Aquasana Countertop filter	Aquasana Shower filter
Crystal Quest Pitcher	Crystal Quest Shower filter

Two questions we get on a regular basis:

    (1) “Do I Need a Water Filter?”
    (2) “How Do I Know if I Need a Water Filter?”

Quite frankly, we kinda’ wish someone would give us a penny for each time we’ve gotten that question in an email.. We’d have a ton of cash! But we digress.

As seemingly complicated and daunting as both those questions may seem, they both have the same answer: Only testing of your water, preferably by a certified water testing laboratory, will let you know if you need a water filter…

… And even then you will need to perform occasional water tests just to make sure the quality of your water has not changed since the last test (because it can!) and/or to make certain your water filter continues to function properly.

As with any matter that could possibly have detrimental effects on your health, though, you should always get a second opinion… or in this case read what the EPA says and plans to do regarding water quality in the United States:

The Environmental Protection Agency says most people don’t need to treat their drinking water at home to make it safe. But the agency adds that a home water-treatment unit can improve water’s taste, or provide an extra margin of safety for people “more vulnerable to the effects of waterborne illness” such as infants, the elderly or those with compromised immune systems. The EPA sets standards for about 90 contaminants that can end up in drinking water supplies—from micro-organisms to herbicides and discharge from industrial-chemical factories.

For each, the agency dictates a “maximum” amount allowed, and utilities are required to treat water and issue an annual report to customers about what’s detected. (If you’re drinking from a private well, you’re on your own.)

A home-treatment device may reduce such contaminants even further. Plus, the EPA sets drinking-water standards for just a fraction of the some 15,000 chemicals used in the U.S. In December, the not-for-profit Environmental Working Group released results of a three-year analysis of 20 million tap water quality tests performed by water utilities and found some 202 currently unregulated chemicals in water supplied across the country. That included rocket-fuel component perchlorate and MTBE, a gasoline additive. Other contaminants, such as copper and lead, may be introduced through corrosion of a homeowner’s own pipes or through leaching of brass or chrome-plated faucets and fixtures. There are DIY test kits starting at about $10 that can detect some contaminants, but a thorough analysis will require a professional to collect samples and send to a private lab.

“In almost every case, the utilities comply with federal standards but that doesn’t ensure that the water is safe to drink,” says Jane Houlihan, senior vice president for research for EWG. The EPA is evaluating the health effects of more than 100 contaminants currently unregulated in drinking water, including pharmaceuticals and disinfection byproducts, for possible regulation by 2013. ( source )

So… Do you need a water filter for your tap water or well water? Again, only testing will tell and since even the EPA suspects that it may have more drinking water contaminants to monitor, well, all of us here at Water Testing Blog know that WE will keep an eye on OUR drinking water quality and suggest you do the same, too.

According to a recent press release from the IBWA (International Bottled Water Association — www.ibwa.org) dated 3/10/2010, a company called Zero Water Technologies, LLC has become the defendant in a lawsuit filed by the IBWA.

Alexandria, Virginia — On March 10, 2010, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) filed a lawsuit against Zero Water Technologies, LLC, the seller of at-home water filtration devices, for repeatedly engaging in false, misleading and unsubstantiated advertising designed to confuse consumers about its products and about how they compare to bottled water products. IBWA’s complaint, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, notes that Zero Water has improperly disparaged the quality, safety, and cost effectiveness of bottled water in comparison with its own products and has made false and unsubstantiated claims about the capabilities of its products.

Zero Water claims that its products “remove 100% of detectable dissolved solids” and falsely suggests that the absence of all total dissolved solids (TDS) creates a healthier, cleaner, tastier water. In its lawsuit, IBWA points out that TDS is not an indicator of water quality or contamination, as Zero Water insinuates. Rather it is an innocuous collection of minerals commonly found in water. According to IBWA President Joe Doss, “Total Dissolved Solids mainly affect the taste of water and have not been shown to produce adverse physical health effects. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that certain concentrations of TDS may even have beneficial health effects.”

Contrary to their advertising claims, Zero Water filters do not remove all impurities or contaminants from water. Furthermore, Zero Water filters only remove certain organic contaminants for a short period of time before its low-capacity carbon filter is exhausted.

Zero Water’s ads make repeated references to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and FDA definitions for purified water that mislead the consuming public into thinking that Zero Water and its products have been tested, regulated, or approved by the FDA. However, Zero Water’s products are not regulated by the FDA and there is no evidence to suggest that Zero Water’s products have been tested to determine whether they “meet the FDA definition for purified bottled water” as stated in Zero Water’s ads. Rather, water filtration systems such as Zero Water’s are for the most part unregulated. This leaves consumers particularly vulnerable to claims like the ones made by Zero Water: unsubstantiated, false, or misleading statements about the safety, health benefits, and taste qualities of water treated by at-home water filtration systems.

In contrast to Zero Water’s claims, bottled water products sold by IBWA members and other bottled water companies are comprehensively regulated by the FDA to ensure their safety, quality, and proper labeling. Section 410 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”) requires that the FDA bottled water regulations be at least as stringent and protective of the public health as the federal Environmental Protection Agency requirements for municipal drinking water. In addition, the FDA mandates that bottled water products comply with comprehensive requirements, including Standard of Identity regulations, which provide uniform definitions for various types of bottled water (such as spring, distilled, mineral, and purified water), and Standards of Quality, which limit the amount of certain substances that can be present in bottled water products. In particular, the FDA Standards of Quality for bottled water set maximum allowable levels for physical, chemical, microbiological, and radiological contaminants.

The cumulative effect of Zero Water’s misleading, false, and unsubstantiated claims in its advertisements is that consumers are deceived as to the quality and efficacy of Zero Water’s products, as well as the claimed superiority of Zero Water filtered water over bottled water products. Moreover, Zero Water misrepresents its products’ capabilities and makes misleading comparisons to purified bottled water products. As a result, IBWA members have been substantially harmed and this lawsuit was necessary to correct this untenable situation.

[Reporters seeking a copy of the full complaint should use the contact information below.]

Contact: TOM LAURIA
703-647-4609 office / 703-887-4056 cellphone (source )

Water Testing Blog’s Opinion

For years the bottled water industry has taken violent beatings from opponents, sometimes over some very good points and other times because public opinion had swayed away from it, but now someone has (allegedly) crossed the line and made some (allegedly) false claims about the bottled water industry — and IBWA now believes payback time has arrived.

We cannot say that we blame the IBWA one bit for filing the lawsuit. If a competitor in ANY industry makes (allegedly) false claims about another company’s products/services and causes that company to lose money, then naturally a lawsuit will follow.

It looks to us like Zero Water Technologies, LLC jumped on the bottled water bashing bandwagon, got caught up in the hype, took some liberties w/ the English Language and/or interpretation of scientific data, and now may have to pay dearly for their marketing indiscretions if the IBWA can make its case in Court.

No matter what side you have taken in the Battle Over Bottled Water, you have to agree that the facts and information destined to come out in Court as this lawsuit moves forward will give us all a great opportunity to learn some things we may not have known about the water filter industry AND the bottled water industry — with all combatants bound by Law to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth… or face perjury charges.

What Does This Mean for the Average Consumer?

Immediately we can expect to see a general ‘cleaning up’ of the language and claims made by water filter manufacturers and distributors in their advertisements. If things go well for the IBWA with this lawsuit, one can safely assume lawsuits against other companies will follow in short order if those companies fail to learn from Zero Water’s (alleged) mistakes.

Water Testing Blog does not expect that either industry will have to fold up shop as a result of this lawsuit, no matter which way it goes, but the less reputable companies in BOTH industries will either clean up their advertising practices or face prosecution. This means, hopefully, that consumers will have better, more accurate information available to them when deciding whether they wish to continue using bottled water or switch over to a water filtration system.

Best of Both Worlds?

What about some kind of bottled water cooler that actively filters the water as it gets dispensed… and doesn’t actually have bottles that need replacing? Sounded like an interesting idea to us so we researched the concept and found a number of office-style water coolers that come equipped with various types of water filtration systems including granulated activated carbon filters and reverse osmosis filters.

Bottleless 4-Stage Filtration  |  Bottleless 4-Stage Filtration incl. Reverse Osmosis

A person, if so inclined, can also add an Ultraviolet Water Sterilizer to bottleless water coolers. This technology reportedly kills and/or renders bacteria sterile using light of a very specific frequency and results in a 99.99% reduction of bacteria, virus, and protozoa. ( source )

Crystal Quest Ultraviolet Water Sterilizer

Additionally, we also found a Bacteria Test Kit for Water Coolers that may come in handy for offices and factories where cleaning the water cooler does rank as a high priority.

In the End…

Drinking water can get contaminated in so many ways that to count them all would take way longer than any person could reasonably spend — and not lose their mind. For that reason, and because YOUR health matters, take the time to test your tap and well water every once in a while.

You may find out you have great water and don’t need a filtration system or, on the other hand, you may discover that your water contains dangerous levels of arsenic or lead that could shorten your life.

As we always like to say, “It’s your water, your health… and your LIFE.“

Whether you have just celebrated the birth of a new baby or have already gone through a few sleepless nights with a young one that arrived a few months ago, you know you need to keep your baby safe from danger… so you have car seats, plugs for electrical outlets, gates by the stairway, childproof locks on the lower cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom, etc. You may have even stopped smoking and/or invested in a better air filters for your furnace and/or air filters for your air conditioning unit to make sure your baby has clean air to breathe at home.

Now think about this: The last time you made bottles for your little one, did you give any thought to the quality of the water you mixed in with that nutrient-rich, and usually very expensive, formula or cereal?

Even if you boiled the water before use, which would effectively kill off most microorganisms, contaminants such as heavy metals (i.e. lead and mercury) will remain in the water and actually become greater in concentration.

So if boiling the water first may not make the water safe, then what will?

If you take a stroll down through the baby section of your local Wal-Mart or Kmart you will see that you can buy purified ‘baby water’ in various bottle sizes… which means purchasing the products would a support the bottled water industry and many people do NOT want to do that.

With pretty much all other options exhausted, it looks as though point-of-use water filtration systems such as countertop, faucet, and undersink water filters may provide the most economical, convenient, and environmentally friendly solutions.

How Do Know If I Have Good/Bad Water?

We get emails asking that question in an email at least three or four times a week and we answer the same way each time: TEST YOUR WATER or HAVE YOUR WATER TESTED.

Another good place to start involves requesting a copy of your local water system’s most recent Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). If your local water system serves more than 100,000 customers the Federal Government requires that it make its CCR for the previous year available on a public web site by July 1st.

Keep in mind, though, that the CCR reports the quality of water as it exited the water treatment facility, not the quality of water as it came out of your tap. Only testing water at your tap will tell you the full story about the quality of your tap water.

For assistance with drinking water testing, take a look at the following links:

• EPA List of State Certification Officers for Drinking Water Laboratories
• National Testing Laboratories Test Kits
• SenSafe Water Test Kits
• WaterSafe Test Kits

SusanB wrote us recently to ask a question that many people people have probably asked after reading some of the postings here on the Water Testing Blog, but never bothered to ask anyone at the Water Testing Blog…

Your site and many others talk about ‘reverse osmosis‘ water treatment systems all the time but never really explain how they work. Are they just some sort of fancy carbon filter or something? I really want to know because I need to do something about my bad water and if they’re no different, except in price, than a simple carbon filter then I won’t waste my money on one. Can you explain the difference? IS there a difference? Thanks!

Actually, SusanB, we have posted information on Reverse Osmosis Water Filters in the past that addresses most of the questions you asked…

• What is Reverse Osmosis
• How Do Reverse Osmosis Systems Work
• Why Install a Reverse Osmosis Water Filter?
• Where Can I Buy Replacement RO Membranes?

And now, after re-reading our own posts we have decided that we really ought to locate and re-post a more user-friendly definition and explanation of reverse osmosis water filtration.

There are a range of water filtration systems available to today’s consumer to meet the different challenges of raising water quality. Often, a simple activated carbon filter does the trick, but many people have more complicated water problems, and find that they need more complex water filtration systems because of this. A reverse osmosis water filtration system will, in many cases, solve these more advanced problems.

Reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration is a multi-step water filtering process which works slowly but is extremely effective. Reverse osmosis systems are generally used to treat cooking and drinking water supplies. It’s often used in industry but works very well in the home. Reverse osmosis uses the principles of osmosis (in which material passes slowly through a membrane and is concentrated and purified in the process) to produce very clean water.

The first step is that a simple sediment filter is installed and all water to be used passes through it; the filter catches large particles of materials such as rust or calcium carbonate (a compound which is not at all harmful but which isn’t desirable in your drinking and cooking water – it’s commonly used as an antacid). Sometimes a second filter of a similar design, but more fine, is used after the initial filtering. An activated carbon filter traps organic chemicals, and then the RO filter, which is a very fine membrane, is used. It may be helpful to think of all these filters as being similar to sieves with differently-sized holes. Basically, the process of reverse osmosis water filtration would be akin to draining cooked food through a series of increasingly-fine sieves, rather than just emptying the pot into a basic perforated colander. Reverse osmosis water filtration systems, being more complex and increasingly sensitive, can trap far more contaminants than just one simple carbon filter. Some RO systems will, even after the water has passed through the RO membrane, use yet another carbon filter or, alternatively, an ultra-violet lamp, to purify the water even further. The result of all of this filtering is extremely high quality water.

Reverse osmosis is not the most efficient of all water filtration systems, and some have expressed concern about the fact that it takes approximately four gallons of processed water to result in one gallon of clear water. However, its effectiveness makes it a preferred water filtration method for many. Some describe it as “ultrafiltration,” which gives a sense of how powerful RO is. RO results in very pure water. The Water Quality Association says that RO filter systems produce water purity levels as high as 95 percent, which is extraordinary.

The fact remains that reverse osmosis water purification systems remove an astounding range of contaminants from your water. Arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium (hexavalent), chromium (trivalent), copper, lead, nitrate, nitrite, radium 226/228, selenium, iron and TDS are all removed from your water with an RO system.

A reverse osmosis water filtering system is obviously more complicated than a simple carbon-filter water pitcher, but the benefits of its complex design are also obvious. For those who are concerned not merely with the aesthetics of their water – taste – but have more concrete problems with water quality, an RO water filter may be the best solution to your problem. ( source )

Well, SusanB, and everyone else reading this, we hope the information above helped you to understand a little bit more about the ways in which reverse osmosis water filters operate and the benefits they offer. Below you will find links to three popular reverse osmosis water filters units available from WaterFilters.Net.

Some people live in older homes where the plumbing may still contain copper and/or lead pipes. If the water entering those residences has a low pH value, meaning the water is acidic, the possibility definitely exists that the water may corrode the piping and pull dissolved and potentially dangerous amounts of metals into itself.

Maximum Contaminant Levels

For copper, the USEPA suggests that people ingest drinking water containing no more than 1.3ppm (mg/L) of free dissolved copper. Health officials have determined that short term exposure to high levels of dissolved copper in drinking water can cause gastrointestinal distress and that long term exposure can result in liver and/or kidney damage.

When it comes to maximum contaminant level for lead in drinking water, the USEPA set the limit at 15ppb. Routinely ingesting higher quantities of lead in water may result in delays in physical or mental development and in infants and children. Problems with attention span have also resulted. In the case of adults ingesting higher than acceptable amounts of lead in drinking water, kidney problems and high blood pressure have resulted.

Acidic Water Causes Other Problems

Not treating, or correcting the pH of, acidic water can result in costly corrosion problems in plumbing and it may also drastically shorten the life expectancies equipment that uses water such as dishwashers, washing machines, hot water heaters, etc.

Treating Acidic Water

If you have acidic water and wish to treat it, installing a device such as a Whole House Acid Neutralizing Water Filter will help to keep your water’s pH level in an acceptable range.

The Acid Neutralizing Water Filter works by slowly dissolving calcium carbonate into water with a pH level below 6.8. The dissolved calcium carbonate acts as a pH increaser.

According to the manufacturer of this unit, Crystal Quest, the calcium carbonate media in the tank will last approximately 2 to 3 years and the system has a backwash feature to help prevent compaction which would impede the flow of water through the system.

For more information on the Whole House Acid Neutralizing Water Filter manufactured by Crystal Quest, visit the FilterWater.Com web site.

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

It always pleases us to see companies thinking outside the box when it comes to coming up with new and efficient ways to produce safe, clean drinking water. In this case, a company called Puralytics has developed a chemical-free solar powered water purification system that creates no waste stream.

By combining the work of five photochemical processes at once, Puralytics water purification systems break down or remove contaminants from water by actually destroying contaminants rather than capturing them and creating a hazardous waste disposal problem.

1. Photocatalytic Oxidation — Previously unobtainable, selected wavelengths of UV light generate unprecedented levels of hydroxyl radicals (OH-) without any chemical additives.

2. Photocatalytic Reduction — Reduces toxic species such as mercury (Hg II), silver (Ag I), arsenic (As V, and chromium (Cr VI) to more readily adsorbed materials.

3. Photolysis — Direct disassociation of contaminants by high intensity UV light, including atrazine, amoxicillin, DEET, and all estrogenic chemicals.

4. Photoadsorption — The catalyst strongly adsorbs heavy metals including mercury, lead, selenium, and arsenic, permanganate, and other compounds.

5. Photo Disinfection — Multiple wavelengths and high intensity UV disinfect pathogens more effectively than standard UV germicidal.

Below you will find the Press Release issued by Puralytics on January 14th, 2010 from their Beaverton, Oregon office:

Puralytics, an emerging leader in advanced water purification technology, announced it has been selected as a finalist in the first Imagine H2O prize. This year’s prize focuses on water efficiency, and Puralytics is able to remove contaminants from water without water loss and without generating a waste stream, which is common with other technologies.

Imagine H2O is a non-profit organization founded in 2007 by a team of leading venture capital firms and financiers, water technology leaders and academics from Harvard Business School. The Imagine H2O Prize Competition highlights new technology that can address critical water challenges. Puralytics was selected as a finalist because of their unique, chemical-free purification capability, and water savings of thousands of gallons per day.

Puralytics has developed a new photo purification technology for water which uses precise wavelength LEDs in conjunction with a fixed photocatalyst to effectively remove organic compounds, heavy metals, and pathogens from water. For more information on the Puralytics technology and products, please visit: www.puralytics.com. The Shield 500 is available for industrial and commercial applications, and the sunlight powered SolarBag for developing world and disaster relief applications will be available in early 2010.

About Puralytics

Puralytics is an early stage company in Beaverton, Oregon, developing water purification products that effectively remove all of the emerging contaminants such as petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals, eliminate heavy metals like arsenic, lead, and mercury, and provide disinfection of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. These products have wide applicability for ultrapure and laboratory processes, well water purification, waste and grey water processing, and remote drinking water purification. Puralytics was also chosen by The Artemis Project as a Top 50 Global Water Technology Company competition winner, announced on Earth Day 2009.

Contact:
Dave Moser
Vice President of Business Development
Puralytics, Inc.
15250 NW Greenbrier Parkway
Beaverton, OR 97006-5764
USA
Ph: +1 503 913-5194
dave.moser@puralytics.com
www.puralytics.com (source )

So you may now wonder what exactly this company has created that has gotten them all this attention. Stay tuned for future Water Testing Blog entries on the topic of Puralytics Water Treatment Devices.

Many of the emails we receive ask questions about topics involving testing for metals in drinking water and/or ways to effectively remove metals from drinking water.

Whether listed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a serious health concern or just a general nuisance, most people care about only one thing: Testing for metals in drinking water and removing them ASAP!

Commonly asked about metals include…

Questions about other metals such as manganese, copper, chromium and, of course, our dear friend arsenic, also make their way into emails sent through our Contact Us page.

Why the Concern Over Metals in Water?

Health officials unanimously agree that excessive exposure to dissolved metals in water can in many cases lead to serious side effects such as cancer, organ damage, impairment of the nervous system, the development of a life-threatening condition where the immune system attacks its own cells, a reduction in the growth and development of cells, joint problems/diseases, circulatory system problems, and last, but definitely not least… death.

Younger people stand to suffer the effects of exposure to metals more than adults do to their small body masses. In other words, an 8 oz glass of water containing X ppm (parts per million) of heavy metals will result in a much higher dose in a child than it will in an adult who drinks the same glass of water.

Some health officials theorize that very young children and unborn babies whose bodies develop at a rapid pace absorb the metals readily into their systems. Exposure of this nature often results in learning difficulties, damaged nervous systems, memory deficiencies, and even behavioral problems such as hyperactivity and aggressiveness.

More Information on Metals in Water:

• Lead Testing in Humans… Without Needles
• Study Links Manganese Exposure to Cancer
• Chromium in Drinking Water
• Mercury Found in Fish From All 291 US Streams & Rivers Tested
• Filters for Mercury in Drinking Water
• Copper in Drinking Water
• Information About Mercury
• Visual Test Kit for Lead in Paint
• Rust Color in Drinking Water

Some people believe they have to sacrifice creature comforts such as a ‘cool’ showerhead that gives the sensation of standing in the rain if they want to install a shower filter that will reduce chlorine taste, chlorine odor and water harness. Those people clearly have not done their research!

After only a short web search we located a rain simulating showerhead manufactured by Paragon Water that has a built-in (replaceable) filter good for 10,000 gallons of shower water.

The filter uses a mixture of KDF and proprietary media to filter out impurities in the water. KDF stands for ‘Kinetic Degradation Fluxion’ and contains a high-purity copper-zinc formulation which uses a chemical process known as redox (oxidation/reduction) to reduce chlorine, lead, mercury, iron, and hydrogen sulfide levels in water.

For folks who may have other water quality issues, health officials and water professionals suggest using KDF shower or other point-of-use KDF filters in conjunction with other water purification methods since KDF filters alone will not remove potentially harmful contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, fluoride, and nitrates.

Craig wrote in and asked…

Do you have a lead test kit or can recommend a company that I can valid results in less than a week? We have used a service before, but it took nearly two weeks.

We do know of home drinking water test kits that you can use to detect the presence of dissolved lead, yes, but we feel obligated to inform you that even the most accurate home drinking water test kit should never take the place of professional water analysis by a certified water testing laboratory.

With that said, you have a few options when it comes to testing for lead in drinking water. Both WaterSafe and WaterWorks manufacture lead in water test kits and both, from what we can tell, contain the same type of test… just one has a bit less flashy packaging.

We threw the third product, SenSafe Water Metals Check in there for people who want to know if they have ANY heavy meatals present in their drinking water. SenSafe Water Metals Check has adetection range of 10ppb up to 400ppb.