In a story a little different from our usual lineup, AMPAC USA, which builds commercial water purification systems, lays out what it takes to open a water refill station, starting with state and local licensing rules. In California, for example, a retail facility selling treated water into customers’ containers needs a license or local health department permit. The equipment typically includes pretreatment, reverse osmosis, storage and dispensing, with UV treatment where the design calls for it. AMPAC recommends sizing production for the busiest day, not the average one. Its example store fills 150 five-gallon jugs on a normal day but plans for twice that volume at peak demand, so storage can cover the rush while the RO system keeps producing water. Finished-water testing, records and filter maintenance are all part of operating the store. It’s an interesting look at another corner of the water business, though the article makes no claim about profitability.

Hoodline reports that North Smithfield, Rhode Island, plans to install three granular activated carbon filters at the pump house serving its middle and high schools. The campus draws from two wells, and according to reporting cited by Hoodline, Well 1 has measured between zero and 3 parts per trillion for PFAS, while Well 2 has generally measured 30 to 60, with one reading above 80. Since 2023, the district has blended water from the wells to keep drinking water below Rhode Island’s 20-parts-per-trillion limit for six regulated PFAS compounds. The proposed treatment system still needs state health department approval and a public bid before installation. The source of the PFAS remains unsettled: an engineer suspects the campus wastewater leach field may affect Well 2, while a local committee chair has raised questions about turf debris near the athletic field. Neither source has been established.

An RO service job or system build calls for a membrane housing matched to the pressure requirements. Specialty Sales carries Wave Cyber 4-inch end-port membrane housings for commercial RO applications.

What's Available:

For service shops and RO equipment builders, Specialty Sales can help review the specific housing configuration before an order is placed.

Shop the housings: https://specialty-sales.com/4-end-port-membrane-housing/

Or call Specialty Sales at 800-323-3054.

Water Filter Guru, a regular in this newsletter, compared its lab results for the Culligan ZeroWater pitcher and countertop reverse osmosis systems tested with the same municipal-water sample. The pitcher lowered total dissolved solids from 138 to 5 parts per million and removed the nitrate, fluoride, uranium and other measured contaminants in that sample, putting its results close to the RO systems tested. The larger difference was ownership cost. ZeroWater costs about $25 upfront, but the site estimates $0.90 per gallon in replacement filters, assuming an $18 cartridge lasts 20 gallons. Several countertop RO systems cost more to buy but were estimated at $0.08 to $0.19 per gallon to run. Higher dissolved solids can exhaust the pitcher's ion-exchange resin sooner, while RO requires more equipment and produces wastewater. The comparison is useful, but its test results and cost estimates depend on the source water, filter life and specific system.

Dierolf Plumbing and Water Treatment, a well-service company in southeastern Pennsylvania, explains why a drop in pressure doesn’t automatically mean a failed pump. A waterlogged pressure tank, faulty switch, plugged sediment filter or falling well level can produce similar symptoms. The local conditions matter too: Dierolf says low-yield wells in parts of upper Bucks and Montgomery counties can strain pumps, while hard water in the region’s limestone valleys can scale pressure switches and tank fittings. Its guide suggests checking the pressure gauge and sediment filter before assuming the pump needs replacement. A pump that switches on and off every few seconds may point to the tank, a leak or a failing check valve. Dierolf draws a firm line at electrical work: if a breaker trips again after one reset, stop and call for service.