Water Treatment Chemicals

Treat your drinking water with the appropriate water treatment chemicals
By Cathy Salustri Water treatment chemicals keep drinking water safe and pleasant to drink. Treatment methods for drinking water vary greatly from one system to the next. Rather than rely only on water treatment chemical suppliers for information, learn first about the available chemicals for water treatment so you can can make an informed decision about treating your drinking water.
 

Industrial water treatment chemicals make water safe to drink. Over the past 100 years, scientists have learned about things that can contaminate water, but they also discovered ways to remove the contaminants. Every water treatment chemical serves a different purpose, so before you make any decisions you should ask yourself the following questions to see which chemicals work for your needs as well as how you should get the needed water treatment chemicals.

1. Which contaminants do you want to remove from the water?

2. Of the water treatment chemicals available to you, which water treatment substances do you feel safest using and which will get the job done most effectively?

3. Which water treatment chemical distributors offer the water treatment chemicals to remove or add things to your water?

Learn about water treatment agents and what they do

Chemicals for water treatment vary according to need, so you need to know what you want out of your water before you can find out which water treatment chemical will get the job done. Remember, too, that the Federal government legislates which contaminants a water supplier must remove from drinking water.
Try: The National Drinking Water Clearinghouse has technical briefs on water treatment chemicals available for free. These briefs tell you what different water treatment substances do to the water they treat. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) posts a list of the contaminants the government says a water supplier must remove as well as acceptable levels of each contaminant.

Research the water treatment chemicals that will do what you want

Now that you know what you don't want in your water, you need to decide how to make sure those substances stay out of your drinking water supply. Temper any zeal for removing something from your water with safety.
Try: The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) certifies drinking water treatment chemicals. NSF, an independent and non-governmental agency, develops standards in use worldwide; so if NSF certifies a water treatment chemical (or a waste water treatment chemical), you should feel reasonably safe using it as well. The American Water Works Association (AWWA) also maintains standards that cover every facet of water treatment, from designing a water treatment plant to wastewater treatment chemicals. You can search those standards online or purchase a complete set.

Locate a water treatment chemical company that offers the chemicals you need

Now you know what contaminants you need to remove from your water and what water treatment chemicals will remove them. The next step? Find a water treatment chemical distributor.
Try: The National Association of Chemical Distributors can help you find a water treatment chemical distributor. You can also get a list of industrial water treatment companies at US Water News.

• As you shop for water chemical treatment solutions, look at water quality testing services as well. Remember that you, not the water treatment chemical supplier, bear the ultimate responsibility for your system's drinking water quality.