Having your drinking water tested should be an educational and hopefully enjoyable experience, but let's face it you're a busy person and you don't have a lot of time to figure out what questions you should ask once you decide to have your water tested. The goal of this web site is to get you the information you need so that you can make an informed decision.
There are generally five main questions that you should ask when testing your water:
What should I test my water for?
This question can have many different answers and will likely vary from one individual to the next. The quality of the water that you consume depends on many different factors. Factors such as geology, geography, water treatment processes, local regulations, and weather patterns are only a few of the things that can effect the quality of your drinking water.
For example if you have a well and you live in a rural area it is a good idea to have your water tested for things such as pesticides, herbicides, and nitrates. If you are connected to a municipal source that chlorinates (and most do) you would want to pay attention to a group of compounds known as Trihalomethanes (THM's). Now let me stress to you that YOU SHOULD NOT LET ANYONE SCARE YOU INTO TESTING YOUR WATER. Most municipalities do an excellent job and have very high quality water that goes through their distribution system. Often times you can call your municipality and get data about the water that they are producing. One thing to bear in mind though is that there is no guarantee that water leaving the treatment plant will be of the same quality once it comes out of your faucet. One of the reasons for this is that the municipality does not have control over the entire distribution system. Once that water enters your house there is a lot of pipe that the water still has to travel through before it comes out of your tap. If your pipes were put together using lead solder you could have a potential problem.
The best thing to do is to ask yourself what it is you are trying to accomplish by testing your water. If you are curious about the overall quality of the water then you should get a wider range of testing done. If you need to find out something specific then you can narrow down the testing that you need. For instance, if you are selling your home you may be required to have your water tested for Total Coliforms. If that is all you need then that is all you should get. Be wary of anyone trying to scare you into paying for testing that you don't need. That being said let me also say (so as to cover myself legally :-) ) that no one can really say that your water is safe without testing. The other thing to bear in mind when you get your water tested is that when you test your water you will get data that pertains only to the analysis that was done. In other words let's say you get a lead test done and it comes back clean. That does not necessarily mean that your water is safe to drink, it means that your water meets the standards as set forth by the EPA for lead. Does this mean that I am trying to scare you into getting more testing done? No, what all this means is that you need to define a comfort level for yourself. How much information do YOU need to have in order to sleep better at night. Don't let anyone define that comfort level for you.
How much is that going to cost me?
This will depend on the range of testing that you do and where you have it tested. I'll answer the easy part of this question first. If you get you water tested at a lab other than National Testing Laboratories it will likely cost you significantly more. The reason for this is that NTL specializes in drinking water. It's the only kind of testing that we do. That being the case we have been able to streamline our labs in order to get the cost down and the quality up.
If you were to get a water analysis you would have more than 70 parameters analyzed including
Bacterialogical
Metals
Inorganic and Physical Properties
THM's
VOC's
ANALYTICAL PROGRAM:
Water System Evaluation
This water system evaluation is designed to give the private well owner an economical series of chemical and bacteriological tests, which allows him to make decisions as to the water's quality and suitability for human and livestock consumption and for lawn and garden irrigation. In most cases the water chemistry, chemical composition of the water, stays fairly constant; however, it is recommended that the bacteriological test be conducted frequently. If the well is shallow and/or there is a history of bacterial contamination, the water should be sampled for total coliform analysis (BacT) in the late spring, and again in mid summer, and then late fall.
Evaluation Description:
A site visit will be made to evaluate the well, sourcewater protection, and a determination of the type of tests that will be required. Water samples will be taken for analysis. After the water is analyzed, a report will be submitted with the analyzed data and recommendations concerning the quality of the water. Recommendations will also be made and options to improve water quality if warranted. The objective of this evaluation is to provide the analytical testing and interpretation of results necessary to meet specified requirements of the well owner. The water sample matrix, analysis being determined, the required sensitivity, the precision and accuracy of the determination will determine which method, unofficial or EPA certified analytical service, will be used. Consideration will also be given to specific requirements and guidelines imposed by regulatory agency like County, State, or EPA.
A typical water analysis on a water sample is approximately $60. However, a water sample matrix, the number of analyses being determined, the required sensitivity, the precision and accuracy of the determination will determine which of the analytical techniques will be used and the cost. The cost for a full groundwater evaluation is approximately $300. This includes the cost for the site visit, determine analytical testing, water sampling/collection/submission, and travel. Additional cost of $150, will be incurred for Microscopic Particulate Analysis (MPA) testing.
Our current price for the water analysis is $150.00 (return shipping is not included). When you place an order we send you a sampling kit that contains sampling instructions, sampling containers, and all of the necessary paperwork. Once you've filled the bottles according to the instructions and completed the paperwork, you simply put the bottles and paperwork back into the kit and send it back to us using your favorite overnight carrier. The water analysis is also available with pesticides, herbicides and PCB's. The cost of the complete test is $175.00.
We have other water analysis to offer you but rather than filling up your browser cache I would encourage you to call:-) (1-307-875-4200) or mike@fascination.com
How long will it take for me to get my results?
The answer to this question surprises a lot of people so I will also explain all that goes into getting a report to you. Generally speaking it takes about three weeks from the time you send in your water to the time you receive a report. The reason for this is that there are a lot of factors that go into issuing you a report other than simply analyzing your water. The first step after you have sampled your water and filled out your paperwork is that you must send the sample in to us. If you use an overnight carrier as we strongly urge you to do then that adds only one day to the process. After we receive your sample it must be analyzed. If you were to get a watercheck this would take 7-10 business days. Simpler tests take less time, more complicated tests take longer. Once the data is complete, a review of the data is done so as to ensure the validity of the data and to find any typographical errors. The data is then electronically sent to our corporate headquarters where the report is generated and undergoes another review process. Finally after the report is approved it is sent to you by first class mail. If three weeks is too long for you to wait, we offer an expediting service that can cut a significant amount of time off of that wait. We can also e-mail or fax your results to you.
When you get your report there will be four main items that you will need to concern yourself with. These items will be prepared in a column format so as to make the review of your test easier. The first item is the name of the analyte being tested, for example lead. The next item will be the maximum contamination level (MCL). The MCL is the limit as set forth by the EPA as the highest allowable amount of that parameter that can be in drinking water. If that column does not have a value for that parameter then there is no set guideline for that parameter (yet). The next item of concern is the detection limit. This is the lowest amount of that particular parameter that the lab will report out.
It is strongly emphasized is that there is no such thing as zero in analytical chemistry. A laboratory can only tell you that you have less than the detection limit of any particular parameter. There is not a laboratory in the world that can tell you that you have zero of anything in your water. Finally the last item is your result. This is the amount of that particular parameter that you have in your water. If there is something noteworthy with that value it will be flagged. For example, if you had a value that exceeded the MCL this would be flagged so as to draw your attention to it.
Because we are an independent laboratory we will not recommend a particular manufacturer of treatment equipment over another. We can however give you ideas regarding treatment approaches. A "Corrective Action Brochure" will accompany your report to provide information about health effects and generally recommend treatment methods.
How do I know that I am dealing with a quality Laboratory?
This is possibly the most difficult question for a lay person to get an answer for. You need to be aware that getting analytical work done is similar to any other purchase that you make. There are a lot of labs out there, so how can you be sure that the lab you choose is going to give you quality data. Here is a list of questions that you should ask the lab that you are considering to use.
Are you certified to perform drinking water analysis and if so how many different states are you certified in?
Do you analyze anything other than drinking water, and if so how do you avoid cross contamination from non drinking water samples?
How long have you been performing drinking water analyses?
How long has your company been in business?