Testing Your Drinking Water
As the new year begins, and the seasons take full effect, you can’t help but wonder “how the environment is affecting your home?” Specifically, the piping your drinking water runs through. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), if you are using a private water supply (Well Water) for your drinking water you should, “Test water every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH levels, especially if you have a new well, or have replaced or repaired pipes, pumps or the well casing” (EPA Home Water Testing).
If you are on a public water supply (Potable Water) you probably have received a letter or email from the community where you live in. This letter is a called a Consumer Confidence Report and lets you know about your local drinking water quality. This report provides information about possible contaminants found in drinking water, potential health effects, as well as the drinking water source.
Speaking about contaminants in drinking water, contamination can come from a variety of locations and events. Some of the more common sources of contamination found in drinking water come from runoffs from fertilizer use such as herbicides, discharge from industrial factories and chemical factories, erosion from natural deposits, corrosion from household plumbing, and discharge from mills and refineries.
For homeowners, we understand that testing your drinking water is not always top priority, but here are two situations where it would be crucial to test your drinking water. One situation would be of your house was built before 1986. This date is important because up to 1986, contractors were installing lead pipes in homes. Over the years, the lead piping has started to erode and leach out into the drinking water.
The Second situation when you should test your home drinking water is if you have infants and children six years or younger. Infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the action level could experience delays in their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure.
Although the main sources of exposure to lead are ingesting paint chips and inhaling dust, EPA estimates that 10 to 20 percent of human exposure to lead may come from lead in drinking water. Infants who consume mostly mixed formula can receive 40 to 60 percent of their exposure to lead from drinking water. Do not wait, Suburban Laboratories offers a testing kit for lead. Click the link to see how we can help (Lead in Homes).
Suburban Laboratories is here to help. With being in business since 1936, we have developed testing kits and packages based on the contaminants most commonly found in drinking water. We have also come up with some frequently asked questions that may be helpful in your search in determining if your drinking water is safe. Click the link to see if you have the same questions (FAQ). If you have any questions at all, feel free to reach out to Suburban Laboratories and a project manager will be more than happy to assist you.