We often get asked if people who have city/town water ought to test their drinking water from time to time. If you live in the city of Edgewood, Iowa, you no longer have to ask that question.

While the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says they do not believe any dangerous water safety issues avoided detection, the fact that a city employee responsible for testing the city’s public drinking water supply on a regular basis purchased only enough supplies for 100 tests — despite claiming to have performed 3,889 water tests between January 2006 and July 2009 — would make just about anyone curious.

A former Edgewood city employee has been sentenced to probation after he admitted that he failed to test the town’s water supply and submitted false reports to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

…

Harris, 43, pleaded guilty in April to one count of making false statements in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Environmental Protection Agency.

In the plea agreement, Harris admitted he sent false monthly reports to the DNR from February 2008 and July 2009. He falsely claimed testing for fluoride, chlorine and manganese. DNR tests showed less chlorine in the water than the 1.5 milligrams per liter required by state law to kill bacteria.

The review found lower-than-acceptable levels of fluoride, which reduces tooth decay, and manganese oxide, which helps remove cancer-causing radium from the water. Residents in the eastern Iowa town were not exposed to any short- or long-term health risks, a DNR officer said.

The DNR originally alleged that Harris claimed to have done 3,889 water tests between January 2006 and July 2009, but bought enough material for only 100 tests. Harris resigned in August 2009.

The investigation began after some residents complained about declining water quality. ( source )

OK, now having read that, does the statement, “DNR tests showed less chlorine in the water than the 1.5 milligrams per liter required by state law to kill bacteria.” make you feel… safe?

How about “The investigation began after some residents complained about declining water quality.” Does that give you any sense of security?

Can individuals test their city/town/tap water?

Of course they can! While only certified water testing laboratories can give the absolute last word on the safety and potability of drinking water, at-home drinking water test kits from companies like SenSafe and WaterSafe allow the average homeowner to test critical water parameters on their own, whenever they want, and for little money.

What water parameters should homeowners test?

Given the number of possible drinking water contaminants, the average homeowner would find it difficult (and expensive!) to test for them all… but as a general rule, if typically makes sense for people on city/town/tap water to test for water parameters such as:

• free chlorine residual
• total chlorine residual
• lead in water
• copper in water
• iron in water
• total hardness
• bacteria in water
• hydrogen sulfide

Should homeowners with city water test for other things? That all depends on where their water company gets its water. As an example, if the water comes from a well, other potentially harmful water contaminants such as pesticides and arsenic could find their way into the water supply and an ill-equipped water treatment facility may not have the proper technology installed to remove them.

As always, though, if you have serious reason to suspect that your tap water has ‘issues’, seek advice from certified water quality experts. Home water test kits serve as great field tests, but the final word regarding a water supply’s potability should come from a certified water testing laboratory.

While the average person does not have a need to for chlorine levels much above 3 to 5 parts per million, and even then they would typically only need to do so to make sure their swimming pools had a sufficient amount of free chlorine, but other folks have the need to test for free chlorine levels in excess of 25 or 50 parts per million on a regular basis. Below we will list a few of the places where you might expect to see a need for high range free chlorine testing.

Fruit & Vegetable Processing

After fresh produce leaves the fields it travels to a processing facility where it typically gets washed with a solution containing some sort of sanitizer such as chlorine, ozone, etc. In cases where the produce processing plant uses chlorine employees must make sure the rinse water contains a certain amount of free chlorine after it has passed over the fruit/vegetables.

Levels of free chlorine drop with an increase in biological load (contamination) and the rinse water having free chlorine left after use indicates that the produce no longer contains biological contamination on its surfaces.

Childcare Facilities

State laws require that childcare facilities clean their surfaces with properly mixed sanitizing and disinfecting solutions that contain an appropriate concentration of sanitizing or disinfecting chemicals. In many cases these facilities use chlorine bleach solutions for cleaning purposes.

As a general rule these solutions must contain anywhere from 50 to 200 parts per million free chlorine for sanitizing solutions and anywhere from 500 to 800 parts per million free chlorine for disinfecting solutions. In case like this the Waterworks High Range Free Chlorine Test Strips will not work because they have an upper detection limit of only 120 parts per million free chlorine, but WaterWorks Free Chlorine Check Ultra High II has an upper detection limit of 2,000 parts per million free chlorine and works well in this application.

Some states leave it up to individual childcare facilities to determine testing frequency of sanitizing and disinfecting solutions while other states, like North Carolina for example, have strict laws dictating how often childcare facilities must perform testing.

As of January 1, 2006, all licensed, non-in-home daycare centers in the State of North Carolina had to have the ability to test the chlorine bleach content in both their sanitizing and their disinfecting solutions. Previously the law stated that they had to test only the chlorine concentration in their sanitizing solutions. ( source )

If interested in purchasing a test kit for testing sanitizing & disinfecting solutions in a childcare facility, you can find them readily available on the Filters Fast web site.

Water Lines and Water Mains

Before a water line can go into service for the first time or go back into service after a breakage or leak has gotten repaired technicians must flush (burn) the lines with water containing a high concentration of free chlorine to clean out any and biological contaminants. Typically the technicians must test the discharge water periodically until the free chlorine level remains constant at a high level for a set amount of time.

Waterworks High Range Free Chlorine Test Strips work very well for this application.

Product-specific information about Waterworks High Range Free Chlorine Test Strips:

• Testing requires just 32 seconds
• Each bottle contains 50 ready-to-use tests
• Color chart has easily distinguished color blocks at 1, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 120 ppm
• No harmful chemicals or reagents to handle

People living in the city of Camden, OH spoke up when their city drinking water, which came from a village-owned well, developed an unpleasant salty taste. As a result, the Ohio EPA got involved and in July they informed village officials that they would have to remedy the taste problem via filtration or find a new well.

We commend the Ohio EPA for speaking up on behalf of the residents and taking action to make sure their drinking water no longer contained bad tasting chlorides.

CAMDEN, Ohio (WDTN) – Ohio EPA has issued a preliminary site approval for Camden to investigate as a possible alternate well field. The approval is the first step in the process of replacing the village’s present sodium-contaminated well field.

The village has been supplying fresh drinking water to residents who do not like the taste of Camden’s water since salt entered the drinking water system in late July. Ohio EPA officials notified village officials that Camden must find a permanent solution.

The proposed well field is north of the salt pile that is presumed to be the source of the current contamination. Indications are that the area will not be affected by the salt; however, test wells must produce adequate water quantity and be free of bacteria or other contaminants. ( source )

Can the average person test for chlorides in their own drinking water?

Of course they can! WaterWorks manufactures an easy-to-use dip and read test strip that detects chloride levels in drinking water as low as 0 ppm and as high as 500 ppm with distinct color blocks at 0, 50, 100, 250, 500 ppm (mg/L).

Most people do not have to worry about chlorides in their drinking water, but if you do, a test kit like WaterWorks Chloride Check will make testing a simple, quick task.

OK, so the the village has to find a new source of drinking water and pretty much anyone can test for chloride in their drinking water in a matter of seconds… but well water can contain quite a few other contaminants, so what about those? Can the average person test for those, as well?

WaterSafe test kits and SenSafe test kits make drinking water testing easy and affordable for everyone. Average homeowners can make excellent use of drinking water test kits such as the WaterSafe Well Water Test Kit and/or the SenSafe Water Quality Test Kit while water quality service professionals can make excellent use of drinking water test kits such as eXact Micro 7+ Water Testing Meter and/or the Well Driller Master Test Kit

Keep in mind, though, that do-it-yourself test kits for testing water quality work well as screening tools but should not get used as the ‘final ‘word’ regarding the potability of a water supply. In situations where you have reason to suspect contamination of your drinking water source, always defer to the expertise of a certified drinking water laboratory such as National Testing Labs.

People with homes on city water systems, also called municipal water systems, typically do not have to worry about the quality of their drinking water, though using a drinking water test kit from time to time to make sure does make sense — just in case. Therefore one of the most common complaints heard from these folks all deal with the taste and/or smell of the drinking water coming out of their faucets.

City water systems typically use free chlorine or chloramines to disinfect the water prior to distribution and as we all know, chlorine has a distinct smell and taste associated with it. Point-of-use water filters such as faucet filters can help get rid of, or at the very least reduce, unpleasant chlorine tastes and smells in drinking water.

Need to test for chlorine? Take a look at Chlorine-Test-Kit.Com. If you have interest in drinking water faucet filters, check out the selection below:

Brita Disposable Faucet Filtration System, 35212
Brita 6025835212

Your Cost: $34.99
Regular Price: $39.99

The Brita Disposable Faucet Filtration System 35212 has been discontinued by the manufacturer and will no longer be available. The Brita Disposable Faucet Filtration System easily installs onto your kitchen faucet and provides maintenance-free filtration! Once it’s done you simply throw it away. System lasts up to 1 year (with no filter change) and filters up to 300 gallons. Features filter indicator light so you know when the status of your filter changes. NSF/ANSI Standard 53 tested approved for the reduction of: -Lead -Mercury -Cysts (Cryptosporidium and Giardia) -AsbestosNSF/ANSI Standard 42 tested approved for the reduction of: -Chlorine taste odor -Particulates (Class 1)

Brita Disposable Bathroom Faucet Filtration System
Brita 6025835213

Your Cost: $22.99
Regular Price: $24.99

“The Brita Disposable Bathroom Faucet Filtration System turns your bathroom tap water into healthy, great tasting water. The Drinking Fountain Feature eliminates the need for cups–and kids love it! The compact design of the Brita Disposable Bathroom Faucet System will not obstruct your sink and it’s disposable! System lasts up to 12 months or 50 gallons of water when 2 cups (16 oz) of filtered water are used per day. Once it’s done, simply throw it away. NSF/ANSI Standard 53 tested approved for the reduction of: -Lead -Mercury -Cysts (Cryptosporidium and Giardia) -Asbestos -Benzene -Methoxychlor -Toxaphene -Atrazine -CarbofuranNSF/ANSI Standard 42 tested approved for the reduction of: -Chlorine taste odor -Particulates (Class 1) ”

Brita AquaView Faucet Filtration System
Brita AquaView

Your Cost: $37.40
Regular Price: $52.59

“Model # 42645The Brita AquaView Faucet Filtration System allows you to actually see your filter changing color over time–so you know it’s working! The Brita AquaView also features a unique “out of the way” design that saves you sink space and filter indicator light that tells you exactly when you need to change your filter. The Brita AquaView filters are NSF / ANSI Standard 42 certified for reduction of Chlorine, Taste Odor as well as Particulates (Class 1). The Brita AquaView filter is NSF / ANSI Standard 53 tested and certified for the reduction of lead, cysts, asbestos, and turbidity. The AquaView also allows 3 different spray options for your convenience: Brita Filtered, Spray, and Stream. Package includes one filter and one system. No Tools required for installation and the Brita AquaView system installs on all standard size faucets.Quick and Easy Filter Replacement. ”

Brita AquaView Faucet Filter System (Bonus Filter)
Brita AquaView Bonus

Your Cost: $39.40
Regular Price: $65.00

“The Brita AquaView On Tap Faucet Filtration System allows you to actually see your filter changing color over time–so you know it’s working! The Brita AquaView also features a unique “out of the way” design that saves you sink space and filter indicator light that tells you exactly when you need to change your filter. The Brita AquaView filters Chlorine Taste Odor as well as Particulates (Class 1). NSF/ANSI tested and certified the AquaView reduces lead, cysts, asbestos, and turbidity. The AquaView also allows 3 different spray options for your convenience: Britia Filtered, Spray, and Stream. Package includes two filters and one system. ”

Brita AquaView Replacement Filter Cartridge
Brita AquaView Replacement

Your Cost: $19.95
Regular Price: $29.95

“The Brita AquaView Replacement Filter cartridge is the replacement filter for the Brita AquaView On Tap Filter model 42645, AVFF-100. Instructions included. Filter lasts for approximately 100 gallons or 4 months depending on water quality. Tested and certified by the NSF/ANSI this filter reduces: lead, cysts, particulate (class 1), and taste odor. Part number 42647. ”

OmniFilter F1 Series A Water Faucet Filter
OmniFilter F1

Your Cost: $15.99
Regular Price: $16.99

“The OmniFilter F1 Water Faucet Filter reduces rust, sediment, and chlorine taste odor from your water. This faucet water filter installs easily onto your faucet and provides great tasting water with just the turn of a knob. The OmniFilters F1 Series A includes the filter unit, filter cartridge FRC1, and adaptor kit. The FRC1 cartridge should be replaced ever 3 months or 200 gallons. The Omni Filter F1 specifications are as follows:Flow Rate – .75 gpm Micron rating – 50 Filter change indicator dial Capacity 200 gallons Reduces Chlorine / Rust / Sediment / Dirt The replacement cartridges for the OmniFilter F1 are the FRC1 and the FRC1-D. ”

F-2C WaterPik End of Faucet Water Filter System
Waterpik F-2C

Your Cost: $16.99
Regular Price: $18.99

“The F-2C WaterPik End of Faucet Water Filter System is an affordable convienent way to remove chlorine, bad taste and odor from your drinking water. Installs in less than 4 minutes! NSF Tested and Certified. The F-2C Systems features : Quick Installation — Less than 4 minutesEconomical Cost — Great Tasting Water at a Fraction of the Cost of Bottled WaterConvenient Selector — Let’s you switch between filtered and unfiltered water easilyStep by Step InstructionsNSF/ANSI Standard 42 Tested and Approved for Chlorine Taste and Odor ReductionThe Waterpik F2C Faucet Filter System takes replacement cartridge R2C2 or R2C4. Cartridge should be replaced every 3 months for optimum performance. ”

F-5 WaterPik End of Faucet Water Filter System
WaterPik F5

Your Cost: $19.99
Regular Price: $24.99

“Model F-5 (White) and Model F-5C (Chrome)The F-5 WaterPik End of Faucet Water Filter System reduces Chlorine, Lead, Bad Taste, Odor, and Cysts. The F-5 Faucet Filter System comes with the R-5 filter cartridge and installs in less than 4 minutes.Reduces lead, cysts, chlorine, bad taste and odor Three-month, 200 gallon capacity. Choose between filtered and unfiltered water to extend filter life. System tested and certified by NSF International against ANSI/NSF Standard 42 for the reduction of Chlorine (Class II), Taste and Odor. System tested and certified by NSF International against ANSI/NSF Standard 53 for the reduction of Cysts and Lead Includes a replaceable filter cartridge, R-5. Easy installation in less than 4 minutes. No tools required White finish and white cover. This F-5 WaterPik End of Faucet Water Filter System meets NSF / ANSI standard 42 for the reduction of 97% of Chlorine Taste and Odor This F-5 WaterPik End of Faucet Water Filter System meets NSF / ANSI standard53 for the reduction of 99% of Cysts 99% + of Lead ”

F-6 WaterPik End of Faucet Water Filter System
WaterPik F6

Your Cost: $13.99
Regular Price: $19.99

“Model F-6 (White with Clear Cover)The F-6 WaterPik End of Faucet Water Filter System is an affordable and convenient way to purify your water from your faucet. The F-6 Faucet Filter System comes with the R-2C filter cartridge.Reduces chlorine, bad taste and odor. Three-month, 200 gallon capacity. Choose between filtered and unfiltered water to extend filter life. System tested and certified by NSF International against ANSI/NSF Standard 42 for the reduction of Chlorine (Class II), Taste and Odor. Includes a replaceable filter cartridge, R-2C. White finish and clear cover. This F-6 WaterPik End of Faucet Water Filter System meets NSF / ANSI standard 42 for the reduction of 92% of Chlorine Taste and Odor ”

F-7 WaterPik End of Faucet Water Filter System
WaterPik F7

Your Cost: $23.95
Regular Price: $34.95

“THE WATERPIK F7 HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED BY THE MANUFACTURER. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE WATERPIK F8, WHICH REMOVES MORE CONTAMINANTS AND HAS RECENTLY BEEN REDUCED IN PRICE. Model F-7 (White)The F-7 WaterPik End of Faucet Water Filter System is an affordable and convenient way to purify your water from your faucet. It installs in a few minutes and has an electronic filter indicator to notify you when it is time to change the filter.One of the most advanced electronic faucet filters available System tested and certified by NSF International against ANSI/NSF Standard 42 for the reduction of Chlorine (Class I), Taste and Odor, Particulate (Class I). System tested and certified by NSF International against ANSI/NSF Standard 53 for the reduction of Cysts, Lead, Lindane and Asbestos. Three-month, 200 gallon capacity. Choose between filtered and unfiltered water to extend filter life. Green, yellow and red monitor light indicates when to change filter. Includes a replaceable, easy to install, high performance carbon block filter, the R-7. White finish and white cover. This F-7 WaterPik End of Faucet Water Filter System meets NSF / ANSI standard 42 for the reduction of 97.2% of Chlorine Taste and Odor 99.55% of Particulates Class IThis F-7 WaterPik End of Faucet Water Filter System meets NSF / ANSI standard53 for the reduction of 99.98% of Cysts 99% + of Lead 97.5% of Lindane 99.98% of Asbestos ”

Looking for more types of water filters? Take a look at the Water Filters Detailed List over on WaterTestBlog.Com

We recently received an email from Emma in North Carolina and she wrote,

We’re building a new house right on the edge of where the local water plant stops delivering water and want to know if we will be better off hooking up to the water line or having well put in. Some people say we’re lucky to have a choice, but really it’s just one more decision we have to make and we already have so many! Can you help? Thanks!

Emma

As Emma implied, sometimes having a choice makes for a lot more work – if you choose to research the options properly.

Hooking up to city water offers the security of knowing that the city has to test its water routinely before distribution and must inform you if it has experienced any ‘incidents’ which may put you in danger. On the flip-side, though, you will receive a bill each month to cover the expense of testing, monitoring, filtering and purifying the water going into your new home.

Investing in a well for your new home will rid you of that pesky water bill each month, but it will also make you 100% responsible for the quality and safety of water it produces once it passes an initial test done by the well drilling company.

We honestly do not have an answer, Emma, because some well water comes up cleaner and more pure than any water company could ever distribute… and other well water comes up nastier than backwoods swamp water and/or containing potentially dangerous chemical compounds whose origin even the best scientists in the World have trouble locating.

Pretty much all city water contains some form of disinfectant which can create unpleasant tastes and odors in drinking water. It can also irritate skin, bleach clothing, etc. and some water systems contain obnoxious (and smelly) levels of chlorine which can make water taste absolutely wretched.

While on the topic of chlorine, the most widely used disinfectant for public water systems, produces trihalomethanes (THM’s), a potentially carcinogenic disinfection byproduct, when chlorine molecules attack organic contaminants in water.

Getting back to the well water, commonly occurring events in the environment can change the quality of well water on a daily basis. Heavy rains, a lack of rain, temperature and even air pressure can radically alter the nature of water pulled from well – and let us not forget about pollution from industry which can seep into the ground 100’s of miles away from a well and still, somehow, make its way into that water that well produces at some point.

So, Emma, in the end, and if you want to make the best possible decision regarding where you will get your drinking water, we suggest you have a sample of water drawn from the aquifer your proposed well will access and have it tested by a certified water testing laboratory such as National Testing Laboratories. Contact the well drilling company you think you may use to drill, if you go that route, and ask them for advice on getting sampling and testing done. Do make sure they submit the sample to a certified water lab, though, and not do the testing themselves!

Then contact the local water company and ask for a copy of their latest water quality report, usually referred to as a Consumer Confidence Report and abbreviated as CCR.

With both reports in hand, weigh the pros and cons of each and remember that no matter which option you choose, you may STILL want to consider having a Whole House Water Filter System installed and/or purchasing point-of-use water filter devices for the shower, faucet and countertop.

Yes, you read that right. We recently came across a short article on a news channel’s site in the Bethesda, MD area which stated that a local pizzeria used a water filtration system — and that some people believe its pizza tasted more like pizza from New York because of the purified water.

Some say its the water that makes New York pizza taste so good. Flippin’ Pizza uses a water filtration systems to make our local water taste more like New York’s. ( source )

So if we read that right, locals in Bethesda, MD believe one of the secrets to making great New York style pizza involves filtering their own water so that it more closely resembles that of New York’s. Kind of interesting, don’t you think?

Naturally the question on OUR minds sounds a lot like… “What kind of water filter do they use?”

We checked the pizza place’s web site ( www.flippinpizza.com ) to see if maybe they had leaked the brand and type of water filter they use, but no luck. We did, however find this statement that the proprietors made about their pizza:

A real, honest pie. An old-school, ‘I’m from Brooklyn and you’re not’ pizza. So welcome to Flippin’ Pizza. A New York original, since 2007. ( source )

Didn’t figure we’d get much info from New Yorkers, but hey… If you don’t try, you’ll never know. So fuhgettaboutit already!

Better water can make food taste better?

We figure, as you probably already have, that truly rotten water would ruin the taste of anything. But, since we do try to educate with more than just our opinions around here, we decided that we needed to find some scientific proof that our opinion had real merit.

In comparison to taste thresholds in spring water, the recognition thresholds are higher using tap water, and lower using deionized water. When using deionized water, sour was detected by all subjects at the lowest concentrations. Iron(II)sulfate could best be matched to metallic sensation in deionized water. Results indicate that taste sensitivity is influenced by water quality. ( source )

For those who don’t speak ‘science talk’, the folks conducting the study discovered that participants in the study could more easily recognize distinct flavors in spring water and deionized water than in tap water.

We suppose that means when people try to add a hint of flavor to a soup or other dish using tap water, it takes them more seasoning to accomplish that task. Now if you consider that some seasonings, like salt, can harm a person if ingested in too great a quantity for too long a time, then that means tap water makes it easier for that harm to happen.

Getting back to the taste issue, though, if you consider that pretty much all municipalities add some form of disinfectant (often an oxidizer such as chlorine) to the water they distribute, it would make sense that the oxidizers would act on, and attempt to destroy, anything they encounter — including seasonings and natural flavors in foods.

Additionally, if water has too high or low a pH, it may act to oxidize or reduce naturally occurring chemicals in a food that would otherwise impart the food’s natural flavor into dish.

So, for all you aspiring chefs and cooks out there, as well as all the Ramen Noodle eating folks like so many of us at the Water Testing Blog, using filtered water may increase the flavor in your dishes and allow you to fully enjoy the flavors you work so hard to create.

Test your drinking water before choosing a drinking water filter

Having your water tested will give you the opportunity to select the perfect water filter for your water. Simple at-home drinking water test kits from WaterSafe and SenSafe can provide important information you will need when selecting the appropriate water filter for your home or business.

Note: Drinking water test kits from those companies only give you some of the information you will need to make an educated decision when choosing a water filter. Having your water tested by a certified water testing lab such as National Testing Laboratories will give you a lot more detail and make your water filter decision that much easier.

Most importantly, though, certified water testing labs like National Testing Laboratories will test for many dangerous chemicals and compounds that home drinking water test kits cannot.

We sites to research water filters

Over the years we have seen a lot of water filter web sites come and go and the ones we will list here have not only endured the test of time, but they have grown and adapted well to the public’s ever-changing water filtration demands.

We present these in no particular order.

WaterFilters.Net — www.WaterFilters.net

FilterWater.Com — www.FilterWater.com

FiltersFast.Com — www.FiltersFast.com

IsoPureWater.Com — www.IsoPureWater.com

Amy wrote in with a few questions about city water testing…

Hi ~ thanks for this blog! Do cities provide free water testing as a service?

How would I know if my apt building has lead pipes?

Thanks!

Amy

To our knowledge most cities and municipalities do not provide free water testing as a service, though we have read that some areas will offer deeply discounted testing rates through local laboratories, or their own labs, in response to localized events such as regional flooding.

You can, however, call your local water company and request a copy of its most recent Annual Drinking Water Quality Report. Some cities opt to post their reports online and you can check to see if your area water company posts its report online at the EPA’s Safewater Project Web Site.

With regard to your question regarding whether or not your apartment building contains lead pipes, first determine the approximate age of the building.

Older houses are more likely to have problems with lead than houses built since 1988. Before that time, lead piping and lead solder were widely used in household plumbing systems as well as in the service lines that connect houses to street water mains. In 1986, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned the use of lead pipes and lead solder in plumbing systems because lead is an insidious and dangerous poison. The EPA set an “action level” of .015 milligrams per liter of water for lead, stating that levels higher than that in water could pose a risk to human health. ( source )

In all honesty, though, even if your building does not have lead someplace in its water delivery system, lead can enter your drinking water other ways…

Lead rarely occurs naturally in drinking water. It’s far more common for lead contamination to occur at some point in the water delivery system. It isn’t well known, but household plumbing is usually the culprit when it comes to high levels of lead and copper in drinking water. Lead and/or copper pipes, fittings and other components are commonly found in many plumbing systems. Metallic alloys such as brass and bronze often contain lead, so brass faucets or plumbing fittings may also release lead into home water systems. ( source )

With so many ways for potentially harmful levels of metals such as lead and copper to enter one’s drinking water, the only way to know for sure if you have lead in your water (which is what REALLY matters) involves testing your water.

Now of COURSE we suggest using a certified water testing lab such as Suburban Water Testing Laboratories, or another similarly qualified water testing service, but that does not mean you cannot test your own water from time to time for dangerous metals such as copper and lead.

Water Metals Test Kit

Water Quality Test Kit

Lead in Water Test Kit

Think we’re kidding? Just ask everyone living south of the Mason-Dixon line that has had to put up with a lot more days of below freezing temperatures than they have seen in many years. Then for a more personal look at the damage done by all the cold weather, go and ask the residents of Jackson, Mississippi what the cold weather has done to their town’s water system.

Unusually cold temperatures caused more than 70 city water mains to break over the past week in Jackson, Miss., prompting Gov. Haley Barbour to declare a state of emergency and close state offices on Monday.

Residents of Jackson, the state capital, endured trickling faucets and, in some cases, no running water. Construction crews disrupted traffic to make emergency repairs.

Public schools and many businesses closed after their toilets and sinks stopped working. Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. urged residents to conserve and boil water, but he could not say when the pipes would be fixed.

“We’ve had 70-plus hours of below-freezing temperatures,” said Chris Mims, a spokesman for the city. “That hasn’t happened in almost 30 years.” ( source )

Residents all over the Southeatern United States had endured temperatures far colder than usual for this time of year and as a result, many people have woken up to busted water lines in their homes. Many dwellings lack the proper amount of insulation required to keep their water pipes from freezing and bursting.

While people cannot do anything about the cold weather, they can do something to try and minimize the damage a broken water line can cause by installing a flood alarm neaar the location where water lines enter their homes. Hearing the alarm go off will give people a chance to keep an already bad situation from getting much, much worse.

Yes, water damage will occur in a situation like this and nothing will stop that from happening. How MUCH damage occurs will depend entirely on how quickly someone shuts off the water coming into the building.

Prevent costly water damage by installing a wireless flood alarm system sensor anywhere water might collect as a result of a mechanical failure such as a washing machine overflowing, accidental flooding caused by pipes freezing and bursting, or a natural disaster such as heavy rains causing the water table to rise and begin seeping into your basement.

A simple and relatively inexpensive investment in a wireless flood alarm system can save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

Note: The base unit of the alarm shown also has the ability to work with other types of sensors designed to detect motion and/or the opening of a window, door, or garage door.

After the Pipes Get Fixed…

Although every situation will vary, pretty much every busted pipes situation will require a purging of water lines in the dwelling after the pipes get fixed and yes, we suggest tesating the water after the purging for things like bacteria, metals, and chlorine levels (if on city water).

LaShonda from Mississippi asked…

Recently our community had some problems with several water mains and we lost water for a while. The water came back on but we have not heard from the health dept that we can use the water without boiling it first, etc. Should we wait for the health department to tell things are OK or can we use the water now since the pressure is back up?

Thnk you.

You have asked a very good question, LaShonda.

While the fact that your water pressure has come back up does mean that your local water company has made progress in repairing the water mains, it does NOT guarantee that you can safely drink the water coming out of your faucet.

Whenever a water main breaks, develops a leak, or requires some form of maintenance that could allow the introduction of outside elements (air, dirt, sand, environmental water, etc.) into the water line, the line must undergo a period of purging before health officials will consider the water safe for consumption.

During that period of water line flushing the water department monitors the quality of the water with rigorous testing. The water MUST pass all testing before the water department will announce to the media outlets (newspaper, television, radio, etc.) that people can resume normal usage of the water safely.

If you have any questions about the safety of your water after learning of a ‘boil water order’ or warning not to use your tap water until further notice, WAIT FOR THE NOTICE.

Do not assume that the return of water pressure to your faucet means you have safe water. In the event you have any questions or doubts, pick up the phone and call your local water department for the latest update on your particular water quality situation.

Emergency Water Filtration and/or Purification:

A recent report by the Environmental Working Group, often abbreviated as EWG, stated that after reviewing millions of records from state water officials across the country they believe nearly 54 million Americans have ‘polluted’ drinking water coming from their taps.

After examining the water quality in a selection of 100 cities, each containing more than 250k residents, the EWG put together a list of the Best and Worst Water Systems. Below you will find the highlights and low points from that list:

Cities w/ 3 Best Water Systems:

• Arlington Water Utilities in Arlington, Texas
• Providence Water in Providence, Rhode Island
• Fort Worth Water Department in Fort Worth, Texas

Cities w/ 3 Worst Water Systems:

• Emerald Coast Water Utility in Pensacola, Florida
• City of Riverside Public Utilities in Riverside, California
• Las Vegas Valley Water District in Las Vegas, NV

Didn’t see your city’s water system on the list? Don’t worry. You can view the full list of citeies surveyed here.

The EWG published another handy tool for determining the relative safety and purity of your drinking water:

• EWG Drinking Water Quality Database

In that document you will find the EWG’s findings on the quality of drinking water in more than 45,000 communities across the country.

Why Should You Test Your Own Water?

Even if your local water department makes the top of EWG’s or any other organization’s list the possibility still exists that human error, human negligence, or pure chance could result in the accidental contamination of your drinking water.

Events such as water mains developing leaks and/or breaking, someone performing water testing at the water treatment facility with outdated reagents, and someone simply ‘fudging’ test reports because of laziness, budget cuts, or maybe because that person has a massive hangover, could all very easily result in unwanted contaminants getting into your drinking water.

We suggest that people test their tap water periodically for chlorine levels (free & total), pH, metals (lead, copper, etc.), and coliform bacteria — just in case.