Filter for water from well

Adrian

Member
Oct 22, 2003
192
11
18
We live in Villa Progresso (Sabaneta de Yasica) and we have had no water via the water pipes since the recent floods, and there is no date when the supply may be restored. It is very expensive to buy water from tankers to fill the cisterna.

We used to use water from a well, but this clogged up the plumbing in the house and my partner says the water is slighty salty and damages all the fittings.

Doea anyone know of someone who can suppy a filter (or filters) to filter the water from the well to fill the cisterna that supplies the house? The water is not used for drinking. Preferably it would be someone in the Gaspar Hernandez to Sosua area, but Puerto Plata or Santiago would be OK.

Thanks for any advice.

Adrian
 

Serge1960

New member
Apr 2, 2014
145
0
0
I think if the water from the well was Pumped into a holding Cistern, And the solids, sand etc, were to settle to the bottom, you then pull from the tank 4-6" off the Bottom, then send that through UV ( UltraViolet Treatment) and then REVERSE Osmosis to a second holding /storage tank that would be possible. It wouldn't be cheap to do, but we all need water.
 

KATIEJAY

Member
Aug 20, 2007
84
0
6
Filter Pure sold locally by Aaron Herlocker in Cabarete.$2250 RD. AMAZING..This also replaces the minerals that are removed by the "Reverse Osmosis" treatment used here for ALL bottled water.& not always under the most sanitary of conditions. Research "Filter Pure" in Jarabacoa for some enlightening videos and reading." An informed mind will always make the best decision" Other than the obvious health benefits..this pays for itself well within the first year,lasting for 5 years plus!
 

Adrian

Member
Oct 22, 2003
192
11
18
Thanks for the replies.

Filter Pure sold locally by Aaron Herlocker in Cabarete.$2250 RD. AMAZING.

Possibly more than we need. The only Aaron HerlockerI could find on Google seems to be the manager of the Fresh Fresh cafe. Is that the same person?

If they are using a plastic tank on the roof and calling it a cisterna, they won't pull from 4-6' from te bottom.

The cisterna is as at ground (or below ground) level. This is what we will fill from the well. We do also have a tinaco on the roof which is supplied from the cisterna.

I am not very technically minded so I would like to find someone who can install or make the filter for me. Would a sand filter remove any traces of salt in the water

Adrian
 

Adrian

Member
Oct 22, 2003
192
11
18
I'm sorry, Adrian, I don't know that answer to that.

Thanks. An honest answer! I have just spoken to Greg at EcoServe in Sosua and he thinks it is probably more likely to be calcium in the water, rather than salt. This causes the hard deposits in the filters of the taps etc. The filters they sell would filter out some of the calcium, but not all. He said we would need a water softening system which can be expensive and requires maintenance (hopefully I am not misquoting him).

Adrian
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
stick with EcoServe........... that system cleans the water in NYC... a Cdn company

sorry CCCCologne............. Eco is RD///// on DR1
 

Olly

Bronze
Mar 12, 2007
1,914
104
63
Adrian,
If the Team have it right - you fill a cistern from a well, then "PUMP" from the cistern to the house and Tanaco . If that is right them we would suggest you put a filter on the outlet of the pump from the cistern.
Such a filter would be Omnifilter BF7 - a heavy duty whole house filter with a RS6 cartridge initially. This is on a 1 inch pipe and filters down to 30 microns and is good for 30 Gallons per minute. Other filters are availalbe that do more but this would be a suggested start.

These are avaialble at Ochoa in Santiago and cost is about RD$8000

Olly and the Team
 
May 29, 2006
10,265
200
0
If it's not for drinking, you can get a scrap section of 4" PVC and reduce it down to whatever pipe you're using and then fill it with polyester pillow filling. Make at least one side with a threaded fitting so you can change out the fluff every couple months. You can prob cobble something together for about $20. It has to be a bigger diameter than the other pipes to allow the water to run through the filter material.
 

jstarebel

Silver
Oct 4, 2013
3,330
333
83
Thanks. An honest answer! I have just spoken to Greg at EcoServe in Sosua and he thinks it is probably more likely to be calcium in the water, rather than salt. This causes the hard deposits in the filters of the taps etc. The filters they sell would filter out some of the calcium, but not all. He said we would need a water softening system which can be expensive and requires maintenance (hopefully I am not misquoting him).

Adrian

I doubt you're misquoting him, and I would believe that he is probably right about Calcium Carbonate being in your well water. I like the idea of a simple 20" filter housing with a 20 micron polypropylene filter plumbed in after the cistern pump. Install valves before and after the filter to make changing the cartridge easier. I would stay away from a water softener for a few reasons including what you posted regarding maintenance. They require backwash, regeneration, downflow rinse, and use between 35-150 gallons of water (depending on brand) along with rock salt @12lbs/cu ft. of softener per regeneration. So not only do softeners waste water, but they pollute the environment with salt as well. There are membrane systems (nanofiltration) specifically designed to remove calcium, magnesium, and reduce salt through crossflow membrane technology. If you can't live with the calcium by using vinegar or other kitchen cleaner such as CLR to keep your fixtures clean, then I'd suggest you give the nano systems a look. Hope this helps..
 

jstarebel

Silver
Oct 4, 2013
3,330
333
83
stick with EcoServe........... that system cleans the water in NYC... a Cdn company

sorry CCCCologne............. Eco is RD///// on DR1

The Ecoserve system is a home filter system utilizing UV as the heart of the system and it's a fine system installed on the correct water application. The Trojan UV uses a 400 nm wavelength light enclosed inside of a quartz sleeve and is used for water disinfection. The problem is that if you have calcium, magnesium, or iron in your water, the quartz sleeve becomes fouled with mineral deposits rendering the UV useless. Check out the manufacturer of the Ecoserve system for yourself.. Trojan has made UV systems for decades. For the OP, a 1/2 cup of bleach in the cistern when filled would be a better choice for disinfection.
 
May 29, 2006
10,265
200
0
Again the water is not for drinking. The only way to deal with salt is to bypass your current plumbing with PVC fittings or even a hose, which will not be harmed by the salt content. Filtration will not desalinate water.