THE SKILLINGS BLOG

Homes in New Hampshire and Massachusetts often have high levels of radon in their well water supply.

If you suspect your home is at risk for radon contamination, it is important to conduct the proper tests and understand your radon mitigation and treatment options before installing any new filtration equipment. Skillings & Sons has been helping homeowners test and treat water contaminated with radon for three decades and can help you choose the right option for your home.

Water filtration systems can vastly improve the quality of a home’s water supply, but they are not one-size-fits-all. The type of system needed depends on the type of well from which the home draws water, the kind of contaminants are present, how much of that contaminant is present and how much-treated water will be used by the homeowners.

If you live in New Hampshire and your home’s water comes from a private well, there may be iron or manganese in your drinking water. Both of these minerals occur naturally in the soil, often dissolving into groundwater as acidic rainfall trickles through the soil and rock. Iron or manganese cause staining on your laundry and water fixtures, gives your water a metallic or sulfur taste, clogs strainers, valves or other plumbing parts, or can leave an oily or “crusty” sheen to the surface of your water.

Forty years ago, cities around the country began looking for ways to reduce air pollution and smog caused by vehicle traffic. One solution was MTBE, or methyl tertiary butyl ether, a colorless liquid added to gasoline across the country to make the fuel burn more efficiently. While this additive was effective in reducing air pollution, it quickly found its way into water across the region, prompting some states to ban MTBE altogether. MTBE has been found in the ground water of nearly every state and has contaminated about 20% of wells in New England.

Granulated activated carbon is a common filter material used in water filtration systems. It’s a proven way to remove certain organic chemicals from water.