Frequently Asked Questions

Our service and delivery areas include much of Southeast Michigan, including Livingston, Washtenaw, Oakland, Ingham, Wayne, Genesee, and Macomb counties. To speak with our experts, please call: (810) 231-2332, we are always happy to answer your specific water treatment questions or provide additional information.

Most of the chemical data that is reported for water is expressed as a concentration: One-Part-Per-Million can be thought of as one inch in 16 miles or one cent in $10,000. One-Part-Per-Billion can be thought of as one second of time in 32 years.

It is EXTREMELY MISLEADING to interpret these analogies to minimize the magnitude of the risks. Even minuscule amounts of certain contaminants can poison water!

Sand and sediment can collect in your water and wreak havoc on your water system. This is why some filtration systems include a pre-filter to block these particles. Advanced Water Treatment experts can help you determine which cartridge you need, and you can order the pre-filter cartridge directly through our store.

There are two types of water problems: Primary problems – the dangerous type – and aesthetic problems – the sort that affect taste, look or smell. Strange as it may seem, you could have an aesthetic problem (such as iron or manganese) that will not pose an actual health risk. That doesn’t mean you have to live with it!

Advanced Water Treatment offers a wide variety of water filtration and reverse osmosis systems to replace that unpleasant taste with deliciously fresh drinking water. Click here to browse a few of our residential and commercial systems.

Hydrogen sulfide gas is a naturally occurring contaminant, which gives water a disagreeable rotten egg odor or taste. This usually indicates the presence of some form of non-harmful mineral reducing bacteria in the well.

Fortunately, Advanced Water Treatment offers air-injection filtering systems for rent or purchase that will entirely eliminate the “eggy” taste and odor. We can also provide water heater solutions, if the rotten egg smell is confined to your hot water.

This indicates that the water is corrosive and usually acidic. Acidic water can leach metals from pumps, piping and fixtures. If left alone without treatment, it can cause leaks in copper pipes and fixtures. (Acidity is measure on a scale of 0-14, with 7 being neutral, less than 7 is acidic and above 7 is basic.)

Brown or black stains found in the dishwasher are usually from high levels of manganese, which can stain when the level is above .05mg/l. The dishwasher is a perfect mechanism to oxidize it because it heats, agitates and mixes the water with air.

Manganese can also stain clothes in the washing machine for the same reason, especially with the addition of bleach.

It’s most likely iron, one of the most common water treatment problems found in well water. Iron is found in 3 different forms:

• FERROUS IRON (dissolved) – Although not visible, this is the most common type of iron. Later, when oxygen is mixed with ferrous iron, it stains sinks, toilets and laundry, especially when bleach is added!
• FERRIC IRON (suspended) – Also known as brown water iron, this mineral oxidizes and forms particles. Normally those particles can be seen in a glass of water once settled down. Sometimes, however, they are too small to be seen and very difficult to remove.
• IRON BACTERIA – This is a general term given to iron that can leave a slimy growth or build up in toilet tanks and sometimes clogs filters, softeners and pipes. These bacteria are not harmful, but are considered a nuisance because they are so difficult to remove.
  Ask us about our iron filtration systems to remove yellowing from your water.

There are limitations in some softener systems as to the amount of iron filtration possible. If iron staining continues to be an issue with your existing water softener, contact us for a free in-home consultation. We will help you determine whether an iron-specific filter is necessary for your situation.

If sodium is a concern to you, we can provide additional details on the amount of sodium in softened water. This varies, depending on the hardness of the water supply. Any person on a sodium-restricted diet should follow the advice of his or her physician.

All municipal water supplies contain some naturally occurring sodium. If the sodium-restricted diet is very strict, we can discuss with you the use of reverse-osmosis, or some other water quality improvement system to reduce the sodium to meet your requirements.

For comparison, one slice of white bread contains about 114 mg of sodium, and an eight-ounce glass of milk contains 120 mg of sodium. If your water contains 10 grain per gallon (GPG), and if you consumed a total of one quart of softened water a day, your intake of additional sodium would be 75 mg – less than either the slice of bread or glass of milk.

The water softening systems we offer replace the “hardness” minerals with sodium or potassium.

Most often, water softeners are regenerated with salt and water. Regeneration is a process by which the softening materials inside the softener can be used over and over again. Once the regeneration is completed, the salt and water solution is flushed into the drain.

As water passes through the atmosphere in the form of rain, snow, sleet, hail, dew or fog, it picks up impurities and gases. And, because water is the universal solvent – that is, dissolves a part of whatever it comes into contact with – it picks up even more impurities as it travels through the earth.

In particular, the minerals calcium and magnesium are water “hardness” culprits. If either or both are present in your drinking water in high concentrations, the water is considered “hard”. Those deposits are what appear on your dishes, clothes, sinks and fixtures.

You’ll most often notice water hardness via scale build-up in water heaters and plumbing fixtures, as well as soap deposits, hard-to-remove white streaks on dishes and fabrics, and soap scum in sinks and bathtubs. You may also have a difficult time building up a lather or suds for washing.

Advanced Water Treatment’s wide variety of for-rent and for-purchase water softening systems combat this hardness to prevent these negative side effects.

For more information, or to speak with our water treatment experts, click here.

Solar Salt is 100% natural salt crystals harvested from evaporated seawater. It is chemical-free and less expensive than many commercial softener salts. Its’ purity also keeps your systems cleaner, which means less maintenance. For these reasons, Advanced Water Treatment is proud to be one of the area’s largest Solar Salt providers.

We change filters for FREE on all salt deliveries, and also offer convenient pick-up hours.

With the systems we offer, most often rarely, if ever. The water treatment systems we use continue to stand the test of time. We believe in durable and repairable, rather than replaceable. No obsolete parts means maintenance is fast and affordable. Some of our models have been in use for over 30 years!

We take water purity seriously, and recommend routine testing of your water. Our Water Quality Testing Package entails a third party, independent lab test that tests for a broad spectrum of contaminants. (View details on our Water Testing page.) This service is free of charge for all customers covered under our warranty packages.

Reverse osmosis systems use a special membrane-based water filtration method that prevents large molecules and ions, such as sands and salts, from passing into your drinking water. Learn more about Reverse Osmosis and view available products here, call us at (810) 231-2332 or submit a web form with any additional questions or comments you may have.