs in ec or ppm's? 
Are you using the *µs* symbol for microsecond?:confused2:

They do sell small booster pumps that will increase your water pressure to make your filter more efficient. There still will be waste water.

hXXp://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/products/reverse-osmosis-filters-and-systems/ro-di-accessories/3-8-aquatec-8800-booster-pump.html


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jul 16, 2011)

Most impurities in water are in solution and cannot be filtered out--you need an RO or a treatment system (not a filter system).  Like pcduck mentioned, you can get a booster pump, but you will still waste water.  It is not uncommon for an RO to bypass 3-4 gal of water for every gal of pure water it makes.


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## Hushpuppy (Jul 17, 2011)

cleaning that water is possible but it sounds like it may be difficult and expensive at best. Could yu get one or more of the 50gallon metal or plastic drums and bring in yer water from somewhere else that is better...Killing bacteria is actually fairly easy. just use intense UV light and high doses of chlorine followed by a decent amount of aeration and ventilation to evaporate the chlorine from the water and remove it from the handling area. The real problem would be removing the heavy metals disolved in the water. If yu don't have any other way of doing it, yu could distill the water, but I honestly don't know how expensive or involved that may get.


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## Stoneage (Jul 26, 2011)

I bought a Hydrologic R.O. system not that long ago, and yes it seems to waste a lot of h20. I had an idea, that I just have not put into play yet. I bought some pieces to make another faucet adapter to hook up to the R.O. connection, for the bottom of a plastic 55 gal drum. I was thinking that with all that waste water, that I would drain the w/w into the 55 gal drum, and when it is full, or near full I would then unhook the water supply line and connect it to the bottom of the 55 gal drum, and try to recycle the waste water that would otherwise go back down the drain. Gravity fed. I would just feed the waste of that back into the drum. I just don't know if it would be enough pressure to run it through. My household PSI is 59. That is low, compared to others. I used to do underground sprinklers, so, I have a good grasp on pressure and that good stuff. I am wondering if anyone has tried this? If you have or have not, I would love to hear some input on the idea. I just really hate to waste all that water.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jul 26, 2011)

Water exerts a little less than 1/2 lb per ft., so you can figure the pressure by the height of the head of water.

How and where do you plan on using this waste water?

Most domestic water pressure is around 50 psi, so if you are at 59, you have higher than normal pressure.


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## Parcero (Jul 27, 2011)

Thanks to all of you.

That 260µ is EC. Is microsecond correct?

That waste water does not bother me at all,I'm not payin anything for the water, its a well but I do pay heaps of electricity if I pump it 24h a day with that lowpressure pump.

I shall check that booster pump mentioned,maybe it works.

I have two sample bottles of that water with me now and I drop them to get them analysed but I've talked to people around the area and they say it's quite ok water but contains lot of rust. Drinkable toa point but how it reacts on hydro, I dont know.

Getting that water elsewere on barrels might work but will be complicated for I got no car or barrels either.
And that nearest water what comes from local watersuplier is clean of metals but still holds EC around 320? Is this too high to start with.

Thanks again and sorry for taking so long, I got no web over there but I'm working on it.

Parcero


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## pcduck (Jul 27, 2011)

An EC  of 320 is extremely high imo to start with. Mine is in the 120 area and I use a R/O filter, mainly for the convenience of removing buffers in the water . I would try a booster pump with a R/O filter if you can.


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## Parcero (Jul 28, 2011)

pcduck said:
			
		

> An EC  of 320 is extremely high imo to start with.



I was afraid of that.

Anyways that water was analysed and BAM! theres so much iron in it that the indicators went red almost before that guy could start the test. He came running from the lab asking that where did I get this sample and where do I live, so there was plenty iron/rust.

Otherwise it was good water, good Ph, soft water, a bit high in CO2 but otherwise ok. But way too much iron. This was and an aquarium guy and I do believe he knows water. He said all my fishes and corals would die on it.

But how about plants? Dont know but I got one more option for water and if it wont come out good I will step a bit back on this hydroproject and focus on other ways to grow.

To get rid that iron is quite complicated and I think  a bored well might come easier and cheaper. Maybe not cheaper but you never know. Anyway the operation to set up somekind of iron separation thing is out of the question right now.

Unreal, I hope it rains 

Take care


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## Hushpuppy (Jul 31, 2011)

I could be wrong about this, maybe check with a horticultural specialist, but I think yu can clean enough of the iron from the water with a real good 2 stage particulate filter that wouldn't need too much pressure to work. I think that would be enough to lower the iron to make it usable. I don't think "some" iron would be a problem other than staining the system over time. I use a "small boy" 2 stage filter that removes a lot of stuff from the water and lowers the ppm from 88 down to like 12ppm. I got mine from Discount hydro. But talk to a horticultural person about how much iron plants can take then go from there.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jul 31, 2011)

Most iron is in solution and not present as a precipitate and as such is not removable with filters.  For a bad iron problem, you need to TREAT the water, filtering does little to remove most iron.


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## Growdude (Jul 31, 2011)

There is no EC of 320, the highest the chart goes is 3.1

What am I missing here?


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## Hushpuppy (Jul 31, 2011)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> Most iron is in solution and not present as a precipitate and as such is not removable with filters.  For a bad iron problem, you need to TREAT the water, filtering does little to remove most iron.


If the iron is in solution would even an RO filter work to remove it? would that much iron be an issue for the plants?


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## Parcero (Aug 1, 2011)

Growdude said:
			
		

> There is no EC of 320, the highest the chart goes is 3.1
> 
> What am I missing here?



Nothing man, I did not give correct information, my bad.

320µs sounds more reasonable.


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## Parcero (Aug 1, 2011)

That small RO unit what I bought dropped the EC to about 90µ. If I only used the sediment filter and carbon filter it was about 170µ, or only sediment filter and RO filter it was about 170µ aswell. The waste when whole unit in use was around 160µ.  
So I guess that RO did not take all iron out.
I was adviced to get some kind of iron separation unit which treats the iron out as THG mentioned needs to be done but it was costly, instead of bigger RO and more powerfull pump.

I found out that there is one bigger pump somewhere here in the property, I shall try it later if I find it with that small RO. Otherwise I have that neigbours well that might be ok but I have my doubts.


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## Growdude (Aug 1, 2011)

Parcero said:
			
		

> That small RO unit what I bought dropped the EC to about 90µ. If I only used the sediment filter and carbon filter it was about 170µ, or only sediment filter and RO filter it was about 170µ aswell. The waste when whole unit in use was around 160µ.
> So I guess that RO did not take all iron out.
> I was adviced to get some kind of iron separation unit which treats the iron out as THG mentioned needs to be done but it was costly, instead of bigger RO and more powerfull pump.
> 
> I found out that there is one bigger pump somewhere here in the property, I shall try it later if I find it with that small RO. Otherwise I have that neigbours well that might be ok but I have my doubts.


 
A properly working RO system will remove all contaminants and bring your EC or PPM to 0  including iron.

Here is a chart of EC to PPM conversion, the EC scale goes from .1 to 3.2 to im not sure what your messuring.
hxxp://www.gardenscure.com/420/hydroponics/96521-printable-ec-ppm-cf-conversion-chart.html


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## Parcero (Aug 2, 2011)

True. I dont have properly working RO unit.

I have Adwas EC meter and these are the reading what it gives. Im measuring condactivity of the water what I have over here before, inbetween and after using the RO unit.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Aug 2, 2011)

ROs will not necessarily take your water to 0--it depends on how bad it was to start with.  It will remove most contaminates.


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## Parcero (Aug 2, 2011)

That small one of mine does not even promise to take all the way to 0 even if I would have that reguiered 4 bars , they wary


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## The Hemp Goddess (Aug 2, 2011)

The only real way to get pure water is with distillation.


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## Growdude (Aug 2, 2011)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> ROs will not necessarily take your water to 0--it depends on how bad it was to start with.  It will remove most contaminates.


 
This is true but it should be lower than what Parcero is getting, there should be no need for distillation.

I still dont understand the readings, how do they compare to EC or PPM?

Do you have a link to that meter?


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## Parcero (Aug 3, 2011)

I lack water pressure aswell to make mine work properly, too bad.

Heres a link, its adwa ad31

.hydroponics.eu/phecumidity-c-monitoring-c-27/ec-meters-and-monitoring-s-66/adwa-ad31-ectds-c-waterproof--5134.html

I tried to give readings as µs/cm, do they make any sense?


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## pcduck (Aug 3, 2011)

> I tried to give readings as µs/cm, do they make any sense?



Most growers use EC or ppm. Actually you are the only grower I have seen express it as us/cm.


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## Parcero (Aug 3, 2011)

Ok then.

My Electrical Conductivity meter displays the reading, the Electrical Conductivity of the water, the EC, as µs/cm.

Would people prefer that instead I express it as for example, EC 300µs/cm to EC 0.3 ?

Or did I got it wrong again?
If this is correct and more common, I can do that.


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## pcduck (Aug 3, 2011)

> EC 300µs/cm to EC 0.3



If that is the correct equation,then most people will know what you are talking about. EC/ppm is the most common way of expressing the ec.


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## faderharley (Aug 3, 2011)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> The only real way to get pure water is with distillation.


 
I totally agree about distilled water. In my 3 grows I have always used distilled water in my aero-hydro grow set-up. I purchased a distiller for my 3rd grow cuz a gallon of distilled water would run me about $1.00/gallon and I'd go thru about 15 gallons or more per week.... the distiller pays for itself in one grow, I get a ppm of 4, and ph is between 4.5-5ph...


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## Growdude (Aug 3, 2011)

faderharley said:
			
		

> I totally agree about distilled water. In my 3 grows I have always used distilled water in my aero-hydro grow set-up. I purchased a distiller for my 3rd grow cuz a gallon of distilled water would run me about $1.00/gallon and I'd go thru about 15 gallons or more per week.... the distiller pays for itself in one grow, I get a ppm of 4, and ph is between 4.5-5ph...


 
I would be interested in that, got any info on it?

My small countertop RO is fine but it wastes alot of water.
Im on a well, as well and am concerned that my well is running low.


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## Parcero (Aug 3, 2011)

faderharley said:
			
		

> I totally agree about distilled water. In my 3 grows I have always used distilled water in my aero-hydro grow set-up. I purchased a distiller for my 3rd grow cuz a gallon of distilled water would run me about $1.00/gallon and I'd go thru about 15 gallons or more per week.... the distiller pays for itself in one grow, I get a ppm of 4, and ph is between 4.5-5ph...



Sound good. If any info of it, please.


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## pcduck (Aug 3, 2011)

> the distiller pays for itself in one grow



I bought a distiller at an auction. Once I got home I looked up some of the replacement glass on line The glass ran from $300 to $800 to replace them. And takes a real long time to accumulate enough water to use for a grow. 

Growdude can you direct your waste water back to the well?


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## faderharley (Aug 4, 2011)

I googled distillers on line, thats how I found/bought mine from American Distillers, have to admit tho, it takes alittle bit of time to get a gallon of water from my set-up, so I make 3-4 gallons of distilled water each day to stock up to 10 gallons...... I grow aero-hydro, and I dump my rez. every 7-10 days and replenish w/clean distilled water, at that time I rinse my roots for 48 hours b4 I add a new batch of fertilizer, micro nutrients and Calmag+ :hubba: 

my plants seem to thrive after the rinse and it has work well on my grows


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