How To Get Your Water Tested A Proven And Confirmed Easy Way
The answer to the question depends on some factors. This is up to the health and the health of your family; therefore you need to know some facts.
Along with illness, some fewer types of problems like color, taste, staining of clothes and odor or fixtures are the mark of possible water quality problems.
The other things of the water system are septic systems; composition of your home’s plumbing materials. The fact of the paper gives information to aid you to decide if or not your water tested or suggested for the situation.
Is my water safe to drink?
Test the water in a certified laboratory. Then you can be sure that your drinking water is safe and drinkable. Dangerous parasites, bacteria, and viruses aren’t visible in open eyes.
So the water that looks good isn’t safe and pure in a sense. This water isn’t safe to drink.
Microbes are found in groundwater and surface water supplies. Contaminated water causes instantaneous sickness for humans when not accurately treated.
Some chemical contaminants are found in a water source which causes permanent health problems. It takes lots of time to develop it. Continuous testing of water detects unsafe water.
Moreover, it ensures the treatment system is working correctly to get a pleasing level.
What tests should I have done?
You get useful tests which will determine the water is healthy or safe. It measures the performance of water treatment system.
Local Health Department may help you to choose tests which are important for assessing drinking water.
Basic water portability
The names of the basic water portability are pH, nitrates, coliform bacteria, hardness, total dissolved solids, manganese, iron, sulfate, fluoride, chloride, and sodium.
Coliform Bacteria implies the presence of microorganisms in water which is very harmful to human health.
Nitrate is a usual pollutant found in groundwater. High nitrate concentration is dangerous for babies who are under 6. The reason is that nitrate interferes with the power of blood to bring oxygen.
Ions like chloride, sodium, iron, Sulphate, and manganese impart offensive odor and taste of water.
More amount of sulfate cause gastrointestinal irritation and laxative effects.
Fluoride is an important element for micro-nutrient. But a huge amount of fluoride can cause dental problems.
Total dissolved solids
TDS implies the measurement of an inorganic substance dissolved in water. High TDS reduces the tastiness of water.
One can do other tests if he or she suspects particular contaminants in existing water. Suppose, the water of ground sources are tested for selenium, arsenic, and uranium.
Both groundwater and surface water sources are tested for pesticides pollutants.
National Testing Laboratories
It is offering affordable drinking water testing for homeowners for more than twenty-five years.
Water comes from the public water supply or the private well; we give home water testing packages mainly made for testing both types of water supplies. We answer the question.
Well Water Testing for Homeowners
Private Wells are usually unregulated; as a result, the owner must be sure that the water coming from them is safe to drink or consumption. Most of the wells are tested in time but more likely testing for bacteria.
Bacteria create rapid or immediate health risk though other causes illness if someone exposes small amount for a long time- Arsenic and Uranium are two examples.
City Water Testing for Homeowners
Public water suppliers are responsible for testing water quality since it keeps water treatment facility.
The treated water goes through potential miles of pipes by the distribution system- some of which carries copper and leads, do not need to mention some are very old and develops cracks that may potentially expose the water to other contamination.
Research Specific Contaminants
If you have water data for the first time, you may move ahead further and see every chemical of concern in EWG’s chemical database or the list of EPA of water contamination.
The Water Quality Association has some interesting information for emerging pollutants.
But do not get much work- the Community presents companies which make money from water testing. Therefore it has a vested interest in making you worried.
If Your Water Comes From a Well…
If your water comes from a community or a private well, you have to get an extra digging.
The EPA has a comprehensive state-by-state guide for private drinking water wells throughout the country; it is ridiculously inconsistent.
When the link of your state does not agree to a helpful page, make contact with the government directly to notice if they have more updated information.
DIY Water Testing
If you do not test the water, there is no proper way to say that the water is safe to drink.
Begin by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline that is added to the local water testing agency. You may find the Water Quality Association’s search page to get an approved testing company in your local area.
Find the Environmental Working Group’s National Drinking Water Database
The Watchdog agency takes up a handy-dandy database of water standard reports, examined by Water Company and zip code.
The consequence may be scary for the first time. The reason is the EWG highlights chemicals which are found in the health mentioned above limits.
The EWG’s data has many chemicals which are not regulated- means that chemical for which the EPA has not adjusted the legal limits.
For these types of chemicals, it applies zero as the baseline, so the water holds some chemicals is flagged.
The topmost system is to apply the EWG report to compare the legal limit column with the healthy limit column.
As the numbers are creeping close, it may cause for alarm. You are going to get very low PPB level of a contaminant; this is not likely all worrisome.