Do you suspect that your water may contain unhealthy levels of contaminants?
For the public's protection, Congress enacted the Clean Water Drinking Act
in 1974 and strengthened it in 1986, setting minimum water quality standards
for most homeowners. Unfortunately, however, there is no guarantee that
all utilities comply with the regulations. Enforcement is difficult on national,
state and local levels; not all known contaminants are on the list; and
all testing isn't necessarily accurate.
Fortunately our biggest water suppliers, large metropolitan systems, tend
to have the best drinking water because they have the equipment and resources
for frequent, mandated testing--the frequency of testing depends on the
number of people served. It's also somewhat reassuring to know that, when
something does go wrong, utilities are required to notify their customers.
Wells are another story. Private wells and systems that serve fewer than
25 people or 15 service connections are regulated only by state and local
laws or by their owners.
Unless issued by your local health department, avoid "free home water
testing" offers--they are normally a come-on to get you to buy water
treatment devices after a couple of carefully staged tests. The only way
to be sure that your water has certain harmful pollutants is to have it
tested by an independent lab.
Unfortunately, you must test for each type of pollutant separately, which
can be very expensive. If you get your water from a municipal utility, quality
can change daily so most tests are worthless--and usually unnecessary. Nevertheless,
it may be a good idea to check for lead because lead can leach into the
water from old lead-based plumbing.
You can also discover plenty of information without testing. Call your health
department or water supplier and request copies of water treatment reports
and note any violations. Find out the frequency and scope of the tests.
Ask whether your area is known for any special hazards, especially those
that might enter water between the treatment plant and your tap.
If you have a well, at the very least check it once for mineral content,
lead and radon (where radon is a threat) and once or twice a year for bacteria
and nitrate. If you have concerns about contaminants in well water, contact
your local health department for recommendations. They may handle certain
tests, such as bacterial testing. A partial chemical test that will detect
magnesium, calcium, sodium, iron, fluoride, chloride and nitrate is usually
relatively affordable. To look for chemicals such as solvents, pesticides
and petroleum products can be very expensive, because each requires its
own test.
Find an independent testing lab by asking your water utility or the state
health department for a recommendation or looking under "Laboratories"
in the Yellow Pages. Or you can contact one of the mail-order laboratories
that specialize in water analysis at an affordable price, such as National
Testing Labs (800-458-3330) or Suburban Water Testing (800-433-6595). They
will send you the proper supplies and instructions for collecting a sample,
which you mail back. A lead-only test costs about $35; a comprehensive test
for bacteria, organics and inorganics runs from $139 to $145.
--Don Vandervort
