Best Practices for Our Members

💧EyeOnWater

Want to monitor your useage? Or receive notification of leaks?  For free?  We recommend all ATWC customers sign up for Eye on Water EyeOnWater, a free web-based service that automatically notifies customers if they have unusual usage, often a leak. We strongly encourage customers to sign up for this free service to avoid unexpected and large bills.
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Silica

Silica scale deposits cause stubborn, white, cloudy, and sometimes glass-like, deposits on faucets, shower doors, and sinks.  Our water is from deep wells and contains silica.  Silica in water is a nuisance but not a health hazard.  Public water systems are not required to remove this material.

Silica in water is a common, naturally occurring compound derived from rocks and soil, often found in well and municipal supplies. It is not removed by standard water softeners, requiring specialized treatments like reverse osmosis.

There are no cleaning products that remove silica scale.  It can be removed mechanically, for example, It can be removed from granite with a razor blade.  Silica can be removed from toilet bowls by using a pumice stone or a razor blade.  If water is not allowed to dry on a surface, silica deposits can be avoided.

Silica can also precipitate in faucet heads with aerators or screens.  If a drop in flow is noted, disassemble, and look for silica “granules” in the screens.  A quick removal and cleaning can restore flow quickly.

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Pressure Regulators

We recommend that your plumber test your water pressure.  If they find the pressure is higher than they recommend, you can ask them to install a water pressure regulator.  Since most of our customers are fed water by gravity from our tanks, pressure is highest at the lowest (west end) of our development.  This is an advantage for those customers fed by gravity flow from our tanks, as they will not lose water pressure during a power outage.

Water Softeners

Our water hardness is about 15 grains per gallon (gpg).  This is considered very hard water.  Many of our customers install a water softener to address this issue.  A good starting point is to program your water softener to 15 gpg.

Whole House Filters

Sand or very small pebbles may have been left in our piping system during construction or repairs. To keep these out of their water system, many of our customers install a whole house filter. We recommend that the filter be rated for 20 or more microns to avoid the need to frequently change filters without having any noticeable change in water quality.