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Catchment Blues - punafish - 12-28-2009

Aloha all,

Got a friend who is renting in HPP. Says her catchment water is blue. She noticed after she did a load of laundry and her white towels turned blue. Filled her bath only to find...blue water. Any idea what it might be?

More important, can you recommend any pros who can diagnose/fix her problem, and do it quickly?

Thanks in advance.

Tim


RE: Catchment Blues - mdd7000 - 12-28-2009

Try calling Lucas Catchment, husband and wife team, very straight forward people. 640-5741.


RE: Catchment Blues - mikewj - 12-28-2009

Blue water is most likely caused by the reaction of acid rain with copper plumbing. If the catchment system uses plastic gutters and piping, the water in the tank should not be blue. If it is clear, then the most likely cause is copper sulphate caused by the reaction of acid with copper. Does anyone know of any kind of filtration to neutralize acid?


RE: Catchment Blues - Carey - 12-28-2009

Neutralize acid by adding calcium carbonate (limestone, concrete, stone, bone, shell...):
http://web.geology.ufl.edu/Labs/Term_Papers/Suzanne%20MacVicar/web%20page.html


RE: Catchment Blues - Jay Bondesen - 12-28-2009

I don't have any ideas on the blue water but Hawaii Catchment in Shipman now has a combo carbon/calcite cartridge that raises the PH as the Calcite leaches out with the water flow. It's a more expensive filter, I think about $24. for the smaller one, but easier than trying to mix in baking powder. You still use a sediment filter in front of it. We are trying one now to see how it does.

Jay

Jay


RE: Catchment Blues - Daniel - 12-28-2009

Mix soda ash in a bucket then add to catchment tank. You can get large bags of soda ash
at BEI in Hilo across from waiakea villas.

Daniel R Diamond


RE: Catchment Blues - Seeb - 12-29-2009

Be careful handling soda ash, dry it will burn your skin, eyes, lungs


RE: Catchment Blues - Seeb - 12-29-2009

and the blue could be someone tried to use pool algaecide ( copper sulfate ) in it


RE: Catchment Blues - punafish - 12-29-2009

Thanks everyone for all the great advice. We'll pass it on to our friend.

Mikewj, d'ya think the blue water might be from the reaction of acid rain on her BLUE roof?


RE: Catchment Blues - mikewj - 12-29-2009

punafish:

Not likely the color is from the roof; all commercial metal roofing is pretty much colorfast. However, check the water color in the catchment tank. If it's clear, the roof is not part of the problem. You might also dip a quart or so of water from the tank and drop a scrap piece of copper in it. Leave it for a while and see if the water changes color.