Recently a gentleman by the name of ‘Albert’ contacted us to see if we had any information on water testing labs in Tucson, AZ.

Though we did not know the names of any specific labs in his area, we did provide him with some useful resources that could certainly help him find a qualified water testing lab in his area.

Good morning, Albert, and thank you for your inquiry regarding water testing labs in Arizona. Hopefully we can help you to locate a suitable home water testing lab in your area.

We first suggest taking a look at the EPA Web Site, specifically the page containing information about local water quality issues in Arizona. This page also contains contact information for the Arizona’s Drinking Water Offices… excellent sources of information on where to turn for certified drinking water analysis! See below for the link:

http://water.epa.gov/drink/local/az.cfm

Directly related to your question, however, the Arizona Department of Health Services Web Site has an online listing of labs in your area on the following page:

http://www.azdhs.gov/lab/license/env.htm

We hope this will at least point you in the right direction!

Best regards,

- Water Testing Blog Staff

For those of you NOT hailing from the Arizona area, the following web page will provide you with links to resources in other US States: http://water.epa.gov/drink/local/

Popular home water test kits?

As always, we suggest calling upon the services of certified water testing professionals if you have doubts about the safety of your water supply. At-home drinking water test kits do, however, give average home and business owners the power to keep an eye on basic drinking water parameters (i.e. heavy metals like lead, free chlorine, total chlorine, pH, hardness, etc.) whose levels, if seen fluctuating dramatically, could indicate the presence of issues requiring further investigation by a certified water testing lab like National Testing Laboratories or local water testing lab.

Childcare Water Kit	Free Chlorine Water Test	Ida’s Iron Check
Arsenic Quick Test Kit	Arsenic Quick Test Mini-Kit	Bacteria Check Test Kit
LEADQuick Paint Home Test Kit	Manganese Check Water Test Kit	Mercury Check Water Test Kit
Total Hardness Test Kit	Water Metals Test Kit	Water Quality Test Kit
Well Drillers Test Kit — Master	Well Drillers Test Kit –Standard	eXact Micro 7+ Pool Test Kit
eXact Micro 7+ Water Test Kit	Ammonia Aquarium Test	Nitrate/Nitrate Test Kit

In past postings we discussed several options for removing chlorine from shower water and received numerous ‘complaints’ from readers who stated, each in their own way, that they “simply did not have enough room in their shower to install a bulky, cumbersome shower head filter.”

Having lived in many apartments before finally each getting our own houses, all of us at Water Testing Blog fully understand not wanting to clutter small, cramped shower areas with extra plumbing fixtures.

Now, however, all you apartment dwellers have the affordable option of installing a Sprite Slimline Shower Filter which uses KDF-55 and Chlorgon Media (tested and certified against NSF/ANSI Standard 177 for the Reduction of Free Chlorine in Water) to dramatically reduce free chlorine concentrations in water.

Additionally, the Sprite Slimline Shower Filter (Manufacturer’s Part Number SL-WH) also helps to balance the pH of water it filters and aids in reducing scale buildup on shower walls.

Will I need to replace my existing shower head?

Not with the Sprite Slimline Shower Filter! This unit installs directly behind your existing shower head and adds a mere 1.5″ to the fixture.

Notice How the Unit Installs Cleanly Behind the Shower Head

No plumbing experience to install this unit!

Why should I care about chlorine?

Recent and not-so-recent studies have drawn direct correlations between exposure to chlorine in shower and eye irritation, dry/itchy skin, damaged hair, and even hardening of arteries in some cases. Not to mention that folks with respiratory problems such as asthma or allergies often report worsening of symptoms as a result of chlorine exposure in the shower.

Where can I get a simple test kit for chlorine?

We still believe that SenSafe manufactures one of the simplest and cost effective methods for accurately testing both free AND total chlorine levels in water at the same time: The WaterWorks 2 Free & Total Chlorine Test Strip.

This product outperforms ‘old school’ OTO drop test kits for total chlorine and uses patented, EPA Approved test method to detect free chlorine levels — all with a dip-n-read test procedure!

Given how BUSY most people get during the rest of the year, why would Summer offer them a break in their hectic routine? Therefore it definitely didn’t shock us one bit when ‘Mary12Adam’ wrote in and asked,

“My husnband and I both work 2 jobs and take turns shuffling the kids around to all their school, soccer, band and scout stuff. We don’t have time to run back and forth to the pool store every week for more pool chemicals. Do you know a chemical kit that will last us most if not all summer long?”

We certainly empathize with your situation, Mary, since we have kids, too, and have to create time to do ANYthing other than work, housework and drive them hither and yon.

We typically stock up on chemicals from our local pool supply store early in the season and don’t have to make a trip back until at least 3/4 of the way through the season, though sometimes a bit sooner if we get a lot of rain or have 2 or 20 more social gatherings at the homestead.

Since it sounds like you clearly don’t have a lot of time on your hands, Mary, for going to the pool store even ONCE, we suggest that you look into a pool chemical package like the Chemical Season Supply Kit (Large) from Amerimerc.Com, a leading online retailer of pool chemicals, pool test kits, pool supplies, and, of course, pool toys.

What does the kit contain? So glad you asked!

• 50 lb.3in Tablets — Great for day-to-day chlorinating
• 1 qt. Poly 60 Algaecide — A necessary tool for fending off unwanted algae
• 1 qt. Conquest Super Rust & Scale — Keep pesky metal stains out of your water
• 24 x 1 lb. bag Dura Shock — Excellent for shocking & superchlorinating
• 4 lb. pH Increaser — Effective way to elevate the pH of your pool water
• 6 lb. pH Reducer — Effective way to decrease the pH of your pool water
• Aqua Chek Chlorine 3-Way Test Strips — Fastest way to test your pool for vital parameters

Looking for other chemicals and supplies for your swimming pool and want them delivered right to your door? Check out the latest offerings on Amerimerc.Com!

As usual the warmer weather (in most of the US) has brought out the folks who have questions about pool water and how best to take care of it. Today’s question comes from ‘ActionLassie007′ who asked,

“Do they make meters for pool testing that regular people can afford? Last yr our poolguy had a meter and I asked him how much it cost. He told me one thousand and some change. He lie to me so I would not go get one and he loses a customer?”

Wow. Interesting situation, right? Personally we’d have fired the guy for telling an outlandish lie. Yeah, sure, SOME equipment used to test pool water MAY cost upwards of a thousand dollars or more, but would the average pool maintenance person REALLY spend that kind of money? We doubt it.

We suggest, Lassie, that you take a look at the eXact Micro 7+ Pool Water Testing Meter… which costs well under a thousand dollars, by the way.

Combining the reliability and repeatability of a photometer w/ the dependability of proven chemistry methods such as DPD (for chlorine testing) and phenol red (for pH testing), the eXact Micro 7+ Pool Testing Meter puts the power of accurate water testing into the hands of the people who need it most: pool owners.

A definite advantage offered by this particular pool meter: Versatility. The pool testing meter tests for 7 critical pool water parameters directly and with the use of a conversion chart and correct reagentstrip it can test for a number of other water parameters, as well.

What comes in pool water test kit?

In the basic kit you will find everything you need to test for free chlorine, total chlorine, pH, calcium hardness, total alkalinity, dissolved copper, and cyanuric acid.

Each year millions of pool owners will venture out into their sheds, begin to rummage through boxes marked ‘pool stuff’ in their garages, etc. and come up empty handed. What did they go looking for? Their simple, trusted 2-way pool water test kit.

Where did all those test kits go? No one really knows, but some have hypothesized that an alien race of testing gnomes creeps out in the off season and harvests a select number of 2-way test kits that they will sacrifice to the Pool Gods on our behalf in exchange for a bountiful, fun and safe swimming season.

Regardless of whether or not that last bit sounded believable, if you find yourself in need of a 2-way pool water test kit for total chlorine and pH, sites like InTheSwim.Com and PoolCenter.Com carry those and more.

Now… if you want to take BETTER care of your pool water — and possibly save yourself numerous water chemistry headaches which cost money to correct — you may want to consider taking a look at a 4-way pool test kit or more advanced Taylor Test Kit.

Taylor K2005C Pool Water Test Kit

Usually we report about water conditions in a region getting worse but today we proudly announce that we recently stumbled across some news about improved water quality in a region. It feels good to deliver good news every once in a while, ya’ know?

So anyways, an independent environmental monitoring group in the Chesapeake Bay area (Chesapeake Bay Foundation) announced that results of recent water quality testing indicate definite improvements in the bay’s overall condition.

With its crab population rebounding and water quality slightly better, the Chesapeake Bay is showing signs of improvement, the region’s leading environmental group says, but the estuary remains seriously impaired and needs a strict pollution “diet” to ensure its restoration.

The Annapolis-based Chesapeake Bay Foundation upped the estuary’s overall health score by three points in its latest “state of the bay” report, while warning that it remains in critical condition, barely above a failing grade.

“That the bay is getting better is a huge development, but sadly not the whole story,” William C. Baker, the foundation’s president, said in a release accompanying the report. “Dead zones, fish kills and water contact advisories are constant reminders of how far we still must go.” ( source )

Got a body of water in your area that you’d like to keep an eye on? The Chesapeake Bay Foundation probably uses quite a few advanced tools such as multi-parameter meters to measure a wide range of critical water parameters but in all honesty, sometimes using simple tools such as a TDS Meter or Eco-Check, a very popular product which tests for nitrates, nitrites, hardness, total alkalinity, and pH all with a single dip of a test strip and typically costs less than $14.00 for a bottle of 25 tests.

Drastic changes in basic water quality parameters sometimes serve as warning signs that other, more serious water quality problems exist.

Do you wonder what terrible contaminants may or may not lurk in your water? Have you tried to find a reputable water testing company in your area and had no luck? If so, then you and ‘Joyce B’ should get together for coffee because the two of you have the same trouble right now…

“I have searched for hours. How does one find a water testing company? We live in Northern Colorado and can find no information on this. It’s very frustrating.”

Yes, Joyce, we agree. The internet has become so cluttered with nonsense that finding valuable resources such as reputable water testing companies has turned into a truly annoying adventure.

Thankfully the United States Environmental Protection Agency has put together a way for people to locate certified water testing laboratories in their State of residence. For you, Joyce, the EPA’s web site directed us to the following pdf file which lists State Certified Drinking Water Labs in Colorado.

For all you other folks interested in locating a certified water testing lab in your area, take a look at the EPA’s State Certification Officers for Drinking Water Laboratories. By each name you will find a link to that particular state’s web page with links to its approved drinking water testing laboratories.

Do we have to use a lab to test our water?

We strongly advocate using a certified drinking water testing laboratory in situations where the water has not gotten tested in a long time or people have good reason to suspect contamination of some sort. That does not mean, however, that people ought not perform spot check testing on the quality of their drinking water using at-home drinking water test kits made by reputable companies like SenSafe and WaterSafe because sometimes a drastic change in an easily monitored water quality parameter (i.e. pH, alkalinity, heavy metals, etc.) can indicate the presence of a much larger and potentially much more dangerous problem.

When it comes to fracking, the process of using sand water and chemicals to fracture shale containing valuable natural gas, the debate seems to get more and more complicated each time we hear about it.

Now that the drilling has gone on long enough, people in the affected areas have started to reap some serious financial benefits from the activity and proponents of hydraulic fracturing now say that entire communities would suffer great losses (i.e. get decimated) if companies stopped drilling for natural gas nearby.

Restaurants, stores and other businesses in communities in and around areas where natural gas companies have set up hydraulic fracturing sites have experienced tremendous gains and as pointed out during a recent 60 Minutes broadcast, one community gained over 57,000 jobs.

Proponents of fracking tout facts and figures of that nature as additional evidence that fracking presents itself as a win-win situation from all angles.

Opponents view those facts and figures as good, yes, but for how long? As soon as the gas gets extracted or vanishes for an unknown reason, so will the money and so will the jobs. Life will return to normal for the permanents of those small farming communities, right?

Sure… Except for all the drilling equipment and structures left in place because it would cost more to tear them down and truck them elsewhere. Permanent eyesores left for future generations to gaze upon and wonder if any still contain dangerous fluids that may have started seeping into the ground as the equipment sits unattended, uninspected, and without proper maintenance.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — To supporters, it’s a 21st century economic boom that will benefit millions across the Northeast. To critics, it could be this century’s biggest national eco-disaster, tainting water supplies for tens of millions.

…

Combining a new process of horizontal drilling with fracking, drillers are unlocking vast deposits there and in other formations around the U.S. such as the Barnett Shale in Texas — a boom that could ensure cheap and plentiful natural gas for many years to come for homeowners, factories and power plants.

…

The drilling frenzy in the Marcellus Shale is also credited with enriching landowners and pumping new life into trucking companies, short-line railroads, quarries and steel-pipe makers, as well as the restaurants and hotels hosting out-of-state drilling crews.

An industry-financed study by Penn State projected that the boom would generate tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in state and local taxes in the coming years.

…

However, the use of fracking is raising pollution concerns across the Northeast.

While the industry maintains that fracking has been proved safe over the decades, homeowners are coming forward with tales of wells producing brown, foul-smelling water or water polluted with methane and chemicals.

In the northeastern Pennsylvania town of Dimock, a hotspot of Marcellus Shale exploration, some residents no longer use their polluted well water and can light their taps on fire because of methane they say seeped into their wells because of drilling. ( source )

Hopefully before this whole fracking thing (that almost sounded rude, right? Ha ha.) goes too far and we place weening ourselves off of OPEC’s oil and wallowing in ‘get rich quick’ wealth over the safety of our drinking water supply… someone will step in and implement some regulations the EPA can enforce.

Some have argued that the government ought to require drilling companies to pay for mandatory third party testing of well water near drilling sites and continue to pay for testing in the affected areas long after their wells have run dry.

Needless to say, the drilling companies have fallen back on their argument that hydraulic fracturing poses no risk to the aquifers through which their boring equipment must pass because of the thick metal casing and cement drilling companies use to insulate surrounding ground from chemicals and compounds used their processes.

They also say that the actual insertion of fracking fluids takes place close to two miles below the surface, more than a mile and half away from the locations of most aquifers.

Our opinion of hydraulic fracturing?

At this point we believe erring on the side of caution makes the most and that allowing hydraulic fracturing, an industry not nearly as regulated as most others that could have serious effects on the environment, to continue unchecked could result in horrifying consequences for millions of people, if not entire vast regions of the country.

Testing of the water around hydraulic fracturing sites (by third party, independent laboratories) and compiling the data will help learn more about the effects of fracking on the environment. We believe that sort of testing and data compilation needs to get done before we let Big Business and our own greed get the best of us — and allow us to accidentally poison our own wells, the very source of our existence.

We received a second inquiry from ‘Michael’ regarding an indoor swimming pool, ORP readings and Taylor Test Kit readings. Details of the email below:

Should a pool be checked daily using The Taylor Kit and Chemtrol unit , while the pool is closed because of a chemical imbalance reading from the Chemtrol unit? The ORP reading was (456), 7.4 Ph, the Taylor Kit reading was .5/? 7.2 Ph Or should we wait a day or so and then check the chlorine levels again and hope the chemical levels have risen back to normal.

Thank you for your service and time, it is greatly appreciated.

First things first: We don’t know of ANYplace where daily testing, if not HOURLY testing, of pool water quality does not get mandated by the local health department… so your question about whether or not you should test water quality daily kind of confuses us.

Regarding the readings taken by the ‘Chemtrol’ unit, we would always suggest performing periodic manual testing just to make sure the sensors in the automatic unit have not gone out of calibration. Chemical dispensing units rely upon the readings taken by the automatic sensors to help them determine how much sanitizer or other water balancing chemical to add. Therefore, keeping an eye on the automatic sensors’ accuracy makes a whole lot of sense!

Waiting a day for levels to stabilize?

Depending upon the strength and efficiency of the pool’s circulation system, you may not have to wait an entire day. As a general rule you can retest the quality of the pool water at any time, but it makes a lot more sense to retest after the water has ‘turned over’ fully after setting the chemical feeder’s levels and/or adding chemicals.

As we knew would happen soon, experts in the field of hydraulic fracturing (also called fracking) have made a public statement encouraging land owners to have the quality of their well water tested before allowing hydraulic fracturing to take place near their homes and/or wells.

Two experts on the gas drilling process called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, told a group of Pennsylvanians that they should have their private well waters tested before any drilling begins near their homes. Neglecting to have such testing performed could lead to problems if fracking contaminates their wells.

According to a report in the Citizen’s Voice, Peter Wulfhorst and Bryan Swistock, educators with Penn State Cooperative Extension, held a seminar in Luzerne County to discuss water quality issues related to fracking. If water contamination occurs within 1,000 of a drilling platform, Pennsylvania law presumes that drilling is the cause. As such, most drillers will volunteer to test wells within that area prior to beginning operations. Wulfhorst and Swistock said property owners should take the drillers up on such offers. Gas companies lose that presumption of guilt if property owners turn water testing down, Citizens Voice said.

The pair also said property owners should pay for their own testing if they can afford it. Such tests should look for barium, chloride, elevated levels of total dissolved solids, the pH factor, and methane. These chemicals are often associated with natural gas drilling. When a property owner commissions such tests, a lab employee or independent consultant should obtain the water samples and keep a copy of the chain-of-custody report.

According to Citizens Voice, Wulfhorst and Swistock also said there are some things property owners should look for after drilling commences that could indicate their well water has become contaminated. Water that “looks like Alka-Seltzer,” could contain methane, or if it leaves red stains it could have high iron levels.

…

The chemicals that make up that fracking fluid are cause for concern. They may include, among other things, barium, strontium, benzene, glycol-ethers, toluene, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethanol, and nonylphenols. All have been linked to health disorders when human exposure is too high. Thanks to a move by Congress in 2005, fracking is exempt from federal regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act, so drillers don’t have to disclose what is contained in their fracking fluids. ( source )

So tell us, people… If the gas/oil company offers to perform testing on your well water before they begin fracking, why would you NOT take them up on the offer? The logic behind NOT taking them up on the offer just… isn’t there. In fact, the very idea of NOT taking a valuable service for FREE goes against the very tenets of human nature!

Now don’t get us wrong. If the oil/gas company offers to test the water THEMSELVES and does not SHARE the results — all of the results — with land owners, then land owners should consider having testing done on their own by a licensed, certified water testing service come out to the property, take well water samples, perform testing in an accredited laboratory in accordance with accepted testing procedures, and basically make sure the data obtained from the testing could get introduced in a court of law if needed down the road.

What if land owners have already allowed drilling to begin?

Certified testing can take place at ANY time and the results of that testing will serve as the point against which the results of all future testing will get compared. So again, make sure the testing gets done right the first time!

Can homeowners do any testing on their own?

Of course! The two fracking experts (note: We still chuckle each time we use the word ‘fracking’ in that manner) stated that land owners ought to keep an eye on several basic water parameters. Changes in pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Iron, and/or Chloride levels may signify that aquifer contamination has occurred and that land owners ought to seriously consider having more in-depth testing of their well water performed.