Ground Currents in Residential Water Pipes

Ground Currents in Residential Water Pipes (24-h currents of 74 Denver homes) were correlated with average spot magnetic field measures in the living areas of cancer victims. Twenty-two homes had an average current less than 0.1 A (ampere), 34 had average currents between 0.1 and 1.0 A, and 18 had average currents over 1.0 A. Water pipe currents were lowest in homes with underground wiring and appeared to be similar in all homes with overhead wiring regardless of wire code.

• The similarity of average current carried on LCC and HCC water pipes is not surprising since nearly all primary (utility) neutrals are grounded to the water system in a grounded-Y distribution system used by Consumers Energy and Rural Electric Cooperatives (REA) throughout the country.
• Current on water pipes is from the utility neutral-to- ground. Its bonding to water pipes and to the common secondary neutral in the fuse box or circuit breaker panel distributes primary neutral current throughout the building and premises.
• Harmonics are produced from nonlinear loads in primary neutral lines by capacitor switching, in secondary (users) non-linear loads produced by switch mode electronic devices, converters, and rectifiers which change alternat- ing current (AC) to direct current (DC), and DC to AC, at various frequencies as required for the particular use.
• The transformer packs that are plugged into the wall outlet, or concealed inside of computers, monitors, printers, and copy machines, variable speed motors, battery chargers, television, computer games, ballasts in some halogen lights, dimmer switches, MRI, and hundreds of electronic control systems may permeate the living environment with EMF.  All produce harmonics which return exclusively on the neutral conductor and are transferred to water lines via bonding.
• Non-linear loads produced on single-phase lines are combined in the neutral conductor of a three-phase line and form triplen harmonics (odd-numbered multiples of the 3rd harmonic, i.e, 3rd, 9th, 15th, 21st, etc.). Thus, sharing of the common neutral by single phase and 3-phase lines assures distribution of the harmonics to all users.
• Odd numbered, 3rd, 5th, and 7th harmonics, and triplens measured from step potential electrodes grouted into the floor (distance between front and rear feet) in cow-stalls, were negatively correlated with milk production of dairy cows in a study of problem herds in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota [10].