Metallic Taste in Salt Lake County: Understanding Impact on Household Water Use

Fixtures and Appliances Affected First

Kitchen Faucets and Drinking Water

Metallic taste is most noticeable at kitchen faucets where water is consumed directly. This is often the first point where the taste is detected because no dilution or mixing with other flavors occurs.

Ice Makers and Coffee Machines

Appliances that use water to produce consumables, like ice makers and coffee machines, can highlight metallic taste due to concentrated water exposure within these devices.

Bathroom Fixtures

While less sensitive for taste assessment, some users notice metallic flavors during oral hygiene routines. This suggests the problem can affect various household outlets.

Maintenance Rhythm for the Fleck System

Regular Filter Media Renewal

The Fleck Metallic-Tasting Water Filter uses media that eventually reaches capacity in reducing metallic elements causing taste. Periodic media replacement is necessary to maintain consistent taste improvement.

System Backflushing Cycle

The Fleck technology incorporates a backflushing routine to clear trapped particles and restore filtration efficiency, which should be followed according to usage demands.

Visual and Sensory Checks

Routine assessment of water taste and clarity helps spot when system upkeep is required before noticeable degradation occurs.

Interpreting Local Water Quality Data

Median Iron Concentration Overview

U.S. Geological Survey sampling in Salt Lake County’s 100VLFL aquifer shows a median iron concentration of 10.3 micrograms per liter across 123 tests. This figure provides a baseline for expected iron presence in local groundwater.

Range of Variability

Samples ranged from 3.3 up to 1690 micrograms per liter across wells varying from 23 to 1385 feet deep, indicating the degree of iron fluctuation in the aquifer but not necessarily in any specific home’s water.

Relation to Federal Thresholds

None of these sampled values exceeded federal iron thresholds, signifying no regulatory breach but possible aesthetic effects such as metallic taste.

Consequences of Long-Term Untreated Metallic Taste

Persistent Unpleasant Taste and Odor

Without treatment, the metallic taste can remain a consistent nuisance in drinking water, affecting user satisfaction and consumption habits.

Potential Appliance Impact

Accumulated metallic elements may contribute to discoloration or diminished performance in water-using appliances over time, although not necessarily causing failure.

Possible Staining Effects

Water with elevated metallic content could cause staining on sinks, fixtures, or laundry, depending on water use intensity.

Influence of Plumbing Materials and Age

Older Metallic Pipes

Pipes made of iron or steel can contribute to metallic taste due to corrosion processes independent of source water chemistry.

Newer Plastic or Copper Pipes

Plastic piping generally does not add metallic taste, though copper pipes may impart a distinct taste depending on water chemistry and pipe condition.

Interaction Between Water and Plumbing

The plumbing material can either exacerbate or mitigate metallic taste caused by groundwater constituents, making a household-specific test essential.

Assessing Treatment Capacity for Household Demand

Daily Water Consumption Estimation

Calculate household water use by totaling faucet, appliance, and fixture consumption to understand volume requirements for filtration.

Matching Filter Media Capacity

The filtration system capacity should align with this daily consumption to ensure effective reduction of metallic taste without frequent maintenance.

Allowing for Usage Peaks

Consider temporary increases in water use, such as guests or additional appliance operation, when determining treatment capacity.

The Fleck Metallic-Tasting Water Filter ships ready to configure for residential use. Pairing its treatment capacity to your household's daily water use helps reduce metallic taste effectively, relying on local water quality data as a guide but confirmed by your own water testing.

Where this information comes from

Source: USGS groundwater sampling. Sampled 2021-12-08. These figures describe groundwater sampled in this area. They are not a test of any individual private well - only a test of that well can establish its own water.

On record: U.S. Geological Survey sampling of Iron in the 100VLFL aquifer (Salt Lake County): 123 results from 59 wells, median 10.3 ug/L, range 3.3-1690.0 ug/L; none above any federal threshold