To answer the question should i have my water tested.
How do i test my home water quality.
The epa environmental protection agency says you should consider several factors.
Every water supplier is required to offer a consumer confidence report ccr to provide information about the quality of the water in your area check online on the epa website and search for you local water system provider or check the website of your city s water provider to see the report.
Water from a utility can spend 3 7 days traveling through old pipes before reaching your home where plumbing and fixtures can also influence water quality.
You can test your water yourself or have a professional lab or service do it for you.
Several water quality indicators wqis and contaminants that should be tested for in your water are listed below.
Because concerns about environmental safety our air land water are paramount today many of us choose to test our tap water.
This data is compiled in the form of a water quality report you can test the quality of your water by obtaining a copy of this report.
What to test for.
As an individual water system owner it is up to you to make sure that your water is safe to drink.
If you re on well water you won t get a ccr so you should get your water tested.
Since some contaminant testing can be expensive spend some time identifying potential problems.
An annual water quality report also known as a consumer confi dence report.
Even if your.
If you suspect other contaminants test for those too.
Normally you will receive it with your water bill once a year in july.
Always use a state certified laboratory that conducts drinking water tests.
That s also a good idea if your home was built before lead free pipes were mandated in 1986.
Obtain a water quality report for your neighborhood.
To do this simply contact your local municipality.
The report contains information on contaminants found possible health effects and the water s source.
A wqi test is a test that measures the presence and amount of certain germs in water.
Local water municipalities are required to test water quality regularly and to make the results public and available each year.
Water testing kits are an easy way to gain valuable insight into the quality of the water you rely upon for drinking cooking bathing laundry and more.
Basic kits usually test for bacteria lead nitrates nitrites pesticides chlorine hardness and ph.
Do i need to test the water quality of my home.
This report will contain the average.
These kits generally use either test strips submerged into a water sample or drops that react with various contaminants if present.
Test city water we ve tested our water every year for 20 years and the tap score was the first test i can honestly say i fully understood.