Green Water Treatment Options

February 15, 2011

Going Green

Going green for Whitton Plumbing is more than just helping the environment, it is also about making common sense decisions that improve your quality of life and put money back in your pocket.

Water Treatment Systems

Water treatment systems have many benefits, including eliminating the need to purchase bottled water in order to get great tasting safe water in your home,  preventing hard water build up and reduce the need for harsh chemicals used for cleaning.

However, some studies are showing that some forms of water treatment that use high amounts of salt and potassium may be harming the environments ground water supply.

Some cities and states are even banning the use of these systems and imposing fines with their unauthorized use.  We feel that the appropriate use these systems has been shown to be safe and effective, but we’ll leave that controversial decision up to you.

The Controversy, You Decide 

Here is what they are saying:

Those opposing traditional water softeners say:

There is cause for concern with excess salt levels (brine) being discharged into the sewer system. Because sodium and potassium saturated water can harm fish and aquatic life, impact crops irrigated with water, and affect downstream users, water treatment plants are under strict guidelines regarding the levels of sodium and potassium they can discharge. Reducing these levels is extremely expensive and wasteful compounding water shortage issues.

Use of such systems and the purported problems for the environment and water treatment plants has lead to many communities banning their use.

In addition, those against water softeners also claim that a reverse osmosis system has to be installed for drinking water which wastes up to 75% of the water running through it.

Water run through a water softener and then an RO system contains no minerals which is one of the benefits to the body of drinking water.

Those supporting the responsible use of water softener systems say: 

California seems to be the hotbed of opponents of soft water treatment systems.  This controversy seems to be creeping across the country and even here in Arizona.  Many people are afraid of the health risks and the harm that they are told about to the environment.  However, take a look at what has happened in recent years in Santa Clara, California.  Santa Clarita is probably the most famous softener ban in the U.S. largely because it was one of the first.  Now the California State Senator who helped get the ban approved says voters were duped and, surprise, the ban did not eliminate chlorides or even reduce them enough to forestall the rate increases that the ban was supposed to eliminate.  So, now they have banned softeners so residents are living with extremely hard water, which does increase energy cost and soap and chemical cleaning supplies usage.  And they still get the rate increase from the wastewater district.  It’s a lose-lose for the consumer, as usual.  Hopefully we all remember this when the next knee-jerk softener ban is proposed. 

Moreover, it is not clear that softeners are a significant source of the chlorides that the bans are supposed to be reducing. There is no doubt that some older softeners use way more salt than is necessary, but modern softeners are extremely efficient and through good research and development can get even better.

The Good News

The good news is, whatever your opinion about the dangers or benefits of water softeners that use salt or potassium, there is no doubt that Arizona has hard water and that hard water creates a problem for home owners in many ways.  There is a new technology that has the ability to provide the same benefits as traditional water softeners that doesn’t use either of these controversial products and eliminates the debate and the home owner concern about what to do. 

Whitton Plumbing is happy to be able to sell and install a new innovative product that utilizes citrus to condition the water! Introducing NuvoH2O™, a small and very affordable whole house water conditioner for small to large homes.  

How does it work?

NuvoH2O™ utilizes the natural power of citrus to condition your water without salt potassium or electricity.  I know it sounds too good to be true but this just may be the solution you have been looking for.   Even better, it can cost as little as half as much as a traditional water softening system.  Cartridges are inexpensive and easily replaceable and can last up to 6 months. For more information click here.

Water conditioners are not intended to soften the water but to condition the water so as to prevent the hard water scale build-up in your pipe and on your plumbing fixtures.

For more information about this new cost effective and green water conditioning systems contact us today or visit our water treatment systems catalog.

*Your results are not guaranteed by Whitton Plumbing.  Please consult directly with NuvoH2O™ for manufacture claims and advertized promises. NuvoH2O™ is not a water softener, but a water conditioner that prevents hard water scale buildup without the slime feeling you get from a traditional water softener.