A three to four-person household will use on average about 110,000 gallons of water each year.
And if it includes unsafe levels of any number of contaminants, it can lead to health issues and cause damage to a home’s inner workings.
Keith McDonald, owner of NH Tap, is on a mission to help eliminate impurities in water in Southern New Hampshire to make it safer for those who use it and set a standard for quality.
McDonald grew up in Jaffrey, graduated from Conant in 2001 and after spending some time in Florida, has been back in his hometown for a little more than three years. He founded NH Tap in August of 2017 and did his first water purification system installation last May at Post & Beam Brewing in Peterborough. Since then, McDonald has visited with more than 90 potential clients, both private residents and light commercial operations, has installed close to 30 systems and recently opened a showroom in Milford.
Since this is more than a business to McDonald, he offers free testing for anyone who wants to know more about what their water contains. He has the ability to do onsite testing that delivers almost immediate results and has partnered with three labs in the state for more in-depth testing.
“That way I have a full picture of what’s in there,” he said.
There are any number of things that come into play when dealing with water. Arsenic is the one that worries McDonald the most because in addition to its abundance in New Hampshire and harmful capabilities, it’s odorless, tasteless and invisible. The only way to know if it’s in water is to test for it.
“It’s been overlooked for so long,” McDonald said.
So when he meets with someone for a free test, arsenic is at the top of the list to test for, as are iron, lead, calcium, sulfur and manganese, all of which have a high potential to be found in New Hampshire water. Once the results of the testing are available, McDonald will meet with property or business owners to determine the next course of action.
In his close to 100 meetings, McDonald said about 30 percent didn’t need anything for their water. About a third were unsure if they wanted to pursue a purification system and the remaining opted for NH Tap to design a custom system to install.
McDonald said it takes about three to seven days to design a purification system and each one is specifically created to address any issues found from the testing.
At Post & Beam, McDonald found that the well-contained iron, calcium and arsenic. He installed an elaborate system that has double filtration tanks for both iron and arsenic and a pH tank that allows for the brewery to adjust its pH to meet the needs for its long list of beers.
McDonald said that one in five water sources in New Hampshire contain unsafe levels of arsenic. He said that about 40 percent of the state uses private wells. The remainder of homes get their water from municipal sources.
The thing that makes every home or business unique is that all water is a little different. McDonald said that just because one well will contain certain contaminants, one located on the next property could see completely different results from testing.
On the arsenic front, New Hampshire is being proactive, McDonald said. The EPA sets a standard of 10 parts per billion, while New Hampshire has its own 5 parts per billion mandate.
While McDonald has completed four installs for light commercial operations – three breweries and a cafe – most of his work comes from residential properties. So municipal water is a huge focus. He has studied how towns and cities test and treat their water, but recognizes that the water that comes out of the tap can be significantly different after traveling through miles of piping.
McDonald said it’s a good idea to test your water every year because things can change at a moments notice due to droughts or any list of variables that can affect a water source. But he recommends testing at least every three years and his systems are designed in a way that no filters will need to be changed for five years and with very little maintenance.
His goal is to always get below the acceptable standards and as close to zero as possible. That’s why he over filters his designs and even puts safety nets in there for something that could pop up after installation.
“I usually make it better than bottled water quality,” McDonald said. “Even when you flush your toilet, you have clean water.”
He’s in the process of creating a drinking water system that can be used by those who rent or live in a condo community.
McDonald has learned all he knows from on the job experience. He had his own business in Florida and has picked up a lot over the years.
Iron is a big one in New Hampshire and it can affect all water-using appliances.
“Often time when you have iron, you also have other metals,” McDonald said.
For more information or to set up a free test, visit www.nhtap.com.