Question: What do you do if there`s bugs or ammonia in the water.

Ann Reen answered on 11 Nov 2019:

Good Question! Well if there are bugs in drinking water then one of two things might be applicable – increase the level chlorine in the water as chlorine kills bugs but gives a bad taste to the water! Or pass the water through a UV filter which also kills the bugs. One might also do a bit of investigative work to see if there is anything around the source of the water supply that results in the bugs e.g is there a septic tank close to the well and maybe the well is not adequately protected from the septic tank. Wells should be lined & a cap put on it to prevent contamination entering the well.

High levels of ammonia are common in rivers/lake water. The source of ammonia is usually from agriculture e.g piggeries, dairies etc or discharges from wastewater treatment plants. Farmers might spread slurry on a field near a river and following the spread of slurry there could be heavy rainfall. This results in the slurry washing into the river/lake. Slurry contains ammonia. Thats why farmers should take note of the weather before spreading slurry and avoid spreading slurry when the forecast is for heavy rain. There are guidelines called the “Good Agricultural Practice Guidelines” that advise farmers on how best to spread slurry to avoid pollution.

Wastewater treatment plants have aerobic degradation of the waste which breaks the ammonia down thus avoiding high discharge of ammonia into the receiving waterbody.