r/drinkingwater

I just posted about an issue with our Hach Cl17sc with a sc200 controller but after several frustrating days i finnaly fixed the issue but now we have a new one

Info about our plant: small rural city drinking water plant (package plant), only operate for about 16hours a day. The problem meter in question is used to monitor our finished water's free chlorine. The cell light is operating at 38%, buffer and indicator were replaced on the 1st of July, Tubing was replaced less than a week ago, faulty gasket replaced and cell was cleaned yesterday, software appears to be up to date with Hach website.

But this is the situation.

Yesterday i got off shift after fixing the meter and all was fine with it until the night shift shut the plant down for the night and after that the reading has been going from 0.00 to 8.00+ with every other read cycle, continuing even after the plant was started back up this morning and through to now at the time of posting this. it seems to be dispensing everything appropriately and when provided a grab sample it measures it with relative accuracy and after calibrating it several times i can not for the life of me figure out what it is doing and how to fix it, I've tried turning it off and back on, calibrating, cleaning the cell, priming, and I've got nothing else i can think to do other than have the techs come out and mess with again but they've proven to not be the best at solving these issues let alone quickly.

Any ideas why it would do this and how to fix it? I'm so confused.

Update: Well after leaving the analyzer to do its thing for several hours it is no longer jumping between 0.00 and 8.00+ But it refuses to go below 2.30 despite the water it is analyzing coming back in the 1.10 - 1.40 each time we tested it. And after attempting to calibrate it it refuses to read the standard above 0.00 and the one time it did it came back at 5.68 and it said to slope out of range recalibrate (or something similar) and i have given up on messing with it until i know more or have a concrete solution. If something changes i will update again but for now that is all i have.

Our house’s primo dispenser just kicked the bucket. We LOVED the taste and everything about it, but we HATED lugging the jugs. What’s a good alternative?

In the 1990s, the building industry made a massive mistake. They abandoned copper plumbing for cheap, flexible plastics like PEX and PVC.

It was a race to the bottom to cut corporate costs, and it sacrificed the long-term health of our water infrastructure.

We should rewrite building codes, based on what's right, not by what corporations and/or our government wants.

We know now that neither of them have humanity's best interests at heart.

Copper should be required

Here is the truth about what happens inside plastic pipes, and why copper is the ultimate remedy:

The Plastic Leaching Trap: The danger of plastic pipes isn't touching them - it's drinking the water that sits inside them.

Underground plastic plumbing is semi-permeable, meaning it can actually absorb outdoor toxins (like automotive fuel, lawn pesticides, and chemical fertilizers) straight through the soil and leach them into your drinking water.

Over time, heat and pressure cause these plastic polymers to degrade, micro-leaching synthetic chemicals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) right into your tap.

The Copper Shield: Copper is a pure, immutable element.

It is 100% impermeable, forming an impenetrable barrier against outside soil contaminants. Even better, copper is naturally antimicrobial.

It continuously releases microscopic ions that destroy bacteria and viruses on contact, completely blocking the buildup of slimy bacterial biofilms (like Legionella) inside your water lines.

ALL Pets should have copper water bowls

Protecting Our Pets: This isn't just about us. Plastic pet bowls are a breeding ground for bacteria, scratching easily and trapping nasty biofilms that can make our animals sick.

Copper naturally sanitizes your pet's water and prevents that slimy buildup completely naturally.

(Note: Make sure to use unlined, pure copper bowls and only fill them with fresh water. Never add anything acidic like apple cider vinegar, as acid can cause too much copper to dissolve into a small animal's system).

The Suppressed Pool Secret: This isn't just about your kitchen tap.

Homeowners are kept entirely in the dark about using copper ionization in swimming pools so they stay trapped buying expensive, harsh chemicals.

A copper pool system slashes chlorine needs by up to 80% - permanently destroying stubborn black algae without the burning red eyes, toxic odors, or equipment corrosion caused by heavy chemical saturation.

We shouldn't be forcing humanity to drink out of cheap plastic straws disguised as plumbing.

Choose quality. Choose health

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More About Copper

Highly effective at destroying bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant superbugs like MRSA, and viruses, and acts as an algicide

Continuous Contact Killing: Unlike liquid disinfectants that evaporate or wear off, copper continuously releases ions that actively disrupt microbial cell membranes and destroy DNA. This makes it a popular material for hospital touch surfaces and everyday plumbing.

Essential Human Nutrient: Copper is an essential trace element required for vital human physiological functions . It acts as a cofactor for enzymes that generate ATP, produce hormones, and create neurotransmitters .

Wound Healing and Skin Health: Copper plays a key role in physiological processes like angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels) and tissue regeneration . For this reason, it is frequently embedded into medical fabrics or skin ointments .

Agricultural Disease Management:

In horticulture, copper is a fundamental micronutrient for plants and a widely used protective pesticide . Farmers frequently use copper-based mixtures (like the famous Bordeaux mixture) to prevent blights, leaf spots, and mildews on crops

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We Can We Do?

For most people, replumbing our homes isn't an option - what we can do is the following

I Use:

Bathrooms

• shower filters Kitchen
• 3-stage filter to a dedicated drinking faucet

Optional:

• water filter pitcher - run filtered water through again
• store in glass serving jar w/spigot

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I Also Use:

Sole Water

Sole water is a fully saturated saltwater solution made with unrefined Pink Himalayan salt. It contains trace minerals naturally found in the salt.

Some say it contains 84 trace minerals

For Electrolytes: Use 1 tsp per glass of filtered water

We don't get enough minerals in our diet anymore, so many of our foods have been depleted

I don't want to pay money to corporations that make synthetic vitamins and minerals

You'll Need:

• Pink Himalayan salt (unrefined)
• a glass jar
• filtered water
• a plastic lid (metal lids can corrode)

Directions:

• Fill ¼ of glass jar with Pink Himalayan salt
• Fill the rest of the jar with filtered water
• Seal the jar with a plastic lid
• shake gently.
• Let it sit for 24 hours

Your sole water is ready when some undissolved salt remains on the bottom of the jar. This indicates the water has become fully saturated.

If all of the salt dissolves, simply add more salt and let it sit for another 24 hours. Once undissolved salt remains at the bottom, your sole water is ready to use.

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RO Water

Reverse Osmosis is great, but it depletes the water of all the minerals the body needs.

Remineralize RO Water / Distilled Water

Use: Pink Himalayan Salt (Fine Ground)

- 8 oz glass 1 tiny pinch (1/16 tsp)

- 1 Liter: 1/18 tsp

- 1 Gallon: 1/4 tsp

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by Pamela Anderson

City report came back with two PFAS compounds above the new EPA limit. Took most of a weekend to figure out which NSF certs actually cover this versus which ones just sound like they do. Sharing notes because reading filtration spec sheets is genuinely awful.

NSF 53 covers a lot but is not PFAS-specific. NSF P473 is the cert built specifically for PFOA/PFOS reduction. NSF 401 covers “emerging contaminants” but is broader and doesn’t substitute for P473 on PFAS. “Reduces PFAS” as marketing copy means nothing unless there’s a registry listing tied to a specific compound.

Going with a dedicated PFAS-rated under-sink for now and revisiting consolidated options later.

I have been thinking about getting a water filter for my flat because I have noticed that my tap water tastes a lot like chlorine and has a metallic taste. I have noticed that tea made from filtered water just tastes better. I am confused between getting a counterop filter and a faucet-mounted one or maybe just purchase a brita jug that I can fill with water and then I could use just that, but not sure if it would get rid of the chlorine taste?

I actually became aware of this when I went to a friends house and they made tea with filtered water that just tasted so much better. I want to purchase from a company that has a warranty so that if something happens I can get a refund with no problem, I am thinking if I purchase from a third-party seller like alibaba or amazon then I may not have a warranty on it.

Is this me only, or central delhi like Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar and Rajendra Nagar, is facing this issue that water smells like sewer, it feels disgusting to live in my own house atp!

Looking to buy water for my water dispenser which one is the best in terms of health/quality

Primo purified water
Primo alkaline water
Pure life purified water
AC+ION ion charged alkaline water
Ice mountain spring water

The water is still too dangerous and even with a reverse osmosis filter, I am still afraid to drink it. The township sends a 2025 water report in June and every few months. June 2026 was the last update. This water contains Turbidity, Bromate, Nitratae. It also has Perflouraoctanoic asic (PF0A and PFOS). Do not drink their tap water.

>Guys, please don't write about how I should have flushed the system. I flushed it as instructed, and even with a surplus. Today, the system has been flushing almost non-stop for 4 days, and the pure water from the system still irritates my gastrointestinal tract.

>With the help of AI, I discovered a recipe for restoring neutral pH (boiling the water for at least 30 seconds) and adding a pinch of salt. So far, this is the only way I can drink a large cup of tea made with this water.

I installed a reverse osmosis system (geyser allegro optima) and on the 2nd day (I drank water normally on the 1st day), I made a strong coffee for me and my 75-year-old mother's using filtered water, and almost immediately, both of us experienced all the symptoms of poisoning, including vomiting, headaches, and today, we are much better, but we are both exhausted as if we had been seriously ill.

Gemini, after a long correspondence, suggested that the post-filter (coconut activated carbon) was not properly rinsed, resulting in overly alkaline water.

How could this have happened, and what could have caused it?

So, my preliminary conclusions after 2 days of investigation:

Manufacturers sell reverse osmosis filters without a mineralizer, calling them "drinking" filters, which is not entirely accurate, as the water from these filters in its pure form can be harmful under certain conditions due to two factors:

1. Reduced pH. Filters without a mineralizer often give water at an outlet with PH6 or even less, which will not be a problem for an absolutely healthy person, but it will be a problem if: (the effect is cumulative) drinking on an empty stomach, brewing strong coffee in such water, weak or recovering gastrointestinal mucosa.
2. The effect of "Osmotic shock". Since RO water has a PPM of only 10-50 (+usually a PH below 7.0), it will inevitably remove minerals from your body, which your body may not like. As a result, you may experience short-term mid-heavy discomfort (especially in hot weather) and long-term local mineral deficiencies.

I ask real experts to comment on my findings in order to inform people. I came to these conclusions after two days of suffering, not only for myself, but also for an elderly person, which deeply affected me and made me feel that I had been deceived by the manufacturer, as there was no mention of the two most important aspects of water from such a system, and there were no warnings.

I have 5 stage filter RO water drinking filter. For many years it’s not cleaned or sanitized, wanted to check how to do you clean? More of is there any liquid that can use? Canisters has some brownish yellow thing inside. Appreciate any advise.

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I live in an apartment in North Chelmsford, MA, and our tap water sits at an average of 550+ PPM. We are a family of four, and drinking it isn't an option.

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I tried using a Zero water filter, but because the water is so hard, a single filter only lasts us 2 days. At $26 for the pitcher and $38 for a 4-pack of replacement filters, it's completely burning through my budget. I also tried the self-refill station at Hannaford, but it's $3 per 5 gallons and frequently out of service, so I can't rely on it.

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I’m on a tight budget and considering switching to the 5-gallon water jug exchange at Walmart, but I don't know the upfront and weekly costs. Could anyone tell me:

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How much is the initial 5-gallon jug purchase?

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How much does it cost to exchange an empty jug for a full one each week?

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Are there any other budget-friendly water alternatives you'd recommend for this area?

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Any advice would be incredibly helpful!