Home Water Testing Tips

Your drinking water’s quality is important. It may look nice and clear to you and it may even taste great.

There could be minuscule bacteria or other undesirable elements lurking that you can’t necessarily see. Testing yourself at home can be the first step in determining what to do about it.

If there is anything in your water that doesn’t belong there, you can usually install a water filtration system in your house that will take care of most of the problem, if not all.

If you live in a place that provides water to you through a common pipeline there can be chlorine, fluoride, and other additives that you may not want in your diet. You can get a Consumer Confidence Report, which is required by law if you request one. This will give you the details of the water flowing into your home.

A simple home test is to fill a clear glass with water from your tap. Hold it up to good light and take a look to see if it’s clear. There may be tiny specs of material floating around in it. That could be minerals or sediment, both of which can cause kidney stones and other health concerns.

Rotten egg smells, for example, indicate sulfur and you should call the city to report it.
The water should be tested professionally

If your water has an odor to it, there could be a problem. Rotten egg smells, for example, indicate sulfur and you should call the city to report it. The water should be tested professionally. Look for blue, brown, red, or green stains in the toilet or tub, which is another indicator.

If you don’t have city water but own your well there could be a number of problems with old pipe that is letting the surrounding ground dirt seep into it. The pipes themselves could be corroding with time and adding their own flake off into the water. Testing in that case can be done by a home test kit, available at the home improvement stores. For more accurate testing you can have it tested by a lab. If you have a county extension office nearby they can tell you of a reputable testing company that will charge a small fee to give you a very accurate reading.

As the owner of a well you are the only one that will be concerned about your water quality. It’s important to test the water when you move in. Then have it tested for herbicides, coliforms, nitrates, lead, and total dissolved solids, all of which you will need to address if present.

Tagged with: Home Water Testing

Filed under: Water Articles

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