Information

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Deciding on types of treatment

Deciding on the most appropriate type of treatment for your supply is best left to an expert.

At an absolute minimum, some form of disinfection will be needed to kill any bugs in the water.

If there are particles in the water, at least one filtration stage will be needed to remove dissolved metals, and treatment may be needed too.

Many supplies in Scotland are coloured with organic compounds from peaty soils.

These compounds can reduce the effectiveness of ultra-violet disinfection systems and may need to be removed using special filters.

Some waters in Scotland are naturally very soft (this means they have a low concentration of dissolved minerals like magnesium and calcium).

So they can corrode metal pipework and fittings.

Filters containing alkaline media can be used to correct this.

Maintaining your treatment system

Any treatment installed will need to be maintained, so it will be an ongoing expense.

It's important to regularly:

  • check that your treatment is working properly
  • carry out routine maintenance tasks
  • record routine maintenance tasks

If you can't do this yourself, it may be worth taking out a service contract with a reputable supplier.

If you share your private supply with other properties, you could get together with your neighbours to install treatment facilities at a single central point.

Working as a community could make it more affordable for each individual household.

There are grants available that can help you with the cost of installing treatment facilities.

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