Acidic Well Water And Copper Pipe

Acidic water with a ph of 7 or less can be hard on copper pipe.

Acidic well water and copper pipe.

The main causes of pipe corrosion are. Pure water has a ph of 7 0 neutral. Plastic and concrete pipes tend to be resistant to corrosion. Common causes for acidic well water are from acid rainfall due to atmospheric carbon dioxide and other airborne pollutants and in some cases runoff from mines.

Acidic water is typically best treated by an acid neutralizer. Most municipal water has a balanced ph between 6 5 and 8 which is a safe range for copper pipes. These contraptions utilize calcite calcium carbonate to increase water s ph acidic water is fed into a calcite filled tank and run through the mineral which dissolves and raises the ph. Pipes used to distribute drinking water are made of plastic concrete or metal e g steel galvanized steel ductile iron copper or aluminum.

Metal pipe corrosion is a continuous and variable process of ion release from the pipe into. How can i find out whether there is copper in my drinking water. Copper contamination in drinking water corrosive water copper pipe health hazards. Acidic or alkaline water may cause corrosion or leech copper from the pipes into the drinking water.

Causes of corrosion in water system pipes. If you suspect a problem and your drinking water comes from a private well you. Better yet use plastic cpvc pipe and fittings. Blue corrosion on copper pipes and in plumbing systems is due to physical and chemical reactions between the pipe material and water.

Common causes for acidic water are acid rainfall due to atmospheric carbon dioxide and other airborne pollutants runoff from mining spoils and decomposition of plant materials. Note that most city water even in areas of the country where the water is acidic is balanced to. Corrosion of pipes is by far the greatest cause for concern. However natural unpolluted rainwater has a ph of about 5 6 acidic.

Low ph acid water typically found on private well water but is also present in some small municipal water systems. This article discusses the health effects of dissolved copper in drinking water and the relation between aggressive or corrosive water and high levels of copper. Signs of acid water are corrosion of fixtures pinhole leaks blue staining from copper pipes or rust staining from iron pipes. If you have a well and find out from testing that the water is acidic you may want to use the thicker wall type l pipe.

Copper can get into drinking water either by directly contaminating well water or through corrosion of copper pipes if your water is acidic. Some neutralizers use magnesium oxide instead of calcite to the same effect. Copper pipes are safe unless the water in it is overly acidic or alkaline. Aggressive corrosive low ph water acidic water can cause high levels of copper in the drinking water supply.