Are you wondering which class of treatment is right for addressing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in your El Paso County household water? Understanding how VOCs enter groundwater and how household factors affect treatment needs can guide your choice effectively.
How a Gasoline Release Differs from a Dry-Cleaning Release in What It Leaves in Groundwater
Gasoline-related VOCs typically include compounds like benzene and MTBE, but Colorado Springs Utilities found no MTBE above reporting levels in their system.
Dry-cleaning solvent compounds often involve perchloroethylene and 1,1-dichloroethane; no detections above reporting levels were found in Colorado Springs Utilities' sampling.
Different solvents have varying chemical persistence, affecting how they might accumulate in groundwater.
Sampling by EPA under UCMR3 is a broad system assessment, not a test of individual taps.
What Changes for a Large Household, a Second Home, or a Seasonal Property
Larger households may require treatment equipment with higher flow capacity to maintain effective contact time with filtration media.
Seasonal use might affect the choice of equipment configuration due to periods of inactivity and potential for microbial growth.
Second homes with intermittent water use should consider systems that maintain VOC reduction effectiveness despite variable demand.
Measuring your household water demand helps ensure your chosen solution matches your daily and peak needs.
Why Aesthetic Secondary Standards Differ from Health-Based Limits, Applied to This Constituent
VOCs detected in El Paso area samples do not have established federal maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) under UCMR3.
Detected concentrations are measurements, not indications of safety or violation.
Aesthetic standards relate to taste, odor, or staining, not health risk.
Understanding these distinctions prevents unnecessary concern and helps target treatment purpose.
The Role of Plumbing Material and Age, Separate from the Source Water
Plumbing can contribute additional VOCs or other organics not from the source water itself.
Older pipes may have different chemical interactions affecting water quality.
Knowing the age and composition of your home's plumbing assists in interpreting water test results.
Addressing plumbing-sourced VOCs may require specific filtration strategies beyond source water treatment.
What the Reader Should Write Down Before Asking Anyone for Treatment Advice
Your household's daily water usage in gallons or liters.
Recent water quality tests from your own tap specifying VOC concentrations if available.
Concerns related to seasonal occupancy or variable water use patterns.
Information about your plumbing age and materials.
Knowing that Colorado Springs Utilities' monitored public system serving El Paso County reported no VOC detections above reporting levels during 2013-2015.
With this information, you can better evaluate if your household requires a treatment system addressing volatile organic compounds or other contaminants. The Pentair VOCs & Industrial Chemicals Filter ships ready to configure and can accommodate varying demand levels based on your recorded water use. This system uses proven technology to reduce solvent compounds and other volatile organics, making it a practical solution tailored to your household's specific treatment class requirements.
Where this information comes from
Source: EPA SDWIS public water system record. Sampled 2014-05-12. These figures describe the public water system's record, not the plumbing inside any individual building.
On record: EPA UCMR3 monitoring (2013-2015) for Colorado Springs Utilities (CO0121150), CO: 124 results across 7 listed contaminants, 0 detections above the reporting level; nothing detected above the method reporting level
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