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.

We have all heard the stories about people having date rape drugs slipped into their drinks while out at bars and nightclubs, but how many have heard of THIS? A male co-worker put his own…. ‘seed’…. into a female co-worker’s water bottle. Twice.

Just… Wow. What a flippin’ disgusting individual!

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) — A 31-year-old Fullerton man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly ejaculating twice into a co-worker’s water bottle.

Authorities said Michael Kevin Lallana was linked through DNA to the crimes.

Lallana allegedly entered the victim’s office and deposited his ejaculation into a water bottle that was on her desk in January. Police said the unsuspecting victim later drank the water, which made her feel sick, so she threw it away.

In April, investigators said Lallana did the same thing, but this time, the victim saved the water bottle and sent it to a private lab for testing. She then reported the results to the Orange Police Department.

Lallana is charged with two misdemeanor counts each of releasing an offensive material in a public place and assault, with sentencing allegations for committing a crime for sexual gratification.

If convicted, Lallana faces a maximum of three years in jail with mandatory sex offender registration. He is free on $500 bond and will be arraigned next month. ( source )

If this little bit of news does not make you want to take proper precautions to guard your water, whether in the bottle you leave on your desk at the office or as the drinking water that comes up from the aquifer and into your home, then perhaps nothing will.

Do you have control over the quality of the water in the aquifer supplying your well? Most likely not, but you always have the chance and opportunity to test the quality of water for unwanted contaminants. Periodic use of a well water test kit helps to ensure that no changes in the quality of your well water have taken place.

What sort of well water testing should well owners consider? At the very least we suggest they test for naturally occurring contaminants such as bacteria, nitrates/nitrates, heavy metals like mercury and lead, arsenic, etc.

Huh? Test for arsenic? Why? Is someone trying to poison us? Most likely not, but we have good reasons to suggest well owners test their water for arsenic. If you want to know why arsenic testing for well owners makes sense, take a look at Arsenic-Test-Kit.Com and ArsenicQuick.Com.

Getting back to the topic of well water testing, the United States Environmental Protection Agency as well as public health officials on State and Local levels urge private well owners to have their well water tested by a certified water testing laboratory annually. Qualified water testing labs like National Testing Laboratories typically provide reliable test results in under two weeks.

Oh, and before we forget, you paranoid folks out there may want to invest in a Cyanide in Water Test Kit… ‘cuz you never know. Maybe your neighbors really ARE out to get you!

This multi-stage (six) inline filter does a lot more than just remove arsenic from water at a rate of up to 1 gallon per minute, a rate perfect for use with water fountains, bottleless water coolers, commercial coffeemakers, and ice machines. It uses all six of its filtration layers to effectively remove a number of drinking water contaminants.

• In stages 1 and 6 water flows through pre and post one – micron filters capable of removing suspended particles such as silt, sediment, cyst (Giardia, Cryptosporidium), sand, rust, dirt, and other types of unwanted matter.

• In stage 2 water flows through a specially engineered arsenic removal/reduction media.

• In stages 3 and 4 water flows through a media bed comprised of high purity KDF-55D ®, and KDF-85D ®, which operate using electrochemical and spontaneous oxidation/reduction (REDOX) principles. The combination of these two special media completely oxidizes any chlorine in the water.

  As an added bonus, heavy metals such as lead, mercury, copper, nickel, chromium, cadmium, aluminum, and other dissolved metals also get removed/reduced during this stage of filtration.

  While some KDF media beds can harbor unwanted bacteria, studies have shown that this particular unit reduces the likelihood of bacteria growth by as much as 90%, thus eliminating the need for silver, an element considered by some to pose health risks.

  Worried about the possible addition of copper or zinc to the water in any significant amount? On a sample of water containing 2.3 ppm chlorinated water, testing after filtration detected <0.05 mg/l copper and only 0.46 mg/l zinc. The EPA has set the aesthetic levels for copper at 1.0 mg/l and 5.0 mg/l for zinc. Additionally, the human body requires both zinc and copper for good health. The FDA recommends a daily intake of 15 mg of zinc and 2 mg of copper.

• In the fifth stage of filtration, water flows through granulated activated carbon (GAC) which adsorbs a wide variety of organic contaminants, such as any remaining chlorine (99.9%), chemicals linked to cancer such as Trihalomethanes and benzene, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), PCB’s, MTBE’s and a laundry list of other chemical contaminants that may exist in your source (i.e. tap or well) water.

What about replacement filters? Will I have difficulty finding them? Highly unlikely! The manufacturer of this inline arsenic filter, Crystal Quest has existed in one form or another in the commercial water purification industry for more than thirty years.

You can order replacement filters for the inline arsenic filter on FilterWater.Com, a leading online vendor of water quality improvement products from Crystal Quest and other manufacturers.

Why do you see a blog posting dealing with testing for lead in paint on a web site dedicated to water quality and water quality? Simple: The folks responsible for this site care about the health and safety of families and want them to live lead-free lives whenever possible.

Why should a family or person have to wonder whether or not the paint covering their furniture, window sills, radiators, walls, baseboards, etc. contains harmful lead when a simple, easy-to-use test kit for lead in paint like the LEADQuick Paint Home Test Kit contains 25 tests and each test takes only minutes to perform.

Using visual detection method which makes use of a new & improved red-green color development technology, LEADQuick Paint Home Test Kit detects the presence of lead on surfaces including wood, plaster, drywall, and metal.

The LEADQuick Paint Home Test Kit includes:

• 10 – Testing Tubes: Small polystyrene test tubes
• 1 – eXact® Reagent Acid-1 in a dropper bottle
• 1 – eXact® Reagent PB-2 in a dropper bottle
• 1 – eXact® Strip PB-3P bottle of 50 strips
• 1 – eXact® Strip PB-4 bottle of 25 strips
• 1 – Foam Test Tube Holder
• 1 – Instruction Manual
• 1 – Lead Paint Drywall ‘Standard’

While newer homes must pass certification tests prior to sale and may not contain lead-based paints, the law does not always require older homes that have passed down from family member to family member an/or as rental properties that have not changed owners in many years to comply with newer lead regulations.

Testing for Lead in Water

Given all the publicity that lead in water contamination has received in recent years, it should come as no surprise that people have interest in testing their drinking water for lead.

Remember: At one point copper piping joined by solder containing lead went into pretty much every home and office.

Got interest in testing for other metals in your drinking water? No problem. The following test kits will make that task a breeze!

Crystal Quest pitcher replacement filter

Manufacturer: Crystal Quest
Model Number: CQE-RC

4 stages of convenient filtration with a 2,000 gallon capacity.

In stages 1 and 2 KDF55 and KDF85 media reduce iron, mercury, copper, nickel, chromium, other dissolved metals, and harmful bacteria.

Stage 3 features an ion exchange resin that reduces heavy metals (such as lead, copper, aluminum) and lowers water hardness.

The fourth and final stage, a bed of granulated activated carbon (GAC) reduces chlorine by 99.9%, gets rid of bad tastes and odors, reduces pesticides and chemicals that are linked to cancer risks (i.e. benzene, THM’s, toxaphene).

How do you know if you need a water filter?

The answer, quite simply, involves testing your water. You can either test it yourself using a home water testing kit like the Water Quality Test Kit from SenSafe… or you can have a certified water testing laboratory such as National Testing Labs analyze your water.

In cases where homeowners suspect contamination, we always suggest using a certified water testing lab. Better to play it safe than sorry because… It’s your water, your health… and your LIFE!

We recently received an email inquiry from Lisa containing a question about water treatment systems for people with compromised immune systems.

My son has just been diagnoses with an immune deficiency, and I should be sterilizing his drinking water -which I am doing by boiling for him. I am wondering if distilled or reverse osmosis, bottled water would effectively remove bacteria from the water, and be a safe alternative. Would one be better then the other.

Thank you for your time,

Lisa

Thank you, Lisa, for your question and it pains us to learn of your son’s condition. We hope that modern medicine can find a way to help your son live a long and healthy life.

Regarding your question about the best way to sterilize water for people with compromised immune systems, the EPA and CDC co-released a document back in 1995 that gives a lot of useful information on the topic entitled Guidance for People with Severely Weakened Immune Systems.

Below you will find excerpts from that document relating directly to the questions you asked:

• Cryptosporidium has caused several large waterborne disease outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness, with symptoms that include diarrhea, nausea, and/or stomach cramps. People with severely weakened immune systems (that is, severely immunocompromised) are likely to have more severe and more persistent symptoms than healthy individuals. Moreover, Cryptosporidium has been a contributing cause of death in some immunocompromised people.

• Although data are not sufficient for EPA/CDC to recommend that all severely immunocompromised persons take extra caution with regards to their drinking water, individuals who wish to take extra measures to avoid waterborne Cryptosporidiosis can bring their drinking water to a full boil for one minute. Boiling water is the most effective way of killing Cryptosporidium.

• Only point-of-use filters that remove particles one micrometer or less in diameter should be considered. Filters in this category that provide the greatest assurance of Cryptosporidium removal include those that use reverse osmosis, those labeled as “Absolute” one micrometer filters, or those labeled as certified by NSF International under standard 53 for “Cyst Removal.” …. Water treated with a point-of-use filter that meets the above criteria may not necessarily be free of organisms smaller than Cryptosporidium that could pose a health hazard for severely immunocompromised individuals.

• Many, but not all, brands of bottled water may provide a reasonable alternative to boiling tap water. …. Any bottled water treated by distillation or reverse osmosis before bottling assures Cryptosporidium removal.

• Neither EPA nor CDC maintains a list of point-of-use filters or bottled water brands that meet the above criteria. NSF International can provide a list of filters that meet the NSF criteria.

We suggest you take a look at the NSF Web Site to see what systems meet their requirements. In a situation like yours, you will want to make certain the product you purchase will accomplish all your objectives — and then some.

One system we came across recently, the Pentek RO-3500 Monitored Reverse Osmosis System,

NSF Tested & Certified Standard 58 for reduction of TDS, Fluoride, Turbidity, Lead, Nitrates, Selenium, Arsenic, Copper, Cadmium, Barium, Cyst, and Radium.

The Pentek R0-3500 features the 3 stage system, one ROM-230TN membrane, a D15 sediment filter, a D20 carbon filter, and one long-reach lead-free faucet. Unit comes with a standard installation kit and instructions.

Another feature of the the Pentek RO3500 which makes it quite nice… an electronic monitoring system that keeps track of the water filters cartridges’ lifespans and informs the owner when they need replacing.

What elements does the RO-3500 Reverse Osmosis System reduce and/or eliminate? The unit has the ability to filter out the following elements as well as many other chemical compounds:

• 90.2% TDS ( test for TDS )
• 98.9% Arsenic ( test for arsenic )
• 90.5% Fluoride
• 98% Phosphates ( test for arsenic )
• 99.99% Cysts
• 99.7% Turbidity
• 98.7% Lead ( test for lead )
• 87.4% Nitrate ( test for nitrates )
• 80.7% Nitrite ( test for nitrites )
• 97.5% Selenium
• 99.9% Copper ( test for copper )
• 97.3% Cadmium
• 86.6% Hexavalent Chromium ( test for chromium )
• 92.8% Trivalent Chromium
• 80% Radium 226/228
• 90.7% Barium
• Chlorine ( test for chlorine )
• Sediment & Particulates

For more information on the Pentek Reverse Osmosis System mentioned above, please read its detailed specifications on FiltersFast.Com.

One final word

Use of a reverse osmosis systems does NOT guarantee the elimination of ALL possible biological contaminants since some biological contaminants have sizes smaller than the membranes in RO units can filter out.

For that reason you may want to consider adding a UV Sterilizer to your filtration setup. These devices render biological contaminants incapable of reproducing by altering their genetic structure with specific wavelengths of light.

Crystal Quest Pitcher Water Filter
Manufacturer: Crystal Quest
Model Number: Pitcher-Ultimate

Large capacity water pitcher w/ built-in filter provides clean, great-tasting water conveniently chilled and stored in your refrigerator.

Capable of removing more than 99% chlorine from more than 2,000 gallons of water, this large 10-cup (2.5 quarts) pitcher features a slim, space-saving shape that fits neatly in pretty much any refrigerator. Filters have a life expectancy of between 6 and 12 months depending upon water usage rate.

The Crystal Quest Pitcher Water Filter makes use of a high quality 4 filter technology to produce drinking water of superior quality:

• Stages 1 & 2 — Two types of specialized filtration media (KDF55 and KDF85) greatly reduce and/or eliminate dissolved metals such as iron, mercury, copper, nickel, chromium. Bacteria also gets filtered out at this stage.

• Stage 3 — Ion exchange resin reduces heavy metals such as lead, copper, and aluminum. Water hardness levels get drastically reduced in this stage as well.

• Stage 4 — Granulated activated carbon (GAC) reduces chlorine (99.9%), removes bad taste(s) and odor(s), and reduces pesticides and chemicals linked to increased cancer risks (i.e. benzene, TTHMs and toxaphene).

  Need another great reason to consider the Crystal Quest Pitcher Water Filter? Consumer Digest rated it as a best buy for 2 years in a row (2006, 2007).

  Your Cost at FilterWater.Com: Around $25

Everyone loves a bargain, right? Well if you have waited to purchase a test kit for drinking water because you could never find one on sale, well, you no longer have a reason to wait.

FilterWater.Com recently dropped the price of Sensafe’s most popular test kit for drinking water quality, an easy-to-use test kit that tests for 15 critical water quality contaminants and does not require users to mix powders, crush tablets, or have a degree in chemistry to figure out the directions.

Considered by some the most complete do-it-yourself Water Quality Test Kit on the market, this water test kit tests up to 2 water sources for 15 critical water quality parameters and allows you to quickly and easily test your drinking water and/or check to see if your water filter does a good job.

In this particular drinking water test kit you will find the only available USEPA Approved Free Chlorine Test Strip as well as color-coded, visual, on the spot tests for 13 other parameters. The bacteria test kit, however, requires 48 hours, just as it does in kits manufactured by all other companies.

In total, the Water Quality Test Kit contains the following:

• Free Chlorine – 2 tests
• Total Chlorine – 2 tests
• Chloride – 2 tests
• pH – 2 tests
• Total Alkalinity – 2 tests
• Total Hardness – 2 tests
• Nitrate – 2 tests
• Nitrite – 2 tests
• Iron – 2 tests
• Sulfate – 2 tests
• Hydrogen Sulfide – 2 tests
• Copper – 2 tests
• Lead – 1 test
• Pesticide – 1 test
• Bacteria – 1 test

Included with the kit you will receive a chart so that you can compare your results to USEPA recommended levels is included.

And remember…

Despite the great price on this home drinking water test kit, no at-home testing can ever take the place of having a certified water testing laboratory such as National Testing Labs analyze your drinking water if you have serious reason to suspect contamination.

We said it before and we will say it again: Ultimate responsibility for the quality of the water you drink rests with YOU.

Far too often we trust that the water entering our homes contains no harmful contaminants because our water treatment plant ‘has one of the best reputations in the business’ or has ‘never had a violation or failed an inspection’. We forget our local water treatment plant’s crystal clear, safe travels through many miles of different types and sorts of pipes before it reaches our faucets.

At any point in that journey a tiny crack in any one of the pipes could allow potentially harmful contaminants to enter the water stream… and travel to our faucets. A multitude of coliform bacteria can work their way through openings far smaller than half of a millimeter in size with the greatest of ease.

Oh, and at one point in time or another, health officials deemed materials like lead safe for use in drinking water pipelines.

Most people take for granted every day that the water from kitchen taps and the vegetables from home gardens or stores will be clean and safe.

But if sewer pipes lying beneath local streets and yards are damaged or broken, there’s potential for serious problems, say health, environmental and utility officials.

Because pipes carrying fresh, clean water often lie in the same ditches, tunnels and infrastructure rights of way as sewer lines, there is tremendous potential for drinking water or irrigation water to be contaminated.

“Your water can be contaminated right out in the street in front of you,” said Dr. Mark LeChevallier, director of innovation and environment stewardship for American Water Co., the parent company of Tennessee-American Water Co., which serves Chattanooga.

Dr. Rand Carpenter, an epidemiologist and waterborne illness specialist with the Tennessee Department of Heath, says once that contamination is there, all it takes is contact and an unwashed hand.

Sewage contains pathogens, bacteria and viruses, he said, and if people touch something bearing those germs, they can get sick.

“These are big concerns to us in the health department,” he said.

Emerging strains of E. coli have proven very dangerous, especially to the young, the elderly or people whose immune systems are deficient.

Even a norovirus, “what we grew up calling the 24-hour virus,” can be a culprit of contamination that began with sewage, Dr. Carpenter said. ( source )

Periodic testing of tap water for simple things like heavy metals (i.e. lead, copper, mercury, etc.) and bacteria helps ensure the safety of everyone in your home.

With all the talk about oil washing up on the shores as a result of the BP oil platform disaster, some people have started to ask a very smart question:

Could some of that oil somehow end up in my well water if I live close to the shore?

At this point no one can answer that question definitively, but rest assured plenty of people would prefer to err on the side of caution and have a water filter system capable of removing any trace elements of the BP disaster that may find their way into their water supply.

The Crystal Quest Mega Triple Undersink Water Filter, known by manufacturer’s part number CQE-US-00309 and good for proper filtering of up to 10,000 gallons of drinking water, uses a combination of three separate filter chambers:

1. Water flows through a sediment filter cartridge that removes sediment, silt, sand and dirt. This helps to extend the life of water softener and water filters and prevent damage to control valves and/or pumps.

2. In the second filter chamber, water flows through pre one – micron filter pads which remove suspended particles such as silt, sediment, cyst (Giardia, Cryptosporidium), sand, rust, dirt, and other undissolved matter.

   It then flows through a bed of media made of a special high-purity alloy blend of two dissimilar metals — copper and zinc (Eagle Redox Alloy® 6500 and Eagle Redox Alloy® 9500) — that works using electro-chemical and spontaneous-oxidation-reduction (REDOX) principles. At this stage chlorine gets instantaneously and almost inexhaustibly oxidized iron and hydrogen sulfide get oxidized into insoluble matter which attaches to the filter media, heavy metals such as lead, mercury, copper, nickel, chromium, cadmium, aluminum, and other dissolved metals also get removed by the electrochemical process.

   In the next stage, water flows through the ion exchange resin, further reducing heavy metals such as lead, copper, aluminum, and water hardness.

   Next, water passes through granulated activated carbon (GAC), a compound universally recognized and widely used as an effective adsorbent for a wide variety of organic contaminants such as chlorine (99.9%), chemicals linked to cancer such as THM’s and benzine, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), PCB’s, MTBE’s and hundreds of other chemical contaminants potentially found in drinking water. It also works to greatly reduce and/or eliminate bad taste and odors in drinking water.

   The last section of this filter chamber contains another one-micron filtration pad for further reduction of undesirable particles.

3. In the third filtration chamber water travel through a solid carbon cartridge designed to remove remaining volatile organic carbon compounds (VOC’s), insecticides, pesticides and industrial solvents.

Need replacement cartridges for the Crystal Quest Mega Triple Undersink Water Filter?