Well water test results show low PH and increased copper

[jacharya]

We have a 2.5 GPM well on the cumberland plateau in TN. We had to have it blown out back in September 2024 due to a huge iron bacteria buildup that has caused issues witht the well since we moved here in 2021. I recently had my water tested and I see a few areas of concern. Some of these are new from when I tested back in 2022. I am thinking some of this is caused by a low PH eating away at my pipes, but not sure. What does this report tell you all? I only listed items of possible note.

The home was built in 2009 and looks to have copper piping.

Total hardness has also gone up. should I adjust my softener that is set at 20?

Detection	2024	2022
Lead	0.00367	.013
Copper	1.3	0.48
Mercury	0.0003	Not detected
Manganese	0.000622	Not detected
Nickel	0.000527	Not detected
Nitrate	0.188	0.15
Sulfate	2.69	2.71
Zinc	0.287	0.39
pH	6.4	6.85
Alkanility	20.5	45.0
Bicarbonate	25.01	Not measured
Sodium	13.4	25.38
Carbonate	0.0029	Not measured
Grains per Gallon	0.15	0.088
Hardness	2.49 (total)	1.51 (total)
TDS	37.7	64.2
Iron	Not detected	.02

 

[jacharya]

I should have noted that I think I need to replenish the calcite in my neutralizer as the entire system was replaced in Jan 2023 and has not been replenished since. I may need to replace resin in the softener as well, but not totally sure.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

I should have noted that I think I need to replenish the calcite in my neutralizer as the entire system was replaced in Jan 2023 and has not been replenished since. I may need to replace resin in the softener as well, but not totally sure.

If your neutralizer does not backwash, the calcite might be fused into a chunk with big channels in it.

Can you shine a bright light thru the tank to see the shadow of the media?

I am thinking some of this is caused by a low PH eating away at my pipes, but not sure. What does this report tell you all?

I agree with your assessment. Was the calcite in place for the 2022 test? I would expect calcite to raise the hardness.

If you reduce pH by injecting “soda ash”, the pH gets raised without raising hardness.

 

[Bannerman]

I recently had my water tested and I see a few areas of concern.

Are these test results based on your raw water directly from the well, or the conditioned water?

I only listed items of possible note.

Suggest posting a copy of the complete raw water lab report as various conditions that you may consider as not relevant or significant, may impact other water condition results.


An acid neutralizer containing Calcite, will be typically equipped with a removable media fill port to allow the depleted calcite media to be easily topped-up periodically throughout the year, without requiring removal of the control valve.

Is your calcite tank painted, or can you see the calcite level through the front tank wall when shining a bright light from behind?

The recommended Backwash flow rate for Calcium Carbonate media (Calcite) is 8-12 gpm per square foot of cross section. If your calcite tank diameter is 9", this equals a 2.6 to 5.3 GPM drain flow rate, or 3.2 to 6.5 GPM for a 10" diameter tank. As you stated your well has a 2.5 GPM recovery rate, to reduce water consumption, perhaps your filter's Drain flow rate or Backwash duration setting was reduced below that needed to sufficiently Backwash the media?

I may need to replace resin in the softener as well, but not totally sure.

What leads you to question this?

Assuming the lab report is based on the raw well water, the levels of hardness, iron and manganese are quite low.

What is the softener's total capacity (ie: 32,000 or 48,000 grains), or if unknown, what are the dimensions for the softener's media tank?

What settings are currently utilized for the softener?

Suggest obtaining a Hach 5B Total Hardness test kit to measure the hardness the raw well water, water exiting from the neutralizer, & the softened water supplied to fixtures.

Do you own a pH meter to measure the effectiveness of the calcite media?

 

[jacharya]

These numbers are from the kitchen faucet, so after treatment. The well pump sends water to a 1000 gallon storage tank in our garage. Then it first goes to the neutralizer, left black tank. Then to the softener, then to a carbon filter for taste and finally a UV filter.

The tank is not transparent and I dont see a fill hole of any sort. All three are controlled by Clack WS1 valves.

Attached is a Pic of the setup as well as a pic showing the neutralizer and softener.both have outputs that feed to a drain, so I assume from backwash cycles.

The 2022 report showed some Coliform present which the newest did not. Here is a link to the report. gosimplelab.com/ZNPPMY

 

[jacharya]

Are these test results based on your raw water directly from the well, or the conditioned water?



Suggest posting a copy of the complete raw water lab report as various conditions that you may consider as not relevant or significant, may impact other water condition results.


An acid neutralizer containing Calcite, will be typically equipped with a removable media fill port to allow the depleted calcite media to be easily topped-up periodically throughout the year, without requiring removal of the control valve.

Is your calcite tank painted, or can you see the calcite level through the front tank wall when shining a bright light from behind?

The recommended Backwash flow rate for Calcium Carbonate media (Calcite) is 8-12 gpm per square foot of cross section. If your calcite tank diameter is 9", this equals a 2.6 to 5.3 GPM drain flow rate, or 3.2 to 6.5 GPM for a 10" diameter tank. As you stated your well has a 2.5 GPM recovery rate, to reduce water consumption, perhaps your filter's Drain flow rate or Backwash duration setting was reduced below that needed to sufficiently Backwash the media?


What leads you to question this?

Assuming the lab report is based on the raw well water, the levels of hardness, iron and manganese are quite low.

What is the softener's total capacity (ie: 32,000 or 48,000 grains), or if unknown, what are the dimensions for the softener's media tank?

What settings are currently utilized for the softener?

Suggest obtaining a Hach 5B Total Hardness test kit to measure the hardness the raw well water, water exiting from the neutralizer, & the softened water supplied to fixtures.

Do you own a pH meter to measure the effectiveness of the calcite media?

Ph meter showed 5.5 for raw water and 6.1 out of the faucet. Hardness number is set to 20. It shows regen every 6-days. But also tracks gallons, so I assume that means it will regen based on whichever comes first. See attached pic.

I am not sure on softener capacity, but it is smaller than the other two tanks. See pics in post above.

Some details on the home, it has 5 bathrooms, with four adults and four children (all under 10). We tend to use about 450 gallons of water a day if I go based on what the water softener displays.