At our March 98 Meeting, Dr. J. Weber of
EBMUD gave a talk to the membership about water quality
issues in brewing. Below is a handout of some of the
slides she used in her presentation.
EBMUD:
Water Treatment &
Water Quality
Presentation to
The Draught Board Homebrew Club
of San Leandro, CA
Dr. Jeannette V. Weber
|
Today's
Topics
|
Current
Local WQ Issues
- EBMUD's Chloramination Conversion
- Linkage between Tap Water &
Miscarriages
- MTBE
- Cryptosporidium
|
Why
Chloramination?
Better Tasting Water!!!
plus...
- Longer lasting residual in the
distribution system
- Compliance with anticipated revised
federal regulation
|
Some temporary effects
during the conversion
- Some reddish discoloration
|
What
are Chloramines?
- A disinfectant consisting primarily of
monochlamines, NH2Cl
- Produced by mixing a ratio of 3 parts
chlorine to 1 part ammonia.
- Used by ~20% U.S. Water Agencies
|
Some
Facts about Chloramines
- Will not dissipate with aeration,
boiling, or standing.
- Minimally reduced by filtration through
an activated charcol (absorption filter
like Brita)
- Can be neutralized by water treatment
products (e.g. AmQuel) and some carbon
filters or biological filters
|
Activated
Carbon Filters: What can they do for you?
- Remove organic compounds
- Some will remove lead copper
- Will not remove micro organisms
- Will remove a minimum amount of
chloramines
|
Areas
of Concern
- Kidney Dialysis Facilities
- Fish Tank or Koi pond owners
WHY?
Chloramines will bind with
hemoglobin in reb blood cells, reducing their
capacity to carry oxygen
|
Chloramine
effect on brewing?
Minimal
WHY?
- Chloramine concentration in water is low
- Chloramine will break down during the
boiling
|
Ion
Table:
Ideal Concentrations in
Beer
| Ion Calcium
Magnesium
Carbonate
Bicarbonate
Sodium
Chloride
Sulfate
|
ppm 50-150
1- 30
50
50
30 -100
Up to 350
Up to 150
|
|
Resources
- Handout on websites
- EBMUD Public Affairs Office 287-1380
- EBMUD Labroatory Services Division
287-1548 Jeanette Weber
- California Department of Health Services
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