Test Water Purity
In an age when bottled water is readily available, many people are wary of what comes from their kitchen faucet. Given that drinking tap water is far less expensive than regularly buying bottled water, it is worthwhile to find out what is coming from the tap at the kitchen sink and whether or not it is healthy to drink. Contaminates typically found in tap water include mercury, copper, microorganisms, and numerous kinds of disinfectants, fertilizers, and medications. Understand how to test water purity via the three main testing procedures: with a test kit, with tests run by your water supplier, or by a professional laboratory.
Contents
Steps
Test It Yourself
- Fill a clean, clear glass with water from your tap.
- Hold the glass up to the light and take a look at the water. Is it clear or cloudy? Can you see particles floating in the water or settling to the bottom of the glass? Anything other than clear liquid could be a sign of bacterial or particulate contamination.
- Smell the water. Does it smell like rotten eggs, a swimming pool, nail polish remover, or anything else unpleasant? These odors could indicate the presence of high chlorine content, organic solvents, or naturally-occurring sulfur.
- Buy a water purity test kit, which can be purchased online or at a local hardware store. The tests typically measure chlorine, nitrates and nitrites, minerals such as iron, copper, and lead, and the hardness of your water. The results will be more accurate than you can get by simply looking at your water.
- Water purity test kits typically cost less than $40.
- Test kits are not difficult to read. For the test itself, you'll dip test strips into your water. Your kit will come with a chart that will help you read the test strips and determine what is in your water. Not only will you be able to see what kinds of contaminates may be in your water, you will also be able to see if they are present in safe or dangerous levels. Based on the results of your test kit, you may want to purchase a water filtering system for your home or call your water utility for other options on purifying your water.
Check Test Results from the Water Supplier
- Call your water supplier to see if they perform regular tests on the water they supply to you.
- In the United States, the government mandates that water utilities regularly perform a series of tests on the water. The testing results are published in the Consumer Confidence Report, which you can get from your water utility.
- Other locations and countries may have similar testing requirements. Contact your water supplier for more information.
- Obtain any results from the supplier and check it for problems with water quality.
- To read your report, consult the guide that will come with it. Based on the results of this testing you can call the EPA hotline number you'll find in the report to inquire about measures being taken to ensure the quality of your water if the report reflects a dangerous level of contaminates.
Get Professional Testing
- Identify laboratories that can perform the tests you desire. Check with your local health department for a list of qualified labs.
- Take one or more samples of your water for testing. Follow the directions from the laboratory on how to take the samples and prepare them for transportation to the laboratory. You do not want to provide contaminated or otherwise compromised water samples for testing.
- Mail or take the sample(s) of your water to the laboratory for analysis.
- Based on results, buy a home water filtering system or talk to someone at your water utility for other purifying options they can recommend.
Tips
- Attend local public forums to voice your opinion, and to do your part in holding officials responsible for water quality.
- In many locales, water testing is free.
- Do your own part to ensure the quality of water in your area by recycling motor oil, minimizing your use of pesticides, and making it a point to keep toxic products away from water resources. Do not dump unused prescriptions and over-the-counter medications into sinks or toilets. Check with your water supplier to find out how to dispose of them safely.
Warnings
- Be aware that if you use well water, Consumer Confidence Reports are not available to you so purchasing a home water purity test or taking a sample to a lab are solid options for you.
- Test the water before drinking it when you move to a new home.
- Visual and olfactory examination and home test kits do not offer the most definitive answers to water quality. Only a lab will be able to give you the most accurate answers.
- While lab analysis may provide the most conclusive report on your water purity, it will take longer to receive your results than using a home kit.
