All water, at all times, can technically be considered corrosive. However, there’s a big difference between water and highly corrosive water. Although water in any type of system can become corrosive, it’s much more likely for this to happen to privately owned water systems. And when it does happen in well water, it’s up to the well owner to make sure that the issue is resolved if they want to save their pipes and avoid health issues.
What Makes Water Highly Corrosive?
The determination of corrosive water comes down to a couple different things. If your water has a pH level of 7 or lower, it’s corrosive. If it has a constant higher temperature, it’s corrosive. If it has a higher specific conductivity, it’s corrosive. And, if it has a lower alkalinity, you guessed it- it’s corrosive.
Now as for the cause of highly corrosive water, that too, can come from a couple of different things. Depending on your pipes, it may be copper and lead, or it may be lead or zinc, or even cadmium, among some other contaminants.
What Does Corrosive Water Do?
So, what exactly is the problem with highly corrosive water? What does it do? The answer, is basically in the name. Highly corrosive water will eat its way through just about anything. That means your pipes, your faucets, your dishes, your linens, and even your body.
For your plumbing, corrosive water will slowly destroy your pipes. This means if the problem is left unchecked, you may be looking at a full pipe replacement in your home. For your belongings, corrosive water can stain anything and everything orange or brown. This means faucets, basins, and fixtures. This means linens, clothing, or any other fabric. And this also means hair and skin as well. Highly corrosive water is also a health risk in the home. The high levels of lead and copper in the water is a huge health risk when consumed in large quantities.
What to Do
First you need to test. You may suspect that your water is highly corrosive, but there’s no way to know for sure until you test it. And there’s no way to know for sure what to do until you know what is causing your water’s high corrosivity. After testing, you may want to flush out your water system to reduce the contaminants. And in the meantime, of solving the problem, use cold water from the tap. Heat it on the stove if you need it. And flush pipes each time before using water for drinking or cooking.
Once you have your test results, you can get to work on fixing the issue. This often means tweaking the pH or alkalinity of your water through calcite use, soda ash, lye, or other chemicals.
Highly corrosive water, although sounding scary, doesn’t have to be the end of the world. Is it great? No. But you can fix it fairly easily. And there’s still ways to use your water in the meantime. Your water will be back to normal in no time.
At Faulstick Plumbing, we specialize in installs, repairs, and inspections for all of your well, water, and plumbing needs. Our family-owned and operated business has built a reputation as the best-doing things the right way with the customer in mind, every time. Give us a call at 570-992-0447 to discuss your needs today!
