"Hi....I am so confused as to which test to order. We have copper piping that has developed leaks due to tiny pin holes in the piping. Our PH is excellent but do not know what is causing the greenish color inside the pipes. Our plumber, about whom you can have a peek here, recommended we do a test on the water but since the water has normal acidity we do not know what to do now. Please help. Thanks so much. I am clueless and hoping you can point me in the right direction as to what we need to test for now!"

Hello, Sue, and thank you for your inquiry.  We suspect the greenish color you see comes from oxidation of the copper on its surface and the fact that you see it on the inside of the pipes indicates that your pipes most likely spent some time with air in them.  Perhaps the leaks in the pipes allowed oxygen into the system or maybe the system spent some time in a drained condition?

As for what caused the pinholes in the first place, pH would normally top the list as likely offender. Aside from that, you may want to take a look at alkalinity which affects the stability of the pH. If you have low alkalinity your water may have a great pH today and an absolutely horrible pH tomorrow.

Also, how old is the plumbing in question?  Perhaps just the age of the system has given it time to develop pinhole leaks?

Easy Way to Test for pH & Alkalinity

We currently carry a product called the WaterWorks pH & Alkalinity which performs a test for both pH and total alkalinity at the same time.

The WaterWorks pH & Total Alkalinity test strip utilizes a single test strip designed with two separate test pads: one for measuring pH and the other for measuring Total Alkalinity. The test procedure works well as an alternative to traditional wet chemical tests that sometimes require the use of potentially hazardous chemicals.

• pH: 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0
• Total Alkalinity: 0, 80, 120, 180, 240, 360 ppm (mg/L)

George asked, “I like to ask about the Metals Strips paper, is that check Copper, Cadmium, copper in the same time? Please, reply me as soon as you can. Thanks”

Good evening, George, and thank you for your inquiry.

The Heavy Metals Check Test Strip gives a single reading of all heavy metals combined, not as individual metals. In other words, if a water sample contained 100ppb dissolved Iron, 200ppb dissolved Copper and 100ppb dissolved mercury the Heavy Metals product would give a reading in the range of 400ppb.

Therefore, if you want to test for levels of specific metal ions in a water sample, you would need to use a different ion-specific test method for each metal, not a general metals test such as SenSafe Heavy Metals Check.

We talk about older infrastructure (i.e. water service lines) a lot on this site because many of the water service lines running from the water treatment plant out to individual homes contain copper and lead elements that over time tend to dissolve into the water passing through them.

While the presence of dissolved copper in the water supply generally poses no health risks in the quantities normally seen in the public water supply, it can result result in unwanted and VERY difficult to remove staining on fixtures in the home. Additionally, owners of swimming pools and hot tubs get warned constantly of the dangers of not neutralizing or removing dissolved metals (like copper) prior to adding chemicals after filling up their pool or tub… else risk some serious stain problems that will cost a lot of money and elbow grease to remove!

The presence of lead in water, however, does pose a serious health risk according to pretty much every water quality expert and health agency. The USEPA requires public water systems to take action to immediately reduce levels of dissolved lead when they reach or exceed 15ppb (parts per billion).

OK, so why add phosphates to the water supply?

By maintaining a certain level of phosphates in the water supply, public water systems reduce the amount of copper and lead that can leech into the water. In layman’s terms, the phosphates ‘coat’ the metal surfaces and thus limit its exposure to the water passing through the lines.

I have well water, so I’m safe, right?

Actually, you may have larger concerns than just exposure to copper and lead. Public water supplies get monitored for a large assortment of various chemicals, compounds and water quality parameters on an ongoing basis whereas no one monitors the quality of the water coming from your well.

Getting back to the matter of copper and lead in well water, though, both metals occur naturally in the environment and may show up in well water without warning. Additionally, older homes may still contain copper plumbing that has lead laden solder holding its joints and unions together.

To a certain extent the human body CAN and DOES flush out most things (like metals) that it does not require or want to keep. BUT we must keep in mind that although the human body does function (usually) like a well-oiled processing machine, it does not always function perfectly and sometimes traces get ‘stuck’ in the system.

Those stuck ‘traces of metals’ in the system may become a health hazard over time as their quantities increase with the body’s prolonged exposure to more metals.

Additionally, in the case of heavy metals like mercury, for example, scientists have determined that some metals form bonds with organic materials within the body and get absorbed into the body. Those compounds will not leave on their own and overtime may cause a problem as their concentrations in the body increase.

Heavy metals and the food chain?

Our planet has a hierarchical food chain. Everyone knows that. But, did you know that cases of ‘mild contamination’ by heavy metals or other potential toxins at one level of the food chain may have innumerable effects on all levels above it in the food chain?

Example: Fish in a river or lake become contaminated with mercury. We eat the fish. We become home to the mercury in the fish.

Easy to test for metals in water?

In some cases like mercury, arsenic, copper, iron, manganese, chromium, lead, and select others, simple at-home water test strips and water test kits exist.

Other metals, however, can only get detected using sophisticated laboratory equipment and techniques.

“Can any amount of copper in pool water color your hair and skin green? If so is there an antidote for this? Thanks—-Gary.”

The simple answer

Yes, the copper in pool water does play a part in the creation of a greenish tint in a person’s hair. We do not know about the greenish tint to skin, though.

The more complex answer

Slight concentrations of copper in pool water may play a part in the formation of a green tint in a person’s hair, yes, but most of the blame should get aimed at the pool water’s chlorine concentration.

The chlorine oxidizes copper (and other metals) which then become attached to various exposed proteins in human hair. Once attached, oxidized copper has the opportunity to impart its greenish color directly into the hair’s root.

Low copper concentrations in water lacking oxidizers like chlorine, or containing extremely low concentrations of chlorine or bromine, typically will not affect a person’s hair color — hence many of the ‘safe for hair’ claims made by alternate sanitizer systems that use biguanides or ionized minerals (with very, very low chlorine levels).

Source(s) of copper in pool water?

Typically a concentration of copper in pool water results from one of three sources:

1. Source water used to fill the pool — Copper occurs naturally in many well water sources and so it stands to reason that if you fill your pool with well water, you may want to test for minerals (like copper) before adding chlorine.

   Those of you using municipal (i.e. city water, hydrants — with help of fire department, of course!) water sources should also test for the presence of dissolved metals in the pool water before adding chlorine. Why? Because most municipalities use metal service lines to get water to your home and as water passes through those lines it sometimes picks up little bits of the metals it comes in contact with.

2. Chemicals used to kill/prevent algae — Most people refer to chemicals that help to prevent and/or kill algae as algaecides (also spelled algicides apparently)… a good number of the ones commonly sold online and in pool stores these days contain traces of copper that could cause a problem if used too frequently or if used in larger than suggested amounts.

   When used according to direction, most algaecides that contain copper will not impart enough copper in the water to cause a problem since ‘splash out’ (water splashed out of the pool during use) removes copper slowly and subsequent refilling of the pool with fresh water dilutes the copper levels.

3. Pool equipment — And finally, swimming pool and hot tub heaters will normally contain copper heating elements that will, over time, add trace amounts of copper to the water they heat. This process accelerates greatly when the pool or spa water pH balance gets low and the water becomes acidic. Water with a lower pH tends to have corrosive tendencies.

So now that you know what happens to make hair turn green, naturally, as Gary did, you will want to know ways to possibly prevent it from happening, right?

• Healthy, properly conditioned hair stands a better chance of resisting the coloring effects of oxidized metals. Some experts have suggested shampooing and conditioning one’s hair prior to going swimming.
   
• Most people already know that it makes a lot of sense to wash one’s body and hair thoroughly right after getting out of the pool. Doing so reduces the amount of time the pool water’s disinfectants — and other sometimes not-so-healthy components — have to affect skin and hair.
   
• ‘Damaged’ hair makes for an easy target. Split ends, dyed hair, bleached hair, and otherwise unhealthy hair makes an excellent receptor for unintended hair dyes like oxidized metals.
   
• Limiting the amount of time that one spends with soaked hair may also help. Rather than allowing the warm sun to dry your hair you may want to dry it as best you can with a towel when you get out of the pool.

In most cases a person probably ought not have too many problems with hair turning colors as long as the water they swim in contains a proper water quality balance and their hair does not have pre-existing conditions that would make it more susceptible to attack by oxidized metals.

One will not KNOW, however, if the water in a pool ‘too much of this or too little of that’ unless… they test the water.

The following products should make testing source water as well as actual pool water for dissolved metals a quick and painless process:

• Heavy Metals Check — Great way of determining if water contains any dissolved metals at all. Will not tell what metals it detects, if it detects any, but it will alert you to the presence of dissolved metals at concentrations as low as 10ppb (parts per billion). Perfect for testing source water.
   
• John’s Copper Test — Detects ONLY copper in a water sample. Low detection limit of 0.5ppm (parts per million) and an ideal, easy method for testing source water.
   
• Total Iron Visual Test — Fast, accurate method for determining total iron concentrations in a water sample.Low detection limit of 0.3ppm (parts per million).
   
• Pool Check Copper — Designed to test for dissolved copper levels down to 0.2ppm (parts per million) as well as a water sample’s pH and total alkalinity. Great tool to have in anyone’s pool maintenance kit who has a heater on their pool, uses algaecides that contain copper, or suspects their pool’s source water may contain copper.

Got more questions about dissolved metals in pool water or drinking water? Feel free to drop us a line using our online Contact Us Form.

may sound dumb but I have just purchased a hot tub and these strips came with it, I
am not understanding the difference between total chlorine and free chlorine my test
shows 0 on both the rest of my colors are good what do I need to add? thanks

Believe it or not, Sally, we actually COMMEND you for having the courage to ask the question that you did… because too many people don’t ask questions and wind up with potentially unsafe water conditions!

For a tutorial on the differences between free and total chlorine we suggest you take a look at a popular blog entry on our site called “What is the Difference Between Total Residual Chlorine and Free Chlorine?“.

In a nutshell, however, if you use chlorine or bromine to sanitize your hot tub water then you have a problem that needs remedying right away: Your water contains no sanitizers — and you need to add some right away!

If, on the other hand, you use an alternative water sanitizing system (mineral ionization, ozone, peroxide, biguanide, etc.), then having no chlorine reading on either pad probably isn’t an issue.

Testing for alternative sanitizers

As more and more folks migrate towards alternative sanitizing systems for their spas and hot tubs, the need for testing methods for the alternative sanitizing methods grows.

Thankfully some methods, like the WaterWorks Peroxide Test Strips and the SenSafe Ozone Check, already exist.

And now for something completely (maybe) different…

Always consider the source water FIRST

Whether you have a swimming pool or a hot tub, the final quality of your water will depend heavily upon the quality of your source water (the water you fill your pool or hot tub with) and, more importantly, what you do to correct any issues that may exist with the water once you have added it to your pool or spa.

As ‘coders’ in the computer programming world often say, ‘Garbage In, Garbage Out!’

If your source water sucks, to use a term most of us definitely recognize, then without correction the water quality of any pool or spa filled with the source water will also suck.

Testing the water prior to the addition of chemicals makes total sense — unless, of course, you would rather spend money to fix problems like… staining on liners, fixtures, etc. caused by the addition of sanitizers (chlorine, bromine, etc.) which NEED to get added to the water.

Important Chemistry Lesson: Adding strong oxidizers like chlorine to water that contains dissolved metals like copper, iron, etc. may result in the formation of insoluble compounds that will settle on and stain any surfaces they encounter.

At the suggestion of friends we changed our chlorine pool late last year to a ionizer pool that uses minerals to keep the water clear. I saw a copper test kit on the [ censored ] web site and got scared by the big warning that it contained hazardous chemicals. We are supposed to test the copper levels and don’t want to bring dangerous chemicals (we have small children) into our home. Do you know a better option?

Thank you for this question, Mya, and yes, we do know of an alternative to (what we refer to as) traditional wet chemistry test kits for copper that use potentially hazardous test reagents. We suggest you take a look at the Pool Check Copper 3-Way Test Strip which not only tests for dissolved copper, but also tests for pH and alkalinity at the same time.

How does the Copper 3-Way compare to the wet kit?

For starters, it requires no MSDS (which means no potentially harmful chemicals).

It also tests for, as we previously stated, pH and alkalinity — two very critical pool water parameters you will want to keep an eye on if using a mineralizer/ionizer on your pool. If the levels of either get too far out of line you may begin to see staining (caused by precipitating minerals) appearing your pool!

Another benefit deals with the fact that the Copper 3-Way detects as little as 0.2ppm dissolved copper while the wet chemistry test kit bottoms out at 0.5ppm.

And as for cost — a major concern for most people these days — the Copper 3-Way product has a fairly low cost of around $12 whereas the wet chemistry test kit mentioned by Mya had a cost of around $37.

Regardless of which water testing option you choose, it matters most that you have decided to actively test the quality of your pool water… and obviously everyone already KNOWS that we feel regular testing of water in our lives will help keep people safe from unexpected (and unwanted!) illness caused by bacteria, parasites, and other water contaminants.

Testing for copper in source (i.e well, tap or surface) water?

Copper occurs naturally in the environment and dissolves (to some extent… slowly) into water when the two come in contact with one another. Therefore one could easily expect to find traces of dissolved copper (Cu⁺¹ & Cu⁺²) in ground water, well water, and even city water (older water infrastructures still may contain copper piping).

If you wonder whether or not you can use the Pool Check Copper 3-Way to test for copper in water sources such as well water or tap water, technically you can, but we suspect that the manufacturer factored in warmer water when calibrating the color change reaction on the test pads with that corresponding color chart.

Do not fret, though, because SenSafe manufactures a product called John’s Copper for testing colder water samples like well water, surface water and tap water.

For those curious as to WHY a person would have interest in a fast, easy-to-use and accurate test strip for dissolved copper, pH and total alkalinity, the answer lies with pools, spas and water features (i.e. decorative ponds, coy ponds, fountains, etc.). In water samples from each of those three water environments a person could very easily expect to find traces of dissolved copper.

• Copper in Swimming Pools – Dissolved copper in swimming pools may come from a number of sources including, but not limited to, copper based algaecides and algistats, normal wear and tear on a heated pool’s heating element, and/or from source water used to replace water lost due to intentional draining and evaporation.
   
• Copper in Hot Tubs & Spas – One could expect to find dissolved copper in a hot tub or spa due to the natural wear and tear on its heating element. Also, in the case of outdoor spas and hot tubs we have heard that some, but not a whole lot, of people employ the use of copper based algaecides to ward off algae attacks in tubs that do not get used on a regular basis.
   
• Copper in Water Features – In an effort to retard and or prevent the growth of algae in water features — many of which do not have the protective benefit of sanitizing or disinfecting chemicals due to the presence of organics (plants, fish, etc.) — owners of water features will often use small amounts of copper based algaecides/algistats. Not keeping a watchful eye on the dissolved copper could have a seriously detrimental effect on plant and animal life if levels get too high.

Now that we know why people would want to test for copper in water, some of you probably want to know why anyone would find it desirable to also test for pH and total alkalinity at the same time. The answer to that question lies in the relationship between copper as a solid metal and the effects of pH & alkalinity on that solid metal when either parameter drifts out of the acceptable range.

Water with incorrect pH and/or alkalinity becomes more corrosive than properly balanced water and will eat away at (dissolve) most metals at a much faster rate. In pools, spas and hot tubs corrosive water will target the copper heating elements of water heaters and pull copper metal ions out of them.

If not watched closely water with improper pH and/or total alkalinity can very easily shorten the lifespan of copper heating elements in swimming pools and hot tubs to a mere fraction of what one would normally expect… and if they go bad unannounced, well, the cleanup & repair — especially for indoor hot tub owners — could very easily wind up costing a whole heck of a lot more than monitoring and balancing the dissolved copper, pH and total alkalinity levels in the first place!

Other reasons to monitor copper, pH and alkalinity levels?

While the untimely and expensive demise of heater elements certainly should make a good enough case to encourage folks like us to perform regular testing for dissolved copper, pH and total alkalinity, other folks out there may need a bit more convincing… so try THIS on for size: Dissolved metals (i.e. and especially copper) will drop out of solution and stain pool/spa/feature surfaces if the pH and/or alkalinity strays too far out of range!

To make matters worse, getting those stains off surfaces typically takes a good amount of time, physical labor (elbow grease!), and metal stain removal chemicals.

Testing for copper in source water?

Earlier we mentioned that water used to fill a swimming pool, hot tub or water feature may contain dissolved copper… and we meant what we said. Some well water and even some municipal/city/tap water may contain dissolved copper so it makes sense to always test your source water for quality before blindly adding to your pool, spa or water feature.

AND it REALLY makes sense to make sure you test for the presence of heavy metals (i.e. copper, iron, etc.) before adding strong oxidizers like chlorine or bromine because the addition of those chemicals causes a sharp change in the water’s pH and alkalinity levels… and as stated earlier this could cause the metals to fall out of solution (form precipitates) and potentially stain surfaces.

Sounds like it would make sense that treated, filtered water dispensed (sold) by a municipality or privatized water company would not contain potentially harmful levels of dissolved metals… but in reality they only have to make certain water they produce does not contain dissolved metals at the point where it leaves their facilities.

Between those facilities and the faucets of households on water systems lie vast networks of metal piping that can very easily leach small amounts of metals into the water supply… or worse, yet, leach potentially harmful amounts of lead, copper, iron, etc. into the water supply.

Oh, and if you live in a building or home built before the advent of builders using plastic (i.e. PVC) piping, well, that means you have metal plumbing in your home which could, in many cases, result in your water containing elevated levels of metals — especially if you also if you have problems with corrosive water and/or have water sitting in your lines for long periods of time (i.e. in the plumbing of vacation homes or lines connected to faucets/showers/etc. that do not get used on a regular basis).

Reducing and removing metals from drinking water?

Not all water filters will remove or reduce dissolved metals in water as efficiently and some water filters, despite the claims on their packaging, don’t really do a good job of removing metals at all.

As a general rule, one should NOT rely on faucet filters, shower filters, or other small point-of-use devices to keep them safe from water metals.

For the average homeowner we suggest looking at reverse osmosis water filters since they offer excellent filtration on their own for unwanted drinking water contaminants like metal ions & aqueous salts including sodium, chloride, copper, chromium, and lead. Additionally, reverse osmosis units typically also reduce arsenic, fluoride, radium, sulfate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, nitrate, and phosphorous levels in drinking water.

For industrial applications — or residential homeowners with a truly healthy budget — distillation systems also work well when it comes to removing and/or reducing metals from drinking water… but at this time we have no links to companies who supply distillation units. Perhaps one of our readers could help us out with this topic? 🙂

An ex-employee at an asphalt company has come forward recently with allegations that higher-ups in the company encouraged him to submit fake water samples (taken from a rainwater collection bucket) and submit them for testing by the Oregon Department of Transportation… because the higher-ups feared actual testing of their waste water stream would reveal code violations.

Nothing makes the taste of fresh, clean drinking water vanish quite like… runoff from an asphalt plant, right? Even just saying that to ourselves as we put together this blog posting turned our stomachs.

So, if unlike ourselves you actually believe all of required environmental testing gets done in the proper manner, perhaps now you will see things a bit differently and start testing your water on, at the very least, a semi-regular basis?

Think we made up this story? Not! Read the source article here.

Common water contaminants to test for?

Although far more sinister compounds and elements exist in our world that could enter our water supply (i.e. organic solvents, radioactive isotopes, etc.), we routinely suggest testing for heavy metals as a good starting point because whether you have city/municipal water or your water comes from a well or spring, metals can pretty much always — under the right circumstances — find a way into the water supply.

• Well casings typically get made out of metal.

• City/Municipal water must travel through miles of metal piping before it gets to one’s residence.

• Water extracted from wells comes in contact with rocks and soil that all contain traces of metals.

• While most homes these days contain plastic plumbing, many older homes still contain metallic plumbing (copper w/ lead-laced solder at the joints) plumbing… and metal lines get used to connect most homes (regardless of age) to the municipal water system.

What should I test for next?

After dissolved metals in water testing things get a bit murky. Pardon the expression.

Folks with well water may want to test for all sorts of things such as nitrates, nitrites, coliform bacteria (important!), hydrogen sulfide, arsenic, etc. while folks on city water may want to test for specific metals such as copper and lead, total hardness, free chlorine, total chlorine, etc.

No matter what type of water you have going into your home, school or place of business, only regular testing of the water’s quality will let you know if you have anything to worry about when it comes to the safety and purity of the water you drink.