~ by Vicki Coltey, Residential Sales Manager
I have found in the 19+ years of working in the water industry that one size does not fit all. Many prospective clients ask me about the potassium permanganate (aka Pot Perm) system as a solution to their water problems. This system is designed to oxidize metals such as arsenic, iron and manganese and then filter them out of your water. It is also designed to remove hydrogen sulfide as well. Yes, the system can actually do this! However, I have not seen consistent high quality water produced when trying to mitigate a multitude of problems with one unit. A one-size fits all system design produces issues a lot like most systems on the market. Sometimes, the issues are the application. The tank could be too small, which would mean flow to the home would be restricted or it may pull the water through the system faster than we could treat. The tank could be too large, which would mean that in order to properly backwash, we may need more gallons per minute of water than your well and pump can produce.
When a backwash system (PotPerm) fails because of an improper installati
on we definitely get the calls from unhappy people using other systems. Why? Because potassium permanganate is colored purple and when the system does not backwash properly you’ll actually wind up with neon pink water coming out of your faucets. This can be quite scary for people especially when they have read the potassium permanganate container where it is stated not to get it in your eyes or to ingest. 
Another issue I have found occurs when you mix the potassium permanganate powder when mixed with water becomes very sticky. This can interfere with the mechanics of the system. It’s only a matter of time before some parts get stuck and you have have a purple flood on your hands. Lots of people like the color purple but not when it’s 2 inches deep all over their basement!
Because of the issues I list here, I would not choose to install a green sand filter that uses potassium permanganate to regenerate. I like to solve people’s water problems with systems that are user friendly and produce high quality water at the turn of the tap without the worries of what can go wrong at any time.
You may say “Well why don’t you size it properly?” Even if you do the proper pump test and spec everything right – what do you think will happen with time? The pump starts to weaken and the system will not get the water it needs. Or the homeowner may put a bit too much Pot Perm in the brine drum. And even if all of that doesn’t happen we can still get that nasty purple flood.
So, with that being said there are many ways to treat water issues with a safe, reliable and efficient solution.
We are happy to provide you with a free water test at your convenience.
