Hardest water challenge

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Brewsit

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 20, 2011
Messages
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Location
Fort Collins
I thought I would pick the minds of the more scientifically gifted here, and see what you guys thought. Below is the water report from the well at my new home.

pH 7.12
SECIFIC CONDUCTIVITY 2.33 mS/cm
TDS 1494mg/L
TOTAL HARDNESS as CaCO3 1702 mg/L
CALCIUM (Ca) 1238mg/L
MAGNESIUM (Mg) 464mg/L
SULFATE (SO4) 1490mg/L
CHLORIDE (Cl) 100mg/L
NITRATE (NO3) .6mg/L
IRON (Fe) .608mg/L
FLUORIDE (F) 4.2mg/L

Is there anything that you guys could think to do to adjust this profile to make it useable?

I haven't started brewing at my new house yet, and was planning on just using commercial bottled water when I do, but if I can use the stuff that is coming out of the ground, that would be even better.
 
Wow! I think that may be the most frightening report I've ever seen. Are you sure those numbers are right? I'm afraid that there isn't much you can do with this water. Sulfate, iron, and fluoride are above the MCL's and the flouride (at 4 mg/L) is a primary MCL too. Even with an RO system that took out 99% you'd have sulfate at 15 mg/L. That's OK but if sulfate rejection went down to 98% you'd have 30 mg/L which is getting to be a bit much. You might need tandem systems (which is what they do in Africa and the mideast).
 
Yes, RO is the best alternative. That water is far less mineralized than seawater, but it is pretty high for a 'fresh water'. And as AJ mentions, you might have to use multiple membranes in series to bring the concentrations down. This is typical in commercial systems that use seawater or other very high TDS sources.
 
I do have a professional Culligan system hooked up, but it's not RO. It's one that the previous owner had them install and lease that does a good job of getting rid of the iron and a decent job with the sulfur, and then I have a softener hooked up in the house. I haven't had a profile done of the water post-system. And yes, those numbers are 100% correct!
 
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