Questions (and answers!) about our well water by Kenzie Burns https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm Post your QUESTIONS as the subject and NOTES ON THE ANSWERS as the body of your padlet response. en-us 2022-11-05 19:40:51 UTC 2022-12-05 18:57:35 UTC hello@padlet.com EXAMPLE: What's a "DBP" and why does it matter? mmburns3 https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2371279809 "DBP" stands for "disinfection by product", and is a class of contaminants that form when disinfection chemicals, like chlorine, interact with other elements in a water matrix, like organic and inorganic compounds. Some DBPs can have harmful health effects, like increased risk of cancer. Here's some more information: https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/drinking-water/disinfection/disinfection-byproducts]]> 2022-11-05 19:49:45 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2371279809 What is the average water hardness in Wisconsin? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373515337 "Wisconsin water is considered moderately hard. The average water hardness for the Wisconsin resident is around 158 ppm."
Water hardness in Wisconsin and city hard water information (hydroflow-usa.com)]]> 2022-11-07 17:22:10 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373515337 How does the water hardness of WI compare to the rest of the U.S? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373520226 https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/hardness-water#:~:text=Measures%20of%20water%20hardness&text=General%20guidelines%20for%20classification%20of,mg%2FL%20as%20very%20hard.
Overall, WI has moderate hardness compared to the U.S. The Southwest U.S. has the hardest water while the Southeast has softer water. ]]> 2022-11-07 17:24:47 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373520226 How do you reduce hardness in water? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373521668 2022-11-07 17:25:27 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373521668 How is groundwater drilled? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373521852 https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/aquifers-and-groundwater#:~:text=Groundwater%20occurs%20in%20the%20saturated,into%20it%20and%20withdraw%20water.]]> 2022-11-07 17:25:34 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373521852 Effects of excess sodium in drinking water https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373521939 Elevated levels of sodium and chloride can also impart a salty taste, interfere with the watering of certain plants, and increase the corrosivity of water, which in turn can affect household plumbing.]]> 2022-11-07 17:25:37 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373521939 What is the national PFAS standard concentration for drinking water? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373522085 https://www.ecos.org/pfas/#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20the%20agency%20issued,2%2C000%20ppt%20for%20GenX%20chemicals.]]> 2022-11-07 17:25:42 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373522085 How do radionuclides get in the water? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373522424 Uranium is a naturally-occurring radionuclide that decays over time and forms radium. Both elements are naturally present in rocks and soils. Radium breaks down further to form the radioactive gas radon. All three of these elements can dissolve in water, which means they can accumulate in wells.]]> 2022-11-07 17:25:54 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373522424 What are the health affects of too much manganese from well water? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373522541 "Children and adults who drink water with high levels of manganese for a long time may have problems with memory, attention, and motor skills" https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/contaminants/manganese.html#:~:text=Children%20and%20adults%20who%20drink,too%20much%20manganese%20in%20it.]]> 2022-11-07 17:25:58 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373522541 Is 2.9 pCi/L high in radiation? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373522757 4 pCi/L is considered hazardous, but it is difficult to reduce it below 2 pCi/L. ]]> 2022-11-07 17:26:06 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373522757 What is the PPM value to be considered Hard https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373522956 I found that anything that is 180 ppm is considered very hard. All of the people in my group had hardness well over that.]]> 2022-11-07 17:26:12 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373522956 Where are the wells that supply my home? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373523089 The wells are all south, and some of the wells that supply are super far away!https://www.cityofmadison.com/sites/default/files/city-of-madison/water/documents/MadisonWaterUtilityActiveFacilities.pdf]]> 2022-11-07 17:26:17 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373523089 Oldest Well in Madison? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373523744 Well 6
MadisonWaterUtilityActiveFacilities.pdf (cityofmadison.com)]]> 2022-11-07 17:26:40 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373523744 Why does well 6 have a high sodium concentration, but the wells around it have lower levels? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373523772 Well 6 is on university ave. which is a highly salted in the winter. ]]> 2022-11-07 17:26:40 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373523772 What testing methods were used to create this report? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373523797 The city posts their methods:
https://www.cityofmadison.com/water/water-quality/water-quality-testing]]> 2022-11-07 17:26:41 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373523797 What are PFAS and how are they regulated? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373523896 https://www.aaas.org/epi-center/pfas#:~:text=Per%2D%20and%20polyfluoroalkyl%20substances%20(PFAS)%20are%20a%20class%20of,and%20are%20difficult%20to%20destroy.
PFAS are man made contaminants that are difficult to removed in the environment naturally. There is little research on then and they are yet to be regulated

]]> 2022-11-07 17:26:45 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373523896 How do Radionuclides affect humans when drinking? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373524082 2022-11-07 17:26:51 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373524082 Is high radium content bad and what are its effects? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373524567 The max radium content is 5 pCi/L. Our wells come very close to this maximum or even above. We found that in high levels, radium can cause anemia, problems with the eyes, and cavities.
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/Departments-and-Agencies/DPH/dph/environmental_health/private_wells/Radium-in-well-water_March2019.pdf]]> 2022-11-07 17:27:08 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373524567 How do radionuclides affect health https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373524759 People who are exposed to relatively high levels of radionuclides in drinking water for long periods may develop serious health problems, such as cancer, ane- mia, osteoporosis, cataracts, bone growths, kidney disease, liver disease and impaired immune systems]]> 2022-11-07 17:27:14 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373524759 How does radionuclides affect water quality? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373525464 Having high amounts of radionuclides can increase your lifetime risk of having cancer and kidney problems. Water more than 15 picocuries of alpha particles per liter of water is the maximum regulated amount for the water to be considered safe]]> 2022-11-07 17:27:40 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373525464 What is trichloroethylene? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373525727 Trichloroethylene is a chemical that is used to make refrigerants and degrease metals. Trichloroethylene can be found as a contaminant in both soil and water. Exposure to this chemical can harm the immune and reproductive systems, liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. It is also a known carcinogen.  ]]> 2022-11-07 17:27:47 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373525727 How many homes do the wells service in Madison? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373526340
  • 64,839 service connections and pipes to individual properties
  • https://www.cityofmadison.com/water/about

    • ]]>     2022-11-07 17:28:10 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373526340     What is Radionuclides? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373526726 "An unstable radioactive isotope" (not ideal)]]> 2022-11-07 17:28:23 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373526726 When was the last time Madison detected PFAS in their water? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373526866 Madison Water Utility first discovered PFAS at Well 15 in 2017 while conducting limited testing at wells near landfills and the airport. Well 15 located on E. Washington Avenue was shut down in 2019 amid community concerns about PFAS chemicals found there.]]> 2022-11-07 17:28:27 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373526866 What current techniques exist to remediate PFAS? https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373528636 https://www.ovivowater.com/en/technologies/nitrate-trace-impurities-removal/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=pfas%20water%20removal&utm_campaign=Ovivo%20Water&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5LqGkcyc-wIVfvLjBx1ZfgUMEAAYAiAAEgJ7gfD_BwE]]> 2022-11-07 17:29:29 UTC https://padlet.com/mmburns3/zm7aryn7u8qo07sm/wish/2373528636