On tap: Water 101 – Things to know about the water you drink

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series on our water, its quality and availability.  

By Brenna Wiegand 

As with any surface water, Abiqua Creek is rife with bacteria that must be wiped out prior to its consumption by residents who receive their water from the city of Silverton.

That’s why, said Steve Starner, supervisor of Silverton’s Water Quality Division, they sample and test the city freshwater supply daily – seven days a week, 365 days a year.

“In addition, there are instruments online constantly measuring its qualities,” Starner said.

Making and distributing fresh water to Silverton’s 3,311 paying customers doesn’t come cheap. Public Works Director Gerald Fisher said this year’s budget for supplying citizens with fresh water is $2.13 million.

“That covers the staff to operate; chemicals and materials to produce water; replacement of equipment; debt for water projects done in the past; and the fleet and equipment to operate and maintain the system,” Fisher said.

“(Water is) a pretty unique molecule – it’s here now and it’s always been here; we’ve never added to or taken away from the amount of water on Earth in spite of the way it gets used, and could be used. The hydrological cycle water goes through is kind of a natural purification process, and here in Silverton our water plant kind of mimics part of that process … by using filters comprised of mostly sand with some carbon,” Fisher said.

“Particles that aren’t part of the water get trapped into that media and so only water ends up coming through the filter,” he said. “This gets disinfected and put into reservoir tanks before going into the water distribution system.”

Many folks on city water use inexpensive filtration systems in the form of pitchers and sink units to reduce chlorine and heavy metals caused by buildup on aging pipes – whether the city’s or a homeowner’s.

“In the city we almost 100 percent recommend some sort of a carbon filter, whether it’s a Brita pitcher or a Pur water filter on the faucet because we know in town there are lead risks and it also removes the chlorine taste and smell,” said Nathan Lowrie of Shiloh Water Systems in Silverton. “This type of filtration is not very useful with well water unless you have high metals in your water.”

Starner warns once the chlorine is removed, water becomes vulnerable to bacterial contamination. Well water has a shelf life, too – leaving a water bottle in the car to drink from at various times is a perfect breeding ground for bacterium – the same is true of bottled water.

“It’s important that if you use the pitcher to keep it in the refrigerator,” Starner said, adding that despite a network containing many antiquated pipes and fixtures, regular monitoring at its entry point at individual homes has not shown threatening levels of lead or copper.

Lowrie believes filtration systems bring peace of mind.

“When somebody comes over and you give them a glass of water from your well, you’re responsible for what’s in it,” he said. “We’re one of the only nations in the world that doesn’t keep track of waterborne illness, and the reason why is because the majority of the population is on chlorinated water systems that kill most of the pathogens and amoebas and things that can make water unsafe. With a well you just never know.” And, he said, the city can’t test for everything.

“In Silverton, I have a water purifier at my house that includes pesticides and herbicides – a lot of them aren’t even regulated yet,” he said. “You can get a filter for as little as $150, so why risk it?”

“You’re walking around; your well water is probably safe to drink, but the longer term question is is it healthy to drink?”  he said. “We’re dealing with micro contaminants most of the time and just like everywhere else in our environment we may not know for many years. The EPA’s very slow at regulating groundwater contaminants and things in the environment, unfortunately.”

Water conditioning and purification systems designed to catch hundreds or thousands of contaminants can be employed at the kitchen sink, water’s point of entry to the house, or at the well itself. Some can run upwards of $15,000.

Lowrie said a surprising number of well owners opt for conditioning systems to rid their water of hardness minerals instead of filtering out more nebulous contaminants linked with human health.

“Eighty-five percent of wells contain one or more of the hardness minerals – calcium, manganese, iron and magnesium,” Lowrie said. “If water is 10 grams per gallon hard, it can cost a family of four up to $13,000 in 10 years.”

Beyond the insidious orange toilet ring, these minerals destroy water heaters, wear out appliances, cause scaling and make it near impossible for soap to make suds.

“In town we have naturally soft water which is better at hydrating skin and making your hair more like when you leave the salon,” Lowrie said.

Unlike city regulated water, a private well owner is only required to perform a water test upon sale of his property, said Brad Daniels of Oregon Health Authority’s Drinking Water Division.

“Results are required to be submitted to the buyer and to the state,” Daniels said, “but corrective action is not required to be taken by the seller regardless of the results.” He said the results are entered into a database to track regional and local water quality.

“There is no monitoring of private residential wells but I would recommend everyone have some idea of the quality of their drinking water,” Daniels said. “If it were me, I would test for bacteria every six months or year depending on the construction of my well.

“Pesticides and fertilizers from agriculture and contaminants from septic fields or cow pastures seep into an aquifer,” he said. “Generally, the shallower the well the greater the risk depending on construction, but local geology and land use can make a difference.” He said water quality may change over time.

Dan Stadeli of R. Stadeli & Sons Well Drilling notes that those who pump creek water for irrigation should refrain from spraying it on blossoming fruit or vegetables.

“You can make yourself sick because bacteria from the creek water gets trapped inside where the fruit is formed and hides inside the fruit,” he said. “When you go to a fruit stand, ask them if it’s watered by creek water or well water – and buy from somebody who’s watering from a well.”

“There’s a lot of surface water in Oregon and most of it is not monitored by anybody; it’s up to people to be their own best advocates, I suppose,” said Public Health Toxicologist Dr. David Farrer, adding many don’t realize that whatever goes into a storm drain usually flows right into a water body.

“There’s always bacteria or parasites in water that could make people sick or cause rashes; algae that can be toxic, and a lot of hazards that occur naturally from wildlife.”

One of the most visible signs of possible contamination is algae bloom; the HABS program puts out advisories and urges people to report sightings.

“Generally, the waters around the state are safe, though there are always hazards of drowning,” Farrer said. “But it’s also to healthy to recreate and to swim so there’s always some sort of balance of what risks you’re willing to take.

“I like the analogy of poison oak: We can’t put a sign on every stand of poison oak around the state. The point is to educate people so they know what this is when they see it.”

“We don’t want to discourage anybody from cooling off and while swimming is generally very safe, we never recommend drinking any surface water,” he said. “And if you see dead wildlife around that’s a good indicator not to go in.”