Do we need to treat the drinking water if carbon dioxide is naturally mixed with it?

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We are living in a small town and getting drinking water from a well. Recently we increased the depth of well to 45 ft from 35 ft. We have started getting milky water since then. Our municipal officers says that the water we getting these days has carbon dioxide in it. My confusion is, people prefer to drink carbonated water so do you think the water we are receiving needs treatment? And if yes, how to get pure water from the well as the water we are getting is a natural water.

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20 Answers

  1. No, we need no treat it. Carbon dioxide whenever present in water, it forms carbonate and bicarbonate in water, which are in eqilibrium. Tthese are natural ions present in water. These ions are main cause of natural alkalinity in water. R C Trivedi

  2. As a vast majority of responders have indicated, one should NEVER "assume" water to be free of harmful pathogens; no matter its source or other characteristics. I've known of hikers & Mountain climbers, who thought it was "safe" to drink from a "clear running" creek or stream, & wound up getting badly infected. Why: Because an animal carcass or some other rotting was in the upstream source. Another bad/"costly" assumption - that was re-emphasized by a 2007 research field test, contracted for by WHO/UNICEF - is that any water once treated, was then considered totally/safely "potable": The results of that extensive field test, instead, found that some 40% of the presumed "safe/potable" water - sitting in holding/storage vessels on dining tables, in offices & elsewhere - were found to be "seriously re-infected"*! [NB: Their words, not mine!]. In my field work, I've tested even the linings, spouts, hoses & other internal/external components of presumably "safe" - often community-serving - water holding/dispensing stations, & found them to be seriously infected (from touching hands, air-borne pathogens & even wild animal/bird dropping sources). My point is: It doesn't take much to seriously infect non-saline water, and contrary to popular belief, nearly ALL the most common forms of water purification leave NO residual downstream protection against re-infection. One final point, in reference to the poster who suggested a need to "warm" raw water: UNLESS ONE CAN BRING WATER TO A BOILING POINT TEMPERATURE, VIRTUALLY NO PATHOGENS WILL BE ELIMINATED! This proves to be a serious factor for populations living at higher altitudes, since it takes much longer/more fuel for water to reach boiling points at higher levels. And, for "turbid" or cloudy water, it takes longer for any purification system to work; but just a pinch of fairly common Aluminum Sulfate will clear such water, quickly & thoroughly.

  7. Carbon dioxide (CO2) itself does not disinfect water in any way

    Carbon dioxide (CO2) itself does not disinfect water in any way, so the water should be treated to control disease, especially if the source is surface water.  Depending on the water chemistry, CO2 will buffer the pH of the water, but really has little, if any, benefit to the water chemistry.   I would be concerned about corrosive conditions that may result from excessive CO2.  A marble lime test is a quick test for corrosivity, but is not a good test overall.  A metal coupon test, using a coupon or coupons of metals the same as those found in the water piping system (including piping in the customer's premises), would be more useful.

    I don't think I would be very concerned about CO2, unless it is causing the water to be fizzy, or is interfering with chemical treatment being used to treat the water, or is causing increased demand.  Aeration would probably help in both cases.

    More important is an initial comprehensive analysis for such things as the basic chemistry of the source water, toxic levels of metals and naturally-occurring toxins, and organic compounds, both those organics that may be toxic, or may react with disinfectant chemicals (such as chlorine) to form undesirable compounds.  The initial tests, of course, will be important in designing the treatment process, and periodic testing to verify that the treatment processes are accomplishing their intended tasks.

    Without knowing more details, I can't offer much more insight.  Once the water chemistry and various other conditions become known, there are many others more qualified to help with the details of designing an adequate treatment system for drinking water.

  9. All water has dissoved gases, not only CO2. The milky appearance will disappear after a few minutes if you put in a glass cup. You can calculat the time required for water to become clean (transparent) and if necessary build a reservoir with a volume that provides time for the gases dissipate.

  10. I think that this question should be reworked because it involves several points; if the question is only about CO2 I agree with my colleagues but if it is about makink potable water it is a completely different question. I also agree that we drink some carbonated water without problems with potable waqter standards.

  11. Milky Water

    Hello,

    Does the water settle when placed in a glass over 12 hours?

    Is there sediment in the bottom of the glass?

    Is it carbonated or clay?

    It may be clay due to the extra depth of the well.

    What is the time frame since the well was extended?

    Are you drawing the well down to far when extracting water?

    Kind Regards

    Rick Wadley

     

     

  12. Treatment Required

    The milky appearance is a result of dissolved air / carbon dioxide coming out of solution which has resulted from a greater saturation value due to the increased depth of the well. This will invariably clear with storage but you should check the pH to ensure the water is within safe drinking limits.  Likewise you should have the water analysed for other dissolved minerals and bacterial and I would strongly recommend that you treat all the water with filter and inline UV system to ensure you have some disinfection against harmful organisms.

  13. To add into that if a glass of water appears milky, watch it for awhile. If the milkiness clears at the bottom first and gradually goes away, the milkiness was caused by air in the water. This condition has no health significance. Air in the storage tank or pressure tank (or well) has dissolved into the water. When the pressure drops (from in the pipe to in your glass) the air comes out (undissolves) forms tiny bubbles, floats to the top and rejoins the atmosphere.

  14. get the water tested if it is milky white

    Yes. There is need to get the water tested if it is milky white. Check if you bold the water then milky colour goes away. If it goes you can use the water after storing it in open  but then also you should heat the water a little
     

  15. Aeration as a water treatment practice is used for the following operations: carbon dioxide reduction (decarbonation) oxidation of iron and manganese found in many well waters (oxidation tower) ammonia and hydrogen sulfide reduction (stripping) Aeration is also an effective method of bacteria control.One of the major objectives of aeration is to remove carbon dioxide. Aeration is also used to oxidize soluble iron and manganese (found in many well waters) to insoluble precipitates. Aeration is often used to reduce the carbon dioxide liberated by a treatment process. For example, acid may be fed to the effluent of sodium zeolite softeners for boiler alkalinity control. Carbon dioxide is produced as a result of the acid treatment, and aeration is employed to rid the water of this corrosive gas. Similarly, when the effluents of hydrogen and sodium zeolite units are blended, the carbon dioxide formed is removed by aeration. In the case of cold lime softening, carbon dioxide may be removed from the water before the water enters the equipment. When carbon dioxide removal is the only objective, economics usually favor removal of high concentrations of carbon dioxide by aeration rather than by chemical precipitation with lime. Although removal of free carbon dioxide increases the pH of the water and renders it less corrosive from this standpoint, aeration also results in the saturation of water with dissolved oxygen. This does not generally present a problem when original oxygen content is already high. However, in the case of a well water supply that is high in carbon dioxide but devoid of oxygen, aeration simply exchanges one corrosive gas for another. The efficiency of aeration increases as the initial concentration of the gas to be removed increases above its equilibrium value. Therefore, with waters containing only a small amount of carbon dioxide, neutralization by alkali addition is usually more cost-effective.

  16. In my mind I hope you can test it but the tocus is on positive ions. Such as Ca2+,Mg2+.carbon dioxide generally can be accept by body. maybe you need do something remove the positive ions to reduce water hardness

  18. The concentration of carbon dioxide also matters a lot. This is because carbon dioxide forms carbonic acid with water. It increases the acidity level in our body. Our body can tolerate mild levels of acidity but if it is too high then it is not good for the bones. This is why you must have heard that the aerated drinks are not good for your bones. Several experiments have been performed where a chicken bone is kept in water that is too acidic and then one can easily bend it like rubber. So please I request you not to drink that water before getting it tested for various water quality parameters. Permissible limits are also mentioned in the reports so you yourself can understand whether it is fit for drinking or not. Cheers :)

  19. What i feel is that its better to get the water tested. Its not wise to drink water just because co2 is getting mixed into it. and i think lowering the pump may help if we know the depth at which co2 is entering into the water.But that depends because it will involve a cost. The lower you go more you have to pay..Anyway testing should be done in any case.

  20. Determine the depth that the gas is entering the well and if possible, lower the pump intake to below where the gas is entering.