Bore & Spear Water Treatments

Pristine Water Systems are the specialists in water management systems with more than 10 years of research and development. If you have a water problem, we have the solution!

With our unique Spearity Water Purification system, we can ensure your bore/spear water can be utilized in many many situations. There are subtle differences between Bore Water correction and Spear Water correction; specifically associated with location.

More information on Bore Water

More information on Spear Water

Iron Removal

If you’re considering using bore water or spear water for watering your garden or topping up your swimming pool etc you’ll most probably need to remove metals such as iron and manganese that can otherwise lead to unsightly staining.

Iron and manganese are both stain causing metals that are commonly found in bore waters and spear waters.These metals can be present in “oxidised” form as rust/ sludge or in “clear water” form that oxidises on contact with air.Both iron and manganese cause unsightly staining of wetted surfaces and laundry etc. They can be accompanied by a “metallic” taste and a characteristic odour.

In addition to the aforementioned staining problem, iron and manganese can also cause dissimilar metals reaction that results in corrosion of copper pipes – a phenomenon that is created as a result of interaction between the metals in the water supply and the copper pipe-work infrastructure that transports the water supply within your home.

Corrosion activity can also be increased by low (acid) pH that is often a characteristic of iron/ manganese rich water.Copper corrosion results in the deposition of blue/ green stains – generally visible on sinks/ bath/ tiles and in toilet bowls etc.

The good news is that both iron and manganese can be effectively removed from bore and spear waters.The type of treatment is however dependent on a number of factors including the amount of each metal that is present, required flow rate performance and end use requirements etc.

Because of the many variations in water qualities it is important to choose the right technology for your specific staining problem.

Pristine Water Systems’ make the selection of the right iron/ manganese removal easy. We offer a comprehensive water testing service and provide you with a written report together with recommendations for solving your specific bore or spear water problem. To avail yourself of this service simply contact us. We will arrange for collection and testing of a representative sample of your water. Once tested Pristine Water Systems will provide you with a written report together with advice on which bore/ spear water treatment technology is best suited to your specific needs.

Treatment technologies include oxidation, filtration using iron and manganese specific filtration media and ion exchange iron/ manganese removal softening – or depending on water quality a combination of treatments. Sometimes post iron/ manganese removal salt reduction treatment is also required.

Hard water is a characteristic of bore and spear waters. Hard water can be difficult to lather and can cause pipes, pumps and hot water services etc to become clogged with scale. Hard water is also inclined to cause scum to accumulate on wetted bathroom surfaces – shower screens, wall & swimming pool tiles etc. Iron/ manganese removal softeners soften water while removing iron and manganese. (Refer page on Water Softeners for information on how water softeners work)

Iron/ manganese removal systems need to be correctly sized taking flow rate requirements and hardness, iron and manganese levels into consideration.Pristine Water Systems will provide you with advice to ensure that you select the right model for your specific needs.

NOTE: 35 psi (245kpa) is the minimum recommended operating pressure requirement for most iron/ manganese removal filters and softeners.

Water Softeners

As the name implies, water softeners “soften” water.  They do this by removing hard water salts and replacing them with soft water equivalents in what is described as an “ion exchange” process. Softeners are ideal for treating most bore waters and country water supplies.

Hard water is difficult to lather and rinse and creates unsightly scum build ups on shower screens and bathroom tiles and fittings. Hard water scale deposits increase heat transfer costs (gas and electricity) and can be responsible for reduced appliance/ hot water service life.

Soft water lathers and rinses more freely. Laundry will be soft and fluffy and there is reduced potential for soap scum to build up on shower screens and bathroom tiles and fittings etc.  Skin and hair feel really clean and nice. Soft water is just one of life’s luxuries.

Softeners have the ability to treat a set volume of water after which they need to be regenerated. The capacity – or volume capability of a water softener – will be determined by the type of water softener, the amount of water to be treated, the flow rate and the hardness of the water. For instance Pristine Water Services’ “17 series” water softener will treat 17,000 litres of water at 100ppm hardness before it needs regeneration*. Their flow rate capability is 25-30 litres per minute. If you need a higher flow rate or increased softening capacity between regenerations you’ll need a bigger water softener. Pristine Water Systems will advise you on which model best suits your needs. There are models to suit all requirements – domestic and commercial.

*“Regeneration” means passing a brine solution through the softener to release accumulated hardness salts (that the softener has removed) so that the softener can continue to treat water for another preset volume – this process is automatically controlled. It’s a bit like a mobile phone – you re-charge it so that it can continue to do its job.

Regeneration can be fully automatic (microprocessor volume control) or semi-automatic (manually activated). Automatic models count down the volume of water that is being treated by the softener. When capacity is nearing exhaustion, the softener “parks” itself in standby mode to automatically regenerate at the next pre-set time. This normally occurs at 2.00AM when water use is likely to be minimal. With semi-automatic models you activate regeneration by turning a mechanical timer to a marked setting. The timer turns itself off automatically when regeneration is complete (hence semi-automatic) and returns the softener to service.

NOTE: While the softener is regenerating it is not producing soft water. There are however twin column options that provide uninterrupted flows of soft water 24/7. 

It is important to note that the softening process does not add salt to the treated water. Brine is used only as a regenerant and washed from the softener before it returns to service. This happens automatically as part of the regeneration process – both types.

Some models are designed to both soften water and to remove iron and other stain causing metals.