Turning on your taps at your cottage and seeing the clear, clean water fill up your cup is a wonderful experience. Especially if it wasn’t too long ago when that water was yellow and murky or metallic tasting and brown – or even completely non-potable.
This drastic turnaround has been happening for cottagers and rural property owners who have called the experts at Water Depot to examine their needs and solve their clean water problems.
“Every property has its own filtration needs,” explains Eric Dube. He and Nicole Blanchet own Water Depot locations in Bracebridge, Barrie, and Parry Sound.
Depending on the water source, be it from a lake or a well, there are various challenges to obtaining the safe and clean water needed for your family. Each body of water and every well are slightly different.
Some are iron-rich. Others are full of sediment. Yellow or murky water can be caused by tannins and sediments; rusty water is iron-rich.
Every one of these water issues needs its own treatment or filter system to eliminate or remove specific items. UV systems will treat the water for microorganisms and pathogens like e. Coli and other coliforms, however they are not a cure-all.
Tannins are organic substances that can tint the water yellow or brown and impact its taste. And if tannins and sediments are not removed before entering a UV system, they can build up and make the UV light ineffective.
Meanwhile, iron-rich water has a bad odour and can leave stains in sinks and toilets. It also can negatively impact pipes and fixtures, as iron deposits will build up and cause clogging.
“We make sure to take into account all these issues and set up a treatment system to address them,” says Eric.
Water Depot offers no-charge, on-site inspections, and water analysis to give cottagers an extensive report on what they do and don’t need to achieve safe drinking water at their property.
“For the best results your property needs a properly installed water treatment system designed specifically to tackle the pertinent issues,” says Eric. “Your system should be one that will treat the problems you have, and not attempt to treat problems that you don’t have.”
TEXT CHRIS OCCHIUZZI | PHOTOS ANDREW FEARMAN
