Philip Stadnyk

Q: I am curious as to what an automatic down well system is worth.Ê I live in a house on an acreage with three other people. Our well is 17 metres deep. We have ample water flow, but we do have a problem with iron and sulfur smell. I have installed a water softener-iron filter […] Read more

Q: I read your article in the Western Producer titled “Arsenic in water supply not to be treated lightly.” I was wondering if you could let me know what is the best way economically and reliably purify well water. Our well was drilled about four years ago but has yet to be used. We recently […] Read more

Arsenic is a natural element that can be found widely in the earth’s crust and is present in all living matter. It is used as an alloy agent in the glass industry, hide tanning process and pesticides and pharmaceuticals. Arsenic can occur naturally in water through the dissolving of minerals and bedrock. It can also […] Read more

Q: At our place in High River, Alta., we have a 4,000 gallon (18,160 litre) cistern that gets its water supply from a well. The water is untreated but safe. We have it tested twice a year. Our concern is algae or bacteria growth. Is there something we can add to the tank to control […] Read more

Q: I just moved to Blackstrap Lake south of Saskatoon and have a 1,000 gallon water tank. We haul our water from the city. There is sediment in the bottom of the tank and some “floaties” on top. There is no offensive odour coming from the tank. How do we go about cleaning the tank? […] Read more

Nitrates in a water supply can occur naturally or can be caused by fertilizer, manure or sewage contamination. The U.S. Center for Disease Control says nitrate is a compound that forms naturally when nitrogen combines with oxygen or ozone. Nitrogen is essential for all living things, but high levels of nitrate-nitrogen in drinking water can […] Read more

The most common water problems I confront are bacteria, iron and manganese. Coliform and E. coli bacteria are becoming major concerns for consumers with private wells or dugouts. These bacteria are from human or animal wastes that have entered the water supply. Bacteria can enter an aquifer that might be kilometres from your well, but […] Read more

Q: We have a hunting camp in central Saskatchewan that is accessible only by all-terain vehicle or boat. In the winter after the ice freezes, we can also travel by vehicle across the lake. For the past three years, we have attempted to have a well drilled at the camp but the ice in one […] Read more

Q: I have a cistern at my Buffalo Pound Lake, Sask., cottage that I fill with lake water for washing and toilet flushing. When I fill it, I mix in 40 ounces of bleach per 1,000 gallons to help with the odour. How would I clean this cistern if I wanted to haul in potable […] Read more

Q: Water from our new well seems to have an unpleasant odour and taste. This is before treatment. We’ve not had the well attached to the house yet because we’re still a month from moving in. I lived in a rental house where guests refused to shower due to what I assume was an iron-eating […] Read more