I have two hang on back bio wheels. Don't think I could manage to pour 15-20 gallons at a time through them slowly enough to give BB time to eat up 5.0+ nitrite levels.
Ok guys this is effing crazy. It's been a couple of weeks since the last time we tested for nitrite in the tap water and guess what... the nitrites are gone. HOWEVER, the freaking ammonia in our tap is now 1.0 or 2.0! I'm hoping this is chloramine causing a false reading. I recall reading something about that before? What do you guys think. On top of that my niTRATEs are at 10ppm out of the tap. The highest legal limit to serve for humans in the country. I'm a little freaked out about what's going on with this water company.
I have learned so much from this little fiasco. I can not believe the very water we shower and drink in is coming out at levels almost considered fatal to newborns. I want to rip somebody a new one.
I have learned so much from this little fiasco. I can not believe the very water we shower and drink in is coming out at levels almost considered fatal to newborns. I want to rip somebody a new one.
This makes perfect sense if your water is coming from a surface supply (lake/reservoir) that was stratified during the winter. This is not an ideal source of drinking water, but in some areas of the world, it's the best option.
It's a complex process, but basically nitrite can spike in the spring as aerobic decomposition occurs from ammonia to nitrite but there are not enough bacteria in the water body to process the nitrite to nitrate. This situation rapidly changes to a situation where the nitrate cannot be taken up by photoautotrophs fast enough and nitrate spikes. Like the nitrite, nitrate levels will then fall. This is all normal and the water quality will settle down soon.
There's not much the water authority can do about this, if this is in fact what you are dealing with.
Man that sure was some awesome info and I appreciate it. Do you have any idea then why the ammonia is now so high? Or is that just chloramine? Because when I checked the ammonia a couple weeks ago it was like .5 but obviously it's much higher now. Maybe the added extra chloramine to help with the nitrite/nitrate issue?
Assuming we have a natural situation going on here... not sure about the ammonia. It's possible it's real. I think it's more likely a false positive for chloramine. If I were the water authority guys I'd be hitting the system hard with disinfectant right now.
The EPA uses NO3-N while most aquarium test kits use NO3-. Ten ppm NO3- is equal to 2.257 ppm NO3-N, well below the legal limit. As for nitrites, it could be a false positive. Further testing with better test kits would have to be done before concluding the water is unsafe.
I agree with grinch about season changes in water composition.
If your surface water source is a river, reservoir or small lake, seasonal changes are very common.
Where I lived, Lake Michigan (an inland sea in comparison to most reservoirs) still had slight changes seasonally.
Also remember, water supplers mission is to provide potable (safe drinking) water.
As long as the water provided is within EPA guidelines making it disease free, they are in compliance.
Although the new administration seems intent on de-regulating water regs, so boiling may become common place, if they get their way.
If your surface water source is a river, reservoir or small lake, seasonal changes are very common.
Where I lived, Lake Michigan (an inland sea in comparison to most reservoirs) still had slight changes seasonally.
Also remember, water supplers mission is to provide potable (safe drinking) water.
As long as the water provided is within EPA guidelines making it disease free, they are in compliance.
Although the new administration seems intent on de-regulating water regs, so boiling may become common place, if they get their way.
