Fleck Metallic-Tasting Water Filter

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Plumbing Materials and Age Versus Source Water Impact

When experiencing a metallic taste in tap water, a critical factor is the household plumbing rather than the source aquifer. Pipes made of copper or with copper components, especially older plumbing systems, can leach trace amounts of copper into the water. This effect is separate from the copper concentrations present naturally in the area’s groundwater. In Pottawatomie County’s aquifer 310WLNG, copper was detected in some groundwater samples, but these levels were low enough that they do not directly cause a metallic flavor before water reaches the home faucets.

Household Symptoms That Suggest Plumbing Versus Source Issues

The metallic taste linked to plumbing often coincides with water standing in pipes for extended periods, or water from rarely used taps. If only certain faucets produce the taste, or if the taste fluctuates based on water use patterns, the plumbing is a likely cause. Conversely, if metallic taste is consistent from all water sources and persists regardless of plumbing fixtures, some contribution from the source water may be involved. It’s important to note that detection of copper in local groundwater does not always translate to noticeable taste issues due to dilution and treatment at municipal systems or filtration at the point of use.

Sampling Details: Number of Wells and Interpretation of Data

The copper concentration data referenced here derive from 24 sampled wells within Pottawatomie County’s aquifer 310WLNG. These samples were collected over nearly two years, from August 2011 to May 2013, from wells ranging 80 to 320 feet deep. Copper was detected in 8 of these wells, with levels ranging from 0.51 to 21.6 micrograms per liter (µg/L), while 16 wells had copper below reporting limits. None of these samples exceeded any federal copper thresholds. Such a small sample size covers a limited timeframe and depth range, so it gives an overview but cannot define any single household’s water quality precisely.

Change in Water Quality at the Tap After Using the Fleck Metallic-Tasting Water Filter

Once water passes through the Fleck Metallic-Tasting Water Filter, the metallic taste caused by copper or similar metals is significantly reduced or eliminated. The treated water at the tap has fewer dissolved copper ions capable of causing the sensory perception of metal flavor. As a result, household water becomes more pleasant for drinking and cooking without metallic off-notes, regardless of the original copper presence within plumbing or source water.

Mechanism of Copper Removal or Neutralization by the Fleck System

The Fleck system employs targeted filtration media and ion exchange technology designed to reduce dissolved copper and other metals that can cause metallic taste. By capturing or altering copper ions, the system prevents them from passing into the treated water stream. This process addresses copper present from both the source water and any leached from plumbing materials before water reaches household taps.

What Area Copper Data Should Not Imply About Your Well

While government data provide a useful general picture of copper levels across Pottawatomie County’s aquifer, these figures do not reveal the copper concentration in any individual household’s well or municipal supply. A detection in area wells is not a violation or indication of unsafe water, and a low or undetected copper level regionally does not guarantee absence of metallic taste caused by plumbing. To understand exactly what is in your water and confirm the cause of metallic taste, specific water testing for your tap water is necessary. Only such testing can guide an appropriate treatment choice. The Fleck Metallic-Tasting Water Filter ships ready to configure for effective improvement of water taste once your water conditions are known.

Where this information comes from

Source: USGS groundwater sampling. Sampled 2013-05-01. 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 Copper in the 310WLNG aquifer (Pottawatomie County): 24 results from 24 wells, median 1.5 ug/L, range 0.51-21.6 ug/L; none above any federal threshold