In a recent article by Andrew Zeigler in Water Conditioning & Purification Magazine, we found the following statement intended for dealers of drinking water treatment systems which we certainly do agree with:

“Stop using the TDS (total dissolved solids) meter as the only measurement of water quality. Disinfection Byproducts like Trihalomethanes, Volatile Organic Compounds, METHYL tertiary-butyl ether, chlorine, chloramines, cysts and lead are the primary contaminants to Public Water Systems. They have no impact on the conductivity of the water. Yet these do not register on a TDS meter. And public water systems primarily supply from surface water that tends to have low TDS levels.” ( Water Conditioning & Purification Magazine, March 2009, page 42 )

While TDS does play a large part in the determining whether or not your water will leave deposits on your fixtures, it alone does not indicate the relative safety and purity of your water. As always Water Testing Blog suggests that people get their water tested by Certified Water Analysis Laboratories if they suspect a serious health risk.

For all other water testing needs, simple at home drinking water test kits used in conjunction with TDS meters ought to work just fine. you can find more information about home drinking water test kits on this page. You can also find more information about home drinking water test kits by using the links below:

Arsenic in Water and Soil: Arsenic Quick^TM

Bacteria in Water: Bacteria Check

Chlorine Residual (Free): SenSafe^TM Free Chlorine Water Check

Chlorine Residual (Total): SenSafe^TM Total Chlorine Water Check

Lead in Water: Lead in Water Test Kit

Multi Parameter (6 Parameters): Well Water Check

Multi Parameter (11 Parameters): Well Driller Standard Water Test Kit

Multi Parameter (13 Parameters): COMPLETE Water Test Kit

Multi Parameter (15 Parameters): Water Quality Test Kit

Usually when you see a title like this entry has, you automatically fear the worst. All of us here at Water Testing Blog feel really good this blog entry, though, because for once we find ourselves delivering GOOD news about arsenic in drinking water: Army Corps helps with arsenic removal systems

RIO RANCHO, N.M. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is helping build water treatment systems that will reduce arsenic levels in water used by thousands of Rio Rancho and Bernalillo residents.

The Corps says the systems are designed to be a relatively inexpensive way water utilities can reduce arsenic levels from the old federal standard of 50 parts per billion to 10 parts per billion.

The agency has spent $9 million for each community as part of a cost-sharing agreement. Still, officials say there is $24 million worth of work to do.

Arsenic occurs naturally in volcanic soils, which are common in New Mexico. It leaches from the soil into groundwater, the main source of drinking water for many towns and rural residents in New Mexico and other parts of the West. ( source )

While the residents of those communities may soon have nothing to worry about regarding arsenic in their groundwater and drinking water, what about you? Do you have arsenic in your drinking water? If you cannot answer that question, you may want to either have your water tested by a certified laboratory or use an at-home drinking water test kit for arsenic as a screening method:

Arsenic Quick Home Water Quality Test Kit

The kit above has a detection range of 0.0, 0.005, 0.01, 0.02, 0.06, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, >0.5, >0.5 ppm (mg/L) and you may also use this kit for determining the arsenic concentration of soil. With a total test time of just 12 minutes, this inexpensive (< $30 USD) home water test kit makes testing well water, groundwater and drinking water for arsenic with EPA/ETV Test Verified Performance accuracy as easy as it will ever get — unless you get someone else to do the testing for you. 

Nationwide more than one trillion gallons of water leak from homes each year. For those not familiar with the term Trillion, it looks like this: 1,000,000,000,000. Now THAT’S a lot of zeros! Additionally, an average American household can waste an estimated 11,000 gallons of water because of running toilets, dripping faucets and other household leaks in just one year. (source)

What does this have to do with drinking water or testing your drinking water? Not a whole lot, but just remember that our planet only has so much potable and potentially potable water available and that every gallon wasted means one less gallon we will have later. Scientists, scholars and water industry professionals work diligently each day to find new ways to recycle/process all forms of ‘used’ water and make it safe for human consumption. For most of us, though, the idea of drinking water that very recently came out of someone else’s toilet does not sound all that appealing.

For that reason, as well as for the ever-popular ‘saving money on utility bills’ reason, all of us here at Water Testing Blog encourage everyone to take a look around their home, office or apartment for dripping faucets, leaky pipes, running toilets, etc. — and FIX them immediately.

Oh, and as always, if your water tastes funny, looks funny, smells funny or simply just makes you nervous, get it tested by a Certified Laboratory right away or use a reputable at-home drinking water test kit to do a preliminary evaluation. Note: Nothing takes the place of a Certified Water Analysis when dealing with potential health risks.

After the testing, if the testing shows that your water could use a little help, follow the advice of qualified water professionals and install the proper water filtration system(s) so that you can cook with, drink, bathe in and use safe, healthy water.

Some people would call us crazy for ever even IMPLYING such a thing, but apparently the folks who run the water treatment facilities in New York City know a thing or two about producing some really good drinking water because it has earned the title of World’s Best Tap Water. (source)

What does this mean for you if you don’t like the way your municipal water tastes? Simple: You can either move to New York City, find out if you can get New York City water in bottled form (see Tap’dNY), or test your drinking water and then get the proper drinking water filter(s) so that you can enjoy good tasting drinking water…. just like those bums in NY.