NJ Water profile

[silverspoons]

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does anyone have a water profile for the water in northern jersey, around Patterson/Clifton?

thanks
Silverspoons

[kal]

If you contact your city, they should have this. Most do. Often it's online.

In fact, I believe it may even be the law in many places that complete reports be offered to anyone who asks.

Kal

[kal]

If you contact your city, they should have this. Most do. Often it's online.

In fact, I believe it may even be the law in many places that complete reports be offered to anyone who asks.

Kal

[David_H]

I have never been able to get the information we need as brewers from the published information. That information published is only published because the government made them and that information is just the stuff that will make you sick...
However, I have been able to get the information with a phone call. Locally in Savannah, I got a call back from the Lead Scientist (or maybe the Engineer) who had all of the information I needed. He is on daily speaking terms with the local Brewpubs and Brewers; apparently we have two sources of water, one surface water (most common) and backup on well water. The two sources have quite different ion profile and when the city switches from one to the other, the brewers get up in arms...

So call the Water Utility and tell them you want to know the Ion Profile of the water, specifically Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Chloride, Sulfate, and Bicarb / Alkalinity.

Checkout this website. http://www.whalesbrewclub.com/reference-library/reference-documents/219-new-jersey-water-database

[silverspoons]

Thanks David H

silverspoon

[wscottcross]

Or you can pay Ward Labs the $27 to have your water specifically tested and get exactly what you want. I'm on a well so I had no choice but to do this.

[silverspoons]

[dp Brewing Company]

[Kazumichan]

I believe that its Home Depot that has a mail in water test kit. I am not sure what lab does the testing, I just remember seeing the kits in the store.

[JSB]

Home Depot has/had test kits for LEAD.... not sure if they're 'full' tests.

[wscottcross]

[dp Brewing Company]

Awesome! Thanks.

[kal]

[kal]

[Kazumichan]

That looks like the package, but I can't say for certain. I didn't read it to see if it was just lead or what, just remember seeing it there.

[dp Brewing Company]

[quote="wscottcross"][quote="dp Brewing Company"]

[kal]

It really depends on what you think may be in your supply. Are you on a well? Then you may want to test for iron, fluoride, and phosphorus for your own piece of mind to make sure they're at safe levels just for regular every day consumption.

High iron in beer brewing is bad: It catalyzes all sorts of nasty reactions in beer, a lot of haze-forming reactions.

A quick Google search:

"In some regions in the United States, community drinking water and home wells can contain levels of naturally occurring fluoride that are greater than the level recommended by the US Public Health Service for preventing tooth decay. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently has a non-enforceable recommended guideline for fluoride of 2.0 mg/L that is set to protect against dental fluorosis. If your home is served by a water system that has fluoride levels exceeding this recommended guideline, EPA recommends that children 8 years and younger be provided with alternative sources of drinking water."

"It's recommended that tap water have no more than 0.3 milligram of iron per liter, the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences reports. However, if you have well water or if your water comes from a private source, it may not be subject to local or federal mandates, which means your water could have more iron. If your water has higher levels of iron, it probably won’t be clear and could have a metallic taste. If you suspect you’re getting too much iron from your drinking water, you could start to show some signs. The most common complaints include gastrointestinal upset -- nausea, cramping, vomiting and constipation. Your doctor can check your iron levels to see if your symptoms are associated with too much iron. In severe cases, iron toxicity leads to organ damage, fainting, coma or even death."

"Phosphorus is one of the key elements necessary for growth of plants and animals. Phosphorus in elemental form is very toxic and is subject to bioaccumulation. Phosphate PO43- formed from this element. Phosphate exists in three forms: Orthophosphate, met-pho sulfate, and organically bound phosphate. Each compound contains phosphorus in a different chemical formula orthoform are produced by natural processes and are found in sewage. Poly forms are used for treating boiler water and in detergents in water they change into the ortho form organic phosphates are important in nature. Their occurrence may result from the breakdown of organic pesticides which contain phosphates. They may exit in solution, as particles, loose fragments, or in the bodies of aquatic organisms. Rainfall can cause varying amounts of phosphates to wash from farm soils into nearby waterways. Phosphate will stimulate the growth of plankton and aquatic plants which provide food for fish this increased growth may cause an increase in the fish population and improve the overall water quality. However, if an excess of phosphate enters the water way, algal and aquatic plants will grow wildly, choke up the water way, and use up large amounts of oxygen. This condition is known as Eutrophication or over-fertilization of receiving waters. The rapid growth of aquatic vegetation can cause the death and decay of vegetation- and quality life because of the decrease in dissolved oxygen levels. Phosphates are not toxic to people or animals unless they are present in very high levels. Digestive problem could occur from extremely high level of phosphate."

Kal

[kal]

It really depends on what you think may be in your supply. Are you on a well? Then you may want to test for iron, fluoride, and phosphorus for your own piece of mind to make sure they're at safe levels just for regular every day consumption.

High iron in beer brewing is bad: It catalyzes all sorts of nasty reactions in beer, a lot of haze-forming reactions.

A quick Google search:

"In some regions in the United States, community drinking water and home wells can contain levels of naturally occurring fluoride that are greater than the level recommended by the US Public Health Service for preventing tooth decay. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently has a non-enforceable recommended guideline for fluoride of 2.0 mg/L that is set to protect against dental fluorosis. If your home is served by a water system that has fluoride levels exceeding this recommended guideline, EPA recommends that children 8 years and younger be provided with alternative sources of drinking water."

"It's recommended that tap water have no more than 0.3 milligram of iron per liter, the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences reports. However, if you have well water or if your water comes from a private source, it may not be subject to local or federal mandates, which means your water could have more iron. If your water has higher levels of iron, it probably won’t be clear and could have a metallic taste. If you suspect you’re getting too much iron from your drinking water, you could start to show some signs. The most common complaints include gastrointestinal upset -- nausea, cramping, vomiting and constipation. Your doctor can check your iron levels to see if your symptoms are associated with too much iron. In severe cases, iron toxicity leads to organ damage, fainting, coma or even death."

"Phosphorus is one of the key elements necessary for growth of plants and animals. Phosphorus in elemental form is very toxic and is subject to bioaccumulation. Phosphate PO43- formed from this element. Phosphate exists in three forms: Orthophosphate, met-pho sulfate, and organically bound phosphate. Each compound contains phosphorus in a different chemical formula orthoform are produced by natural processes and are found in sewage. Poly forms are used for treating boiler water and in detergents in water they change into the ortho form organic phosphates are important in nature. Their occurrence may result from the breakdown of organic pesticides which contain phosphates. They may exit in solution, as particles, loose fragments, or in the bodies of aquatic organisms. Rainfall can cause varying amounts of phosphates to wash from farm soils into nearby waterways. Phosphate will stimulate the growth of plankton and aquatic plants which provide food for fish this increased growth may cause an increase in the fish population and improve the overall water quality. However, if an excess of phosphate enters the water way, algal and aquatic plants will grow wildly, choke up the water way, and use up large amounts of oxygen. This condition is known as Eutrophication or over-fertilization of receiving waters. The rapid growth of aquatic vegetation can cause the death and decay of vegetation- and quality life because of the decrease in dissolved oxygen levels. Phosphates are not toxic to people or animals unless they are present in very high levels. Digestive problem could occur from extremely high level of phosphate."

Kal

[dp Brewing Company]

I'm on local County Water. New house with all PEX lines.

[kal]

Sorry, saw you had previously written:

[kal]

Sorry, saw you had previously written:

[dp Brewing Company]

I do currently use the numbers they gave me with EZWater. I would just like a more exact value to start from. I'm sure you have already figured this out about me but I like things Black/White. I don't like to assume the numbers are close enough. I see it the same as calibrating your probes. You don't want them close enough, you want them exact. I'm willing to pay the $27 to get more accurate numbers.

[dp Brewing Company]

I just figure every step of the way that I'm more thorough will produce better and more repeatable beer.

[kal]

[kal]