Agenda - Council - 05/07/2019 - Special

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HOME WATER TREATMENT Do you want to treat all of the water in your home or just drinking water? There are two main types of home water treatment: Point -of -use (POU) units treat water at one faucet or one location. Examples include pour -through pitchers or units that sit on the counter, attach to a faucet, are part of a refrigerator water/ice dispenser, or are under the sink. POU is a good option for treating only the water you use for drinking and cooking. Point -of -entry (POE) units are installed on the water line as it enters the home. POE units treat all of the water in your home. What is your budget? Prices vary widely for treatment options —anywhere from less than twenty dollars to thousands of dollars. Things to consider for your water treatment budget include whether you want to treat just your drinking water at one tap or all of the water in your home, maintenance costs, and whether you will install the treatment yourself or hire a professional. Your household may qualify for one of the following loans (which you have to pay back) or grants (which you do not have to pay back) to help pay for water treatment. AgBMP Loan Program provides low interest loans to farmers, rural landowners, and agriculture supply businesses. Contact your local Soil and Water Conservation District or see Agriculture Best Management Practices (BMP) Loan Program (www.mda.state.mn.us/agbmploan). Single Family Housing Repair Loans and Grants provide low interest loans for homeowners with income below 50 percent of the area's median income and grants for people over the age of 62 years. See Single Family Housing Repair Loans and Grants (https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing- repair-loans-grants). Fix Up Program provides fixed interest rate loans to homeowners. Go to Minnesota Housing (www.mnhousing.gov) and click on "Homebuyers & Homeowners —Improve Your Home". Step 4: Install water treatment You can purchase and install a treatment unit on your own, or you can work with a water treatment professional. Search for water treatment professionals in your telephone book, online, or at Find Water Treatment Providers (www.wqa.org/find-providers). If you work with a treatment professional, make sure they are a licensed plumber or licensed water conditioning contractor by using the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry's License Lookup (https://secure.doli.state.mn.us/lookup/licensing.aspx). Here are some Recommended Questions to Ask a Water Treatment Professional (https://www.wqa.org/improve-your-water/questions-to-ask). Step 5: Test and maintain water treatment After installing treatment, test the treated water to make sure the treatment is working. Then, follow the manufacturer's recommendations for cleaning and maintenance. All water treatment units require regular maintenance to work properly. Maintenance can include changing filters, disinfecting the unit, backwashing, or cleaning out mineral build-up (scale). Water treatment units that are not properly maintained will lose their effectiveness over time. In some cases, unmaintained units can make water quality worse and make you sick. Resources Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A Guide to Drinking Water Treatment Technologies for Household Use (https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/home-water-treatment/household_water_treatment.html). MDH. A - Z List of Contaminants in Water (health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/contaminants/ index.html). MDH. Home Water Softening (health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/factsheet/softening.html). MDH. Water Quality/Well Testing (health.mn.gov/wellwater). NSF. Drinking Water Filters, Testing and Treatment (www.nsf.org/consumer-resources/water-quality/water- filters-testing-treatment). The Private Well Class. Water Treatment Solutions (privatewellclass.org/lesson-10). 2