The answer to this question depends on several factors. It concerns your health and the health of your family, so you need to know some basic facts. Do you suspect lead may be in some of your household plumbing materials and water service lines?
In addition to illness, a variety of less serious problems such as taste, color, odor and staining of clothes or fixtures are signs of possible water quality problems. Other things to think about include the nearness of your water well to septic systems and the composition of your home’s plumbing materials.Regardless of your water source, here are two situations that may require testing:
•Most water systems test for lead as a regular part of water monitoring. These tests give a system-wide picture, but do not reflect conditions at a specific household faucet.
•If you want to know if your home's drinking water contains unsafe levels of lead, have your water tested. Testing is the only way to confirm if lead is present or absent.
•Some faucet and pitcher filters can remove lead from drinking water. If you use a filter to remove lead, be sure you get one that is certified to remove lead by NSF International.
•For more information, visit www.epa.gov/safewater, or call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
If your drinking water does not come from a public water system, or you get your drinking water from a household well, you alone are responsible for assuring that it is safe.
For this reason, routine testing for a few of the most common contaminants is highly recommended. Even if you currently have a safe, pure water supply, regular testing can be valuable because it establishes a record of water quality. This record is helpful in solving any future problems and in obtaining compensation if someone damages your water supply.
Testing frequency:
Test your private well annually for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH levels. If you suspect the presence of other contaminants, you should test for those also. You can also contact your local health department to find out what substances may be common in your area's groundwater.
You may want to test more frequently if small children or elderly adults live in your house or if someone in your house is pregnant or nursing. These segments of the population are often more vulnerable to pollutants than others.
You should also test your private well immediately if:
•There are known problems with ground water or drinking water in your area
•Conditions near your well have changed significantly (i.e. flooding, land disturbances, and new construction or industrial activity)
•You replace or repair any part of your well system.
•You notice a change in your water quality (i.e. odor, color, taste).
In addition, well owners should also determine if the ground water you rely on for household use is under direct influence from surface water. Ground water under the direct influence of surface water is susceptible to contamination from activities on the surface. Direct influence is determined on a site by site basis under state program criteria. To find a state agency to contact, please click here.
We offer a basic package for testing that includes the parameters noted in the table below. These tests cover the more commonly requested parameters in drinking water.
| Parameter | Cost |
|---|
| Basic Package: Hardness, Nitrate, Nitrite, pH, Arsenic, Iron, Lead, Manganese, Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium | $124.00 |
If you require specific tests, you can select from our ala carte menu:
| Total Coliform | $75.00 |
| Alkalinity | $10.00 |
| Hardness | $10.00 |
| Nitrate | $13.00 |
| Nitrite | $13.00 |
| pH | $15.00 |
| Turbidity | $10.00 |
| Lead | $30.00 |
| Metals: Arsenic, Iron, and Manganese | $50.00 |
| Minerals: Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium | $60.00 |
| Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) includes 36 distinct compounds | $90.00 |
| Sample Bottle Shipment (If needed) | $30.00 |
Which tests should you select? First Environmental is unable to provide you with medical advice or water treatment advice. What we do provide is fast and accurate laboratory data that can assist the experts in those areas.
The following is a summary of each of the parameters in the basic list. To find out more information, go to water.epa.gov where there is a wealth of information concerning private well water and drinking water.
Total Coliform bacteria are used to indicate whether other potentially harmful bacteria may be present. Coliforms are naturally present in the environment as well as in feces. Fecal coliforms and E. coli only come from human and animal fecal waste.
Hardness measures the soap-consuming capacity and scale-forming tendencies of the water supply. Total hardness is expressed as mg/L (ppm). Hardness is directly related to the amount of calcium and magnesium in the water.
pH is a measurement of how alkaline or acidic the water is. A pH of 7 is considered neutral. pH values below 7 are acidic and values above 7 are alkaline (basic). The typical safe range for drinking water is 6.5 to 8.5
Nitrates: The greatest use of nitrates is as a fertilizer. Infants below six months who drink water containing nitrate in excess of the maximum contaminant level (MCL) could become seriously ill and, if not untreated, may die. The EPA has set the MCL at 10mg/L
Arsenic: Some people who drink water containing arsenic in excess of the MCL for many years could experience skin damage or problems with their circulatory system, and may have an increased risk of getting caner. The EPA has set the MCL at 0.010 mg/L.
Lead is a toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around homes. Even at low levels, lead may cause a range of health effects including behavioral problems and learning disabilities. Children six years old and under are most at risk because this is when the brain is developing. One source of lead exposure in drinking water is from lead-solder pipes in older homes. The EPA has set an action level of 0.015 mg/L for lead.
Iron and manganese may cause staining in corrosive water and will not only affect the aesthetic quality of water, but may also have significant economic implications. Iron and manganese may stain household fixtures, impart an objectionable metallic taste or cause a rusty color to the water supply.
Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium are mineral elements whose concentrations affect the total hardness of the water. scale, caused by hard water, is a mineral deposit which builds up on the insides of pipes restricting or even blocking the water flow.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) This test will check for thirty-six different organic chemicals which are associated with industrial solvents, landfills, leaking underground storage tanks, gasoline, dry cleaning solvents and degreasing solvents. If you live near a current or former commercial or industrial area, gas station, or landfill, and especially if your well is old or shallow, you should consider having your water tested for VOCs periodically.
How do you get started? Stop in any time Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm to pick up clean sampling bottles. (Please note: Some of the tests noted above require special containers to collect your sample.) The cost of the sampling bottle is included in the prices noted above. We will also supply you with instructions on collecting your sample.
After your has been collected, return it to the lab along with your payment and we will have results for you in approximately two weeks.
