How do you remove arsenic from water?

To remove arsenic from water, first determine the variety of arsenic in the water. Choose among several types of treatment systems, and then have a system installed and perform regular maintenance. You need a laboratory to conduct the appropriate testing and a professional water treatment company to install an overall treatment system. The process should take a few weeks.

1. Determine the arsenic species

   Two species of arsenic exist in water: arsenic 3 and arsenic 5. Arsenic 3 must be changed to arsenic 5 before it can be removed from water. Check with a laboratory to determine how much of each type of arsenic your water contains. If your water has arsenic 3, find a professional water treatment company to install a pre-oxidation system to convert the arsenic 3 before the water goes through a home filtering system.

2. Choose a treatment type

   Select either a treatment system that is connected to the kitchen tap or a whole-house system. In addition, choose among possible removal methods for arsenic: reverse osmosis, filters or anion exchange. Install the system you choose or have a professional do it.

3. Perform regular maintenance

   Consult the product manual that comes with your water treatment system for maintenance requirements. Change filters and conduct other maintenance tasks as the manual recommends or hire a professional to do it. Filters that are not changed at recommended intervals can make an arsenic problem worse.