Water sampling / testing

1. We’re contacted by phone or email
2. We send out a client intake form
3. We provide a water sample form
4. With the proper information, we send a technician to take a water sample
5. Sample is shipped to Bureau Veritas (3^rd party accredited lab)   https://www.bvlabs.com/node/452
6. Results are received and sent to our suppliers to design water treatment equipment specifically for property based on the water sample
7. A full estimate or hourly rate is agreed on and we schedule the work
8. Work is completed
9. Work and equipment info are added to our database for ease of scheduling in the future
10. Invoice is sent out

Contracted services

1. We’re contacted by phone or email
2. We send out a client intake form
3. We send a job form (to be filled out) for the job type requested
4. Once all information is received, we send the form to the tradesperson for a quote
5. A full estimate or hourly rate is agreed on and we schedule the work
6. Work is completed
7. Work info is added to our database for ease of scheduling in the future
8. Invoice is sent out

If there is no clear problem like water leaking from the UV, then it is two most likely scenarios:

If the UV power controller’s beep is intermittent (i.e., a few beeps then a silent pause), it is reminding you the UV lamp is due for its yearly replacement. Call or email us to schedule an appointment

If the beeping is continuous, and there is no LED readout on the power controller, it is very rarely a problem with the UV lamp, and it is more likely the power supply, but to be sure, try the following . . .

Unplug cord from power outlet and wait 10 seconds. Plug cord in again AND at the exact same time you are plugging cord into power, press and hold the reset button (this is a small button on the side of the controller or on the face of the controller). Hold button and wait for continuous beep and then let go of the reset button.

Depending on the UV unit, the controller’s LED readout should either show “365” or a solid light without any more beeping, which confirms proper reset.

If this does not work for you , then call us for service and unplug the UV from the power outlet. You should assume your water is not potable.

Final tip – to help protect your UV power supply, do not put it on a circuit with a pump or other heavy-power-draw appliances; and use a good surge protector for the UV. When you get the unit repaired, you will need to re-sanitize your water lines with chlorine, and until UV is operating again, your water is not potable.

If you are a seasonal resident, and no one is using the home for several weeks or months at a time, then we advise unplugging the UV and more importantly, shutting off your water supply valve going into the house. This should be a regular part of your home shutdown procedures. Many newer UV system controllers have a memory chip that will keep track of remaining lamp life even if unplugged. When powering the water system back on, run a tap for several minutes to drain stagnant water from all water lines and to get fresh sanitized water through the entire system.

If you are frequently coming back and forth to your seasonal residence (e.g., weekends), then chances are you may forget to plug in UV each time, so we advise just keeping it plugged in.

For a household with minimal water treatment needs and minimum standard sized filter housings (e.g., 2 – 10”x 2¼” filter canisters), change every 3 -4 months. “Big Blue” filter housings with high flow, high capacity filters (e.g. 10”/20” x 4½”) will require less changes.

For each water source: water quality, water use and pre-filtration conditions will affect the need for more or less filter changes. Examples of these conditions would be such as having an iron filter for removing iron and manganese, or additional gutter filtration for rainwater collection to ensure the drinking water cistern is not becoming unnecessarily contaminated.

Whether you have taken the steps towards installing a UV system or not, for whole house filtration, we recommend using a minimum of a 5 micron filter cartridge is, and preferably using 1 micron filter cartridge. . This at least ensures that until decided upon to get a UV, that there is not unnecessary sediment or large particles affecting other water equipment down the water line (e.g. washing machine, hot water tank, dishwasher, etc.)

As you will need to have the water free of any particulates before UV sterilization, we recommend a minimum of two filter housings for both coarse and fine filtration (depending on the water quality and water source).

When multiple filter housings and sediment filter cartridges are used , the filter cartridge with the larger micron rating (largest #) is placed in the filter housing closest to the water source inlet. The filter cartridge with the smaller micron rating (smallest #) is placed in the filter housing closest to the plumbing that is going towards the rest of the house (or closest to the UV chamber).

When using carbon filtration we ensure that our sediment filtration is first staged from largest micron rating to smallest micron rating, then we place the carbon cartridge in the last filter housing in the sequence . This reduces the carbon cartridge capacities’ need to filter sediment, which results in pressure loss, and allows the carbon cartridge to save its capacity for improving water aesthetics, taste & smell, as well the removal of potentially dangerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Carbon filtration is especially important when planning to collect and use water from a rain water source.

For quality: we only use, recommend and supply polypropylene spun filters : Hydronix, Viqua, Excelpure or Pentek brands. We do not advise or use Rainfresh brand polystyrene (Styrofoam) filters as over the many years we’ve seen them in use, we have noticed they have inferior sediment trapping capacity for most point-of-entry rural water systems.

The answer largely depends on water source (rainwater or well), time of year, and type of smell. 

For Rainwater

If odour is seasonal, you may want to consider installing more filter housings for larger impurity holding capacity  as well as an activated carbon block or RFC (radial flow carbon) filter.  At the very minimum, this may indicate the current filters may need more frequent changes until additional filtration can be installed. We recommend that all rain water systems have a minimum of one stage for carbon filtration as either a POU (point of use) and/or as a POE (point of entry), as for other “surface water” water sources. If roof, gutters or water storage have not been properly maintained, this would largely contribute to aesthetic issues and it would be recommended to also have proper maintenance done. If water sample shows coliforms in a tap past the UV and filtration we recommend disinfecting the water lines after filtration upgrade and other rain water systems properly maintained 

For Well

The most important thing for wells is to get the water tested, if this has not been done in several years. Most cases the smell in well water is associated with sulfur and can be temporarily treated with carbon filtration or permanently off gassed when filling a water storage tank(recommended for many reasons). By using a “well-to-storage-to-house” water set up this allows access to a large body of water out of the ground(great to have during a power outage) that is passively off gassing the odour.

That being said, 9 times out of 10,  when we test well water with a sulphurous smell, we find the water results show other water parameters over maximum allowable concentration (MAC) and/or Aesthetic Objective (AO) that should also be addressed

For more detailed exploration, please see our Resources and Information blog.

Yes, but with careful attention to NOT collect water during the tree’s pollening season. On the south coast of BC, tree pollen starts raining down as a greenish-yellowish dust usually starting between early March and mid-April and lasting for 4 to 6 weeks. If  the large load of pollen that has formed   on your roof & gutters, goes directly into your storage  (without being diverted); it will decompose in the water source. This will make the water start to smell foul at the tap and especially from hot water. 

Similarly, if roof and gutters have large contaminant loads this ultimately will affect quality of water, and it is best practice to get the rain water system cleaned before putting unnecessary contaminants in the water storage

See our Resources and Information blog for more Tips on Rainwater Collection.

We always advise all homeowners select the “Aquality Water Scan” test when you first move in and every 3 – 5 years thereafter. This will give you the chemical and biological profile of your water. (As an Aquality customer, we can help you decipher what it means and we have an extensive knowledge base of groundwater characteristics on the island.)

All water tests results only give you a snapshot in time. Water conditions can and do change over time.

 With a properly designed water system, based on the water source’s recent water sample, along with regular maintenance to the filtration and UV systems, you can be completely confident your water is safe. If you have a water source with NO Filtration or UV treatment systems at all, you should at the very least test your water for bacteria, total metals and chemical traces.

That’s where we come in! We send you the sampling information, schedule an appointment and pass on the lab costs and courier charges. We send all our customers’ water samples to Bureau Veritas in Courtenay (there is no lab in Nanaimo). I The water samples must be couriered and arrive in the Lab in less than 24 hours. Consult the Bureau Veritas website for more information.

Short answer: No!

What falls from the sky, lands on the ground and percolates through the soil and rock particulate becomes groundwater, held in the gaps between shale, rock and gravel. A drilled well creates a zone of collecting and drawing from groundwater that is protected from surface contamination.

Using the good work of the Gabriola Groundwater Management Society and our extensive knowledge base from delivering water services to hundreds of properties throughout the island over two decades, we know location matters. Gabriola has some excellent hydrogeological sweet spots with copious groundwater supplies. Other areas are low quantity and poor quality. If you are considering buying a home on the island or have issues with your water, we suggest doing your research and getting the water properly sampled. Three of the most common issues we come across are wells going dry in the summer, bacterial contamination, and the common aesthetic problems of metals and minerals: Iron, Sulphur and Manganese causing staining and odours. 

Thanks to our tax dollars, the RDN is working hard to learn more about Gabriola’s groundwater — quality, quantity, distribution and risks. This is the first phase report, and it’s a good read click here.