Which Water Testing Kits are Best for You?
water drop
Is your water safe to drink? How can you tell?
Sure, if the water is cloudy, or smells bad, you know right away that something is wrong. Unfortunately, your water can be crystal clear and have no detectable odors – and still not be safe. Many contaminants can do damage even in very minute concentrations. You can’t see them and you can’t smell them but they are there.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I drink tap water. I believe that most municipal water supplies are very safe, and that they supply a quality product to your tap. I think the whole bottled water business is crazy. Even some celebrities are joining the fight against the ubiquitous bottle. I believe it’s far more important to preserve the watershed. But I’m lucky. I live in the Pacific Northwest where we have abundant rainfall, excellent watersheds, and quality water management processes in place at the municipal level.
Not all of us are that fortunate.
If you live in a heavily industrialized area, or if you live in major farming or agricultural areas, you may have a problem with your water supply. Industry contributes to water pollution in obvious ways. Chemical runoff leaches into the water supply. Once in the water, many chemicals are difficult to detect, and even more difficult to remove. Agriculture is a big polluter, too. Not only chemicals from herbicides, insecticides and fertilizer, but also bio-waste from feedlots, and other animal production facilities can flow into river systems and leach into the groundwater.
This is especially serious if you get your water supply from a river, or from wells that tap into the groundwater system. In either of these situations, regular testing of your water supply is probably a good idea.
That is where water testing kits come in.
Water analysis kits online range in price from $10 to $199. The sophistication of the test obviously varies with the price. Some tests can be completed at home, while others require you to send your water sample to a lab for testing. Some test for vague “water quality” while others test for specific biological or chemical contaminants such as pesticides and fertilizers (nitrates). I would avoid the cheapest tests. They are unlikely to give you much information, and they are probably not as accurate as the mid-range to high tests.
My recommendation? Unless you specifically believe that your water supply is contaminated with high levels of pesticides or other dangerous chemicals, your main concern should be bacterial contamination. Make sure the water test you choose can identify levels of coliform bacteria (E-coli). There are forms of E-coli that can kill susceptible individuals, and even permanently damage healthy people if found in sufficient quantities. Most E-coli water contamination will come from agricultural sources, but there have also been cases where water treatment plants have not monitored water quality closely enough.
As for chemical contamination, unless you have other indicators such as known industrial spills into the water system, don’t worry too much about doing a test. Concentrate instead on working with you community to build a better watershed for the future.
December 29th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
I am glad to see your reference to the questionable fashion of bottled water in areas where the tap water is fine. That bottle consumes fossil fuels to be manufactured, to be transported, and eventually to be melted down again (assuming you recycled it). Even if you don’t see bottled water as a waste of your money, that money would be better spent on a home filtration system that would cost a lot less in the long run and have far less impact on the environment. A simple water test could save you enough to pay for itself in the first month. While you’re at it, don’t forget to test the water that comes in the bottle… you might be surprised at what you find!