Why is a water quality test necessary?
A US Geological Survey (USGS) found that 20% of private wells in the US contained at least one contaminant exceeding safe levels. With no laws regulating safety standards for private well water, it’s the homeowner’s responsibility to have their water tested and treated.
Whether your water comes from a private well or a municipal water system, every water source is different. Your neighbor’s drilled well may contain high levels of arsenic while your water may have a trace amount of bacteria. Water from public water systems can travel miles before reaching your home. With underfunding, aging infrastructure and outdated regulations, public water can be exposed to any number of contaminants along its way to your home. Additional elements such as agricultural fertilizers, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and petroleum additives have been found in both public and private water sources, introducing new threats to all of our water.
The bottom line is that a municipal water system is no guarantee that your water is safe, and a deep well in a secluded forest is just as likely to contain radioactive elements as any other well. Without a test, you just can’t tell. The least harmful water contaminants are sometimes the most noticeable, while the most harmful are generally colorless, odorless and tasteless. Whether you have obvious water problems or you’re just concerned about the health and safety of your family, the first step toward safe, clean water is a water quality analysis. Read more below about water testing options or contact us today to schedule an appointment and one of our water professionals will be happy to collect a water sample from your home or business.
Concerned about your HOME?
Complimentary Water Quality Analysis for Aesthetic Water Contaminants
Aesthetic water problems arise from contaminants that are far more of a threat to your home than to your health, and our complimentary on-site water analysis covers them. Aesthetic water problems include iron, hard water, pH, and total dissolved solids (TDS). In excess, these contaminants are easy to detect by their corrosive nature and by the damage to your home they leave behind, but it’s important to accurately determine the levels of these contaminants in order to properly outfit a treatment solution for them.
Calcium & Magnesium (Hardness)
Calcium and magnesium are the most common minerals responsible for creating “hard water” in nearly 85% of homes in the US. At acceptable levels, these dissolved minerals enhance water’s “taste.” In high concentrations they produce mineral deposits on tubs, dishes and water fixtures while clogging pipes and water using appliances. Because calcium and magnesium form mineral deposits when heated, hard water eventually restricts the flow rate and reduces heat transfer of water heating units. Over time, all this can result in thousands of dollars worth of damage to your home’s plumbing, increased utility bills, and inefficient water using appliances. Other indicators of hard water include:
- Reduced ability of soap to create suds, causing the use of more detergent, soap and water to clean.
- Sticky soap film on skin after bathing
- Rough, dry skin
- Dry, sticky, dull hair
- Spots on dishes and glassware
- Film on shower doors, tubs, sinks, etc.
Iron & Manganese
Manganese is often present in iron-rich water. Though these naturally occurring elements don’t pose a threat to your health, they can wreak havoc on pipes, pressure tanks, water heaters, and with the wrong treatment system, even the water filtration system itself. Excessive iron or manganese levels cause reddish-brown or black stains on sinks, tubs, dishes and laundry. In its oxidized form, iron can foul the resin bed of your water softener, while solid iron can clog fixtures and pipes. This restricts water flow, overtaxes your water pump, and results in higher utility bills. Much like hard water, high levels of iron can lead to costly damage to your home’s plumbing equipment. Even with an obvious presence of iron or manganese, a water analysis is necessary to determine the concentration and form of these metals. Other factors to consider when determining treatment include pH levels and the presence of iron or manganese bacteria, so it’s important that a professional determine the correct solution.
Limits
- iron - 0.3 mg/L
- manganese - 0.05 mg/L
pH
pH stands for “potential hydrogen” and is a measure of water’s acidity or alkalinity. Alkalinity is a measure of water’s capacity to resist changes in pH that would lead to more acidity. Water with a pH lower than 6.5-7 is considered acidic and therefore corrosive to plumbing and plumbing fixtures. Corrosive water literally eats away at your pipes while introducing these toxic metals into your water. Copper plumbing in homes built before 1986 may contain lead solder. Both copper and lead in drinking water have been shown to cause serious and long-term health problems. The EPA recommends a maximum contaminant level of 0 ppm for lead due to its toxicity to children.
If you have greenish-blue stains on sinks, drains, or the joints of copper piping, you may have acidic water.
Acceptable range: 6.5-8.5
Sulfide (rotten egg odor)
Hydrogen sulfide gas is responsible for your water’s “rotten egg” smell. In water, sulfur-reducing bacteria chemically alters sulfates into hydrogen sulfide. These bacteria are formed by decomposing organic matter or chemical reactions in soil and bedrock. Hydrogen sulfides thrive in oxygen-deficient places such as deep wells and plumbing systems. Aside from the offensive odor, sulfides contain corrosive properties to metals such as copper and brass, cause stains on household water fixtures, and alter the taste of cooked foods. Though levels of hydrogen sulfide in most drinking water does not pose a health threat, it is flammable, poisonous, and in some rare cases is due to sewage contamination. According to Nelson Analytical Lab, “the odor threshold for sulfide is considerably lower than the point at which our laboratory test detects it. So you may smell it before we can find it.”
Book your in home complimentary water quality analysis with Summit View Water, Ltd.
Concerned about your HEALTH?
Comprehensive Water Quality Analysis for Harmful Water Contaminants
We’re concerned about the health and safety of our customers too. That’s why we strongly recommend a thorough water quality analysis to determine your all esthetic and harmful contaminant levels before discussing treatment options. Because harmful elements such as arsenic, radon and uranium require lab testing, an on-site water test is an insufficent measure of water quality to protect your health. At Summit View Water Ltd, we’re happy to be affiliated with Nelson Analytical Lab to provide you with a state certified, third party water quality report. Our Comprehensive Plus tests for bacteria such as E.coli and coliform, radon, arsenic, uranium and sulfides.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has two standards for drinking water contaminant levels: Primary and Secondary. The Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL) deals with color, corrosivity, odor, taste, and staining properties that can be analyzed with our in-home complimentary testing mentioned above. The Primary Maximum Contaminant Level (PMCL) is concerned with three types of pollutants: pathogens, radioactive elements, and toxic chemicals. We highly suggest testing for all of the above.
Arsenic
Arsenic is a semi-metal in the nitrogen family and a known human carcinogen linked to several types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and auto-immune disorders. It is prevalent in New England, occurring both naturally in bedrock and due to pesticides containing arsenic used in New England until the 1950s. According to the National Cancer Institute, death rates due to bladder cancer in New England have been elevated compared to the rest of the country for the past 50 years. They believe arsenic in private well water may be the culprit. New studies suggest that even at low levels, arsenic could be responsible for New England’s high rate of bladder cancer. Areas in South America and Taiwan with high levels of arsenic also had a high rate of bladder cancer. New England’s Department of Environmental Services (DES) suggests at least two arsenic tests before evaluating arsenic levels due to the many factors that can affect change in well water.
Limit: 0.010 mg/L
Radon
Radon is a naturally occurring gas resulting from the radioactive breakdown of uranium in the ground or groundwater. Radon enters the air in homes and other buildings through the soil beneath them and through the water source (usually a well). As radon dissolves in the water supply it escapes into the home’s air through normal household water usage such as bathing or cooking. But not all of it escapes into the air. The EPA states that “radon in drinking water causes about 168 deaths per year [in the US]: 89% from lung cancer caused by breathing radon released to the indoor air from water and 11% from stomach cancer caused by consuming water containing radon.” When testing for radon, Nelson Analytical Lab advises: “Radon levels may test significantly different when collected from a well that is not in a normal pattern of use, compared to Radon levels from the same well when in normal daily use.” While there are currently no federal or state mandated regulations concerning radon, recommended levels of concern vary widely from state to state.
Total Coliform & E.coli Bacteria
Bacteria in the total coliform group include a wide range of bacteria found in plant and soil material and in the digestive tracts of humans and warm-blooded animals, including their feces. The organisms in the total coliform group are referred to as “indicator organisms” because coliforms originate from the same sources as potentially disease-causing pathogens. The presence of coliforms is an indication that pathogens may also be present or that a pathway exists for them to enter the water supply (such as well contamination through surface water, animal waste, or a septic system). If a total coliform test is positive, specific testing for fecal coliform and E.coli bacteria is necessary. The presence of either of these is a good indication that human or animal waste is entering the water supply, which greatly increases the likelihood of waterborne illnesses.
Limit: absent per 100ml
Radioactivity: Uranium & Radium
Uranium
Naturally occurring deposits of radioactive elements are found throughout the US and are prevalent in New England’s soil, rock and groundwater. As these elements decompose, electrons released from atoms are converted to ions or alpha particles. Alpha emitters such as radium and uranium are heavy, unstable elements that can attack, alter and damage DNA by ionizing cells in the human body. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that ionizing radiation is “known to cause cancer in humans.” While regulations vary from state to state, prolonged exposure to ionizing radiation increases the chance of cancer and other diseases affecting the nervous system, immune system and endocrine system.
Uranium is a radioactive element that occurs naturally in rocks, soil, water and air. It is especially prevalent in areas with a high concentration of granite or shale bedrock where it leaches into the groundwater and enters the well. While low levels of uranium are found throughout the environment, studies have shown that due to its toxicity as a heavy metal, prolonged exposure to elevated levels of uranium in drinking water can lead to kidney inflammation as it interferes with the reabsorption of proteins; changes in the composition of urine; and cancer.
Limit: 30 ug/L or 0.030 mg/L (In Canada & Vermont: 0.020 mg/L)
Radium-226 & Radium-228
Radium is a byproduct of the decomposition of uranium. It takes billions of years for these elements to decay and change form. The decay chain for uranium-238, for instance, is as follows: Uranium-238à Radium-226 à Radon-222 à Polonium-210 à Stable Lead-206
Because radium is chemically similar to calcium it can enter the bone structure and increase the risk of bone cancer.
(Limit: 5 pCi/L)
Book your in home comprehensive water quality analysis with Summit View Water, Ltd.