Water Quality

Sodium and chloride, which together compose common table salt, often occur naturally in groundwater as it dissolves minerals underground. Higher levels of sodium and chloride in household water, however, often come from manmade sources such as road salt, industrial wastes, sewage, fertilizers, or water softeners. In coastal areas, sodium and chloride can also enter groundwater via salt water intrusion into fresh water aquifers. In high enough concentrations, salt water intrusion can render groundwater unsuitable for drinking, cooking, or irrigating.

Iron and manganese are naturally occurring minerals found in certain rocks and soils that can be dissolved by groundwater. Corroding iron or galvanized steel pipes may also be a source of iron in household water. Typically, neither iron nor manganese presents a health risk to humans when present in a household water supply; however, a portion of the population suffering from hemochromatosis (excess iron in the body) may be especially sensitive to iron in drinking water. Iron and manganese are primarily associated with nuisance problems such as staining of clothes and plumbing fixtures or objectionable taste. Iron and manganese are similar chemically and therefore produce similar problems. Iron and manganese are usually either dissolved (in solution) in water or found in particulate form.

Concerns about personal and family health may lead you to question the safety of the water used in your household. Perhaps you have been alarmed by recent publicity about water pollution problems and their effect on water used in the home for drinking, cooking, and many other purposes. You may be particularly uncertain about the quality of your household water if you rely on your own well or other private water supply. With the availability of modern water treatment equipment and the aggressive marketing of these devices, you may wonder about the need to install such equipment in your home.

Reclaimed water is wastewater from a municipal sewage treatment facility that has been treated to be suitable for beneficial use. Reclaimed water is categorized into four water quality Classes (I-IV) which govern their potential uses based on the level of treatment (or quality) attained. These guidelines apply only to use of Class IV reclaimed water generated from a centralized wastewater treatment works. Guidance on the use of Class I, II and III reclaimed water can be found in the Department’s Guidelines for Land Application/Reuse of Treated Municipal Wastewaters (MDE-WMA-001-04/10).

It is important that the proper incentives are put in place to promote sustainable land management practices to enhance ecosystem services.

Greywater is any household wastewater other than that used for toilet flushing. This water could be reused around the home (for purposes other than drinking water). An example of greywater use is landscape irrigation.

The 3-part webinar series, "Deep Row Entrenchment of Biosolids Using Hybrid Poplar," concluded with this presentation of the results of water quality monitoring at the project site.

A Dorchester County Homeowner’s Guide: Actions to Improve the Water Quality of the Chesapeake Bay

Artículo preparado originalmente para el boletín de Headwaters (Número 1, Volumen 8).