EPA Moves Forward with Lead Pipe Action Plan

Rainwater Harvester Beware!
​ It's important to know if lead, copper or brass fittings are in your system.

​Hawai`i's Acid Rain for Catchment Tanks
Many questions have come up lately about the pH (a measure of acidity or alkalinity) in our catchment systems,
​we want to give you more detail on how acid rain can affect you through catchment water.

​  In Hawai`i, the biggest cause of acid rain is from our volcanoes, which release sulfur dioxides and trioxides into the air. These oxides, in a series of reactions in the atmosphere, combine with water molecules and form dilute acids which return to earth as acid rain. Usually Hawai`i's acid rain contains sulfuric acid where other types of air pollution can create nitric acid.

It is vital to add minerals to coat lead, copper and brass fittings on catchment systems assisting in the prevention of lead in the water. Different locations may require different amounts of mineral treatment. The pH scale measures how acidic or basic something is. This logarithmic scale goes from 0-14. Numbers below 7 are considered acidic and above 7 are basic. Seven is neutral.  Less than 5.6 is considered “acid rain.”

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​​How to raise the pH levels in your catchment tank

If you need to raise the pH in your water, dissolve sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) in a bucket of water and add it to the tank. Depending on the acidity of your water and size of your tank the method is -- 40 ppm x how many gallons of water divided by 7 = how many pounds to dissolve. Too much baking soda will make your water start to feel very soft or slimy. The baking soda also adds salt into your water, just like commercial water softeners do, and may be a problem for people on restricted salt diets.
Another product you can add is food-grade calcium carbonate granules, which are available from chemical supply companies and some local suppliers. Large solids of calcium carbonate, like limestone rocks, are not effective because the sulfur coats the surfaces and does not wash off. With limestone granules, the surface area is much larger, so they will work longer.
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Uncle Tilo's Acid Rain Mineral Pack

​Rainwater can dissolve heavy metals and other impurities from the roofing materials of the catchment all the way to the faucet, including storage tank. Rainwater lacks minerals, but some minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, iron and fluoride, in appropriate concentrations are considered very essential for health. By adding mineral to the catchment and storage tank, the ph of the water is raised, making the water less acidic.
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Acid Rain Mineral Packs contain calcite (calcium carbonate) and corosex (magnesium oxide). When added to a catchment tank in a pool float, these minerals are gradually absorbed into the water as needed. And because the water only absorbs what it needs, the Acid Rain Mineral Pack can last for 6-9 months in a 10,000 gallon tank.

Acid Rain Mineral Packs can be found under the Products tab.

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For those on municipal water

​​The American Society of Civil Engineers has long advocated for the improved safety of America’s drinking water systems.  Access to clean and safe drinking water is critical to public health and economic prosperity, and ASCE’s 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure gave a grade of C- for the drinking water category.

It is estimated that as many as 10 million American households still have lead water pipes in use, which can put at risk the health and safety of families, particularly children. For utilities, moving forward with completing an inventory of lead service lines as part of the Lead and Copper Rule is a critical step, so we can get a better national picture of the scope of the problem. 

On December 17, 2021 issued a statement in support of the Lead Pipe Action Plan released a day earlier by the Environmental Protection Agency to help communities across the country remove lead pipes out of their drinking water systems. 

This plan will allocate nearly $3 billion from the recently passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to states for lead service line replacements in FY 2022 and will prioritize communities with the highest lead levels. While additional investment will be needed, it is a significant down-payment on a national shared priority of clean drinking water for all Americans. It will allow utilities of all sizes to accelerate their rate of lead pipe replacement and offer technical assistance to those communities just embarking on these types of projects.