The internet makes locating information, goods and services so much easier than in the past and when it comes to inquiries about water testing the Water Testing Blog definitely gets its share of inquiries from outside the United States.

Today’s inquiry came to us from ‘Ashish’ who wrote, “hi,i am a mp govt emploie i want all test for water because my department allso belong these.”

As best we can interpret, Ashish works for a government agency that has responsibility for performing water quality testing and Ashish would like to know where he can obtain all the required water quality testing products that his agency would need to carry out its water testing duty.

Unfortunately, without knowing exactly what testing Ashish’s department performs we really can’t provide him with much of an answer except to recommend the following general, all-purpose testing equipment:

• eXact Micro 10 Water Testing Meter — We selected this water testing product because of its versatility. The eXact Micro 10 provides direct readings for Total Alkalinity, Bromine, Calcium Hardness, Free Chlorine, Total Chlorine, Copper, Ozone, Permanganate and pH. When used in % Transmission Mode along with the appropriate reagentstrips the eXact Micro 10 has the ability to read an additional 17 water quality parameters.

  In addition to having extreme versatility, the eXact Micro 10 Water Testing Meter also has extremely easy-to-follow testing procedures. Children in the grade school age range can operate this meter and obtain accurate water test results.
   

• Well Driller Master Test Kit — We keep mentioning this test kit because of the value it has for people seriously interested in testing water on a regular basis. Testing for a total of 14 different water quality parameters (some as many as 50 times!) this conveniently packaged water testing kit offers awesome value for under $200.

So, we regretfully cannot say that we have satisfactorily addresses Ashish, but we did at least try. If you have more specific questions, Ashish, please feel free to contact us again!

Diligence in monitoring water quality always makes sense and it really makes sense if you live near industrial complexes, manufacturing facilities… or in this case a mining operation. ‘Andre’ wrote in and asked,

I want to send a sample of river water downstream from a mining opeation to see if and what the chemicals and water is composed of…we fish on this river and would like to submit samples for testing..we are on a budget but still would like to know what is in the water??

and the cost of sending in samples of the river water..thanks

In a situation like this we would suggest submitting a sample to a company like National Testing Laboratories which offers several levels of testing packages. For more information on this company, please refer to a previous article called Who is/are National Testing Labs?

Given the wide range of potential contaminants that could get carried by runoff from the area around a mining operation, we suspect that you will want to run as many tests as possible. National Testing Labs has a 97-Contaminant Test Kit available for around $200 and an 83-Contaminant Test Kit available for around $160.

Basic testing options for day-to-day monitoring?

Once you have established a baseline reading by getting the water tested by a qualified water testing laboratory you will want to keep tabs on the water’s quality by using basic test kits from companies like SenSafe and WaterSafe.

While basic, at-home drinking water test kits will not test for nearly the number water contaminants as laboratory testing, many basic water tests serve as potential indicators of more serious water quality issues.

* TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)

We suggest keeping an eye on the total dissolved solids level in a water source with a simple TDS Meter and monitoring for sudden spikes in TDS levels. Massive changes mean something has entered the water supply.

While that ‘something’ may just be silt kicked up by heavy rains, one should get curious if the levels spike at times other than after rainstorms or other plausible explanations for elevated TDS levels.

* Dissolved Metals

Sudden changes in dissolved metals concentrations should certainly raise a few red flags and Heavy Metals Test Strips make monitoring dissolved metals levels in water a quick, safe and easy process.

* Multi-Parameter Monitoring

If you want to perform a wide range of water tests on a regular basis we suggest investing in a kit like the Well Driller Master Test Kit since it allows users to test up to 50 samples of water for critical water quality parameters.

Today’s inquiry came to us from ‘Ramprakash’ who very plainly said, “I want to buy Master Water Testing Kits”.

We think you have excellent taste water test kits, Ramprakash, because the Well Driller Master Test Kit puts the power to perform multiple samplings on water sources right where it belongs: In the hands of private well owners.

The Well Driller Master Test Kit comes with 50 Free Chlorine Test Strips, 50 Ultra Low Total Chlorine Test Strips, 50 Hydrogen Sulfide Tests, 50 Total Hardness Test Strips, 50 Nitrate/Nitrite Test Strips, 50 pH Test Strips, 24 Manganese Tests, 50 Water Metals Test Strips, 10 Arsenic Tests, 50 Iron Tests, 50 Copper Test Strips, 2 Lead in Water Tests, 2 Pesticide Tests, and 1 bottle of Bacteria Test.

Where to buy the Well Driller Master Test Kit?

At this time we know that FilterWater.Com carries both the Well Driller Standard Test Kit and the Well Driller Test Kit.

The Standard kit has a few less tests and costs around $140 while the Master kit has a cost of around $195.

Regardless of which option you choose, we suggest picking up extra Coliform Bacteria Tests since both kits come with only one test for bacteria. FilterWater.Com sells a pack of 12 coliform bacteria tests for around $80.

Today’s inquiry came to us from The United Arab Emirates and their inquiry dealt with DPD-1 (What is DPD?, the chemical reagent used to detect free chlorine in a water sample. Mohanad asked,

Dear Sir

Please could you quote a best price for: Chorine- DPD Free Reagent Qty:600 Pk, each pk containing 100 pillows

When testing for free chlorine most test methods use DPD-1 as the test reagent, though in the United States the USEPA has approved an alternate method (SenSafe Free Chlorine Water Check) for testing free chlorine levels in drinking water.

Where to Buy DPD-1 Test Reagents

We have found that online pool stores such as serve as very convenient place to purchase DPD-1 test reagents. As of right now, In the Swim has 1,000 DPD-1 tablets (for use in 10mL samples) available for less than 5 cents per test!

Easier to Use Form of DPD-1 Chlorine Test Reagent?

Looking for an equivalent but easier way to test free chlorine using your existing meter or test system that uses a 10mL sample size? If so, DPD-1 ReagentStrips function the same as or better than traditional DPD-1 test tablets, powders and liquids.

For a simple demonstration of how the DPD-1 ReagentStrips for free chlorine testing work in a Hach water quality testing meter, take a look at this free chlorine testing flowchart that illustrates how much easier DPD-1 ReagenetStrips make free chlorine testing.

While many people still blame sulfur for the rotten egg smell in water, sulfur alone does not create that terrible smell. Technically speaking, the sulfur combines with two hydrogen molecules to form H₂S, a compound formally commonly known as hydrogen sulfide gas.

It does not take a large quantity of liberated hydrogen sulfide gas in a water supply to make the water unappealing because of its wretched, egg-like aroma and the smell typically intensifies as the water temperature rises and more H₂S gas leaves the water.

Some would think that simply detecting the rank stench of H₂S gas in drinking water would serve as all the information needed to select the correct water treatment system but, as with most other drinking water contaminants, the concentration of H₂S gas in the water determines what method of removal will make the most sense.

Simple activated carbon filters usually do a decent job of removing smaller amounts of H₂S gas. For higher concentrations of H₂S gas, other, more complicated and expensive methods usually become necessary. In some of the methods chemicals convert the gas back into its elemental form (a powder) and then a filter strains out the precipitated sulfur.

Testing for hydrogen sulfide

We have already mentioned that hydrogen sulfide gas in water does not need to have all that high of a concentration to offend one’s nose so it stands to reason that a good test kit for hydrogen sulfide gas in water would have the ability to detect very low levels of the gas.

Thus far in our travels the kit that seemed to have the easiest instructions, easiest to read color chart, a decent amount of accuracy, and best overall value came from SenSafe and goes by the name of Low Range Hydrogen Sulfide Check.

This highly affordable hydrogen sulfide test kit for drinking water detects hydrogen sulfide levels from 0 ppm to 2 ppm with the first color pad having a value of 0.3 ppm. Testing time: Under 3 minutes.

Many of you have asked us for a definition of ‘groundwater’ so below you will find an excerpt from the EPA web site that does an excellent job of summing up what gets classified as groundwater and why clean groundwater matters so much:

Ground water flows slowly underground through pore spaces between sand, gravel, and cracks in rock, in underground formations called aquifers. These aquifers supply water that is used for sources for drinking water, agriculture, feeds our lakes, and recharges our streams and rivers.

More than 90 percent of all public drinking water systems rely on ground water to supply the population with drinking water. And millions of Americans rely on ground water from aquifers to supply their private wells. source

So as you can clearly see, having safe, clean groundwater matters to each and every one of us. Without it we will all face a high probability of disease and sickness because of the contaminants we would ingest by drinking water from polluted groundwater sources.

Groundwater Awareness Week

Thirteen years ago the National Groundwater Association, an organization which has proven itself highly useful in bringing groundwater safety issues to people’s attention for many years, began National Groundwater Awareness Week as a way to generate interest in groundwater cleanliness and advocate private well testing.

Without regular well water testing well owners will not know if the aquifer from which they obtain their water has become contaminated.

Commonly found contaminants in groundwater

While the list of potential contaminants would take forever and a day to complete, the most commonly found contaminants in groundwater include arsenic, nitrates, nitrites, coliform bacteria, and various metals such as lead, iron, copper, manganese, etc.

Well and groundwater testing

Far too many private well owners put faith in notions such as “my well gets its water from the deepest part of the aquifer so I know it’s safe to drink” or “we have never had a problem before so we shouldn’t have one now” and potentially set themselves up for trouble.

Contamination of aquifers does happen and it can occur without any clearly identifiable cause. It takes time for unwanted contaminants to work their way down through the soil and/or through vast mazes of underground waterways so a contaminant found today may have began its journey into the aquifer years ago.

Frequency of testing

Well and groundwater professionals all pretty much agree that private wells should get tested for at LEAST coliform bacteria, nitrates/nitrites, arsenic, and heavy metals once a year — preferably by a certified drinking water testing laboratory.

For a list qualified labs in your area, take a look at the State Certification Officers for Drinking Water Laboratories page on the EPA web site. It contains a list of links to certified labs arranged in alphabetical order by state.

Well water testing kits for home use

For those who would like to perform spot checks on the quality of the water produced by their well on their own, we suggest taking a look at the Well Driller Master Test Kit since it gives well owners the ability to test for many different parameters on more than one occasion.

The Well Driller Master Test Kit comes with 50 Free Chlorine Test Strips, 50 Ultra Low Total Chlorine Test Strips, 50 Hydrogen Sulfide Tests, 50 Total Hardness Test Strips, 50 Nitrate/Nitrite Test Strips, 50 pH Test Strips, 24 Manganese Tests, 50 Water Metals Test Strips, 10 Arsenic Tests, 50 Iron Tests, 50 Copper Test Strips, 2 Lead in Water Tests, 2 Pesticide Tests, and 1 bottle of Bacteria Test.

Oh, how we wish we DID know of a simple test kit for fluoride… because we have folks like ‘Mark’ asking us, “do you sell Fluoride tests kits? if so how much do they cost?” all the time!

Right now we know of only two test kits that the general public can make use of to test the fluoride content of their water: 1) National Testing Labs Fluoride Test Kit (mail-in); 2) eXact Micro 7+ Water Testing Meter (w/ fluoride reagent).

Why test for fluoride?

While many people in positions of authority believe fluoride a great additive for the public water supply, many others see it as a dangerous poison capable of doing massive damage to the population if no one monitors its levels.

Also, some people have severe, and sometimes fatal, allergic reactions to fluoride.

Moral of the story?

No matter what side of the fluoride Great Fluoride Debate you may find yourself, the fact remains that small amounts of fluoride can have beneficial effects on teeth and too much fluoride can harm a person over time.

Therefore, like any other water supply additives that serve a purpose (i.e. chlorine used to disinfect drinking water), we believe its concentration need to stay on the radar of water treatment operators at all times.

Most ‘health’ issues stemming from contaminated well water did NOT have to happen so we really like hearing from people interested in getting their well water tested — hopefully BEFORE anyone has gotten sick from the water.

Today we heard from ‘Ilija S’ who asked, “Who do we contact to get well water tested?”

Hello, Ilija, and thank you for your inquiry.

When it comes to well water testing we suggest contacting a certified well water testing laboratory in your area. Your Local & State Health Departments should have a list that they can send.

Please keep in mind that if you have reason to suspect well water contamination, you should always defer to the expert testing services of a qualified, certified water testing laboratory; preferably one in your immediate area since their staff will know more about the intricacies of your local water situation than a laboratory located in a different city, county or state.

For spot testing of basic water quality parameters, test kits such as the WaterSafe Well Water Test Kit or SenSafe Water Quality Test Kit work quite well… but they do not test for more complex, man-made chemicals such as VOC’s (volatile organic compounds).

If you want a more thorough analysis that includes things like pesticides and volatile organic compounds, you may want to take a look at test kit options like the National Testing Labs Mail-In Water Testing Kit that includes a number of commonly found pesticides and different VOC’s.

We hope this has helped at least a little bit!

Yesterday we touched on water quality issues in California involving unsafe levels of Chromium-6, a known carcinogenic compound, in well water. Today we sadly report that the same region of the country, Coachella Valley, California, also has troubles with higher than desired concentrations of arsenic in well water.

In addition to high levels of chromium-6 found across the Coachella Valley, residents in east valley also cope with high well-water concentrations of another naturally occurring element: arsenic.

Thousands of residents live in areas that contain hazardous levels of arsenic in their groundwater, a problem that would cost millions to remedy.

In January 2010, Riverside County environmental health officials knew of wells at 19 mobile home and RV parks that had tested positive for dangerous levels of arsenic ranging from 12 to 91 parts per billion, a Desert Sun probe found.

Studies have linked arsenic, a naturally occurring tasteless and odorless element, to risks of cancer when ingested over decades at levels of more than 10 parts per billion, according to state and federal health officials. Children are even more susceptible because of their low body weight.

Federal health officials used to consider any levels of arsenic above 50 parts per billion unsafe. In 2000, they lowered the standard to 10 parts per billion, based on new studies. ( source )

For those who do not already know, “The USEPA has determined that ingesting arsenic in too high a quantity can make a person very ill and possibly even cause death. Throughout history, and possibly even in some countries today, you can find arsenic listed as an ingredient in mouse and rat poison. Additionally, the USEPA classifies arsenic as a carcinogenic compound.” ( source )

Testing for Arsenic?

As usual we will bring up one of our favorite water test kit lines, the Arsenic Quick line of home, field and industrial water testing kits for As⁺³ and As⁺⁵ dissolved in water.

We like this product Arsenic Quick product line for several reasons including, but not limited to, its use of food grade reagents for improved safety, its fast and easy testing procedures, its ability to detect very low concentrations w/o the use of a meter, and its affordability.

For under $20 the average person can get a test kit that will let them know if their well water contains unsafe levels of dissolved arsenic and the testing won’t take more than around 15 minutes.

For those in need of more definitive and potentially more legally defensible water testing options, contact your local health department for a list of local laboratories certified to perform the sort of water testing you require. And, as always, if no local labs exist, companies like National Testing Laboratories offer comprehensive water testing packages that include tests for a large number potential of water quality contaminants and critical water quality parameters.

Reducing Arsenic levels in Water?

Few methods for point-of-use arsenic reduction/removal exist for homeowners except for units such as the Pentek RO-3500 Reverse Osmosis System which bears NSF 58 Certification for the reduction of unwanted drinking water contaminants such as Pentavalent Arsenic, Barium, Cadmium, Copper, Hexavalent & Trivalent Chromium, Cyst, Fluoride, Lead, Nitrate/Nitrite, Radium 226/228, Selenium, TDS and Turbidity.

Other, more robust 4 and 5 stage reverse osmosis systems such as the Goldline 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis System also bear the NSF 58 mark and include additional features such as pre and post carbon block filters for additional water polishing.

We continually find articles these days that report about well water test samples containing unwanted heavy metal contaminants such as Chromium-6… and yet many private well owners still won’t get their own water tested on a regular basis.

Today’s Chromium-6 well water finding comes to us from the Coachella Valley region of California known and the detected levels of Chromium-6 in the water greatly exceed California’s public health goal.

Hexavalent chromium, a potentially cancer-causing heavy metal made famous by activist Erin Brockovich, is found in drinking water supplies throughout most of the Coachella Valley at 150 to more than 1,000 times above California’s public health goal, a Desert Sun review of local water agencies’ well-testing results found.

The National Toxicology Program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services concluded in 2008 that hexavalent chromium, or chromium-6, in drinking water shows “clear evidence” of causing cancer in laboratory animals. And a 2010 draft toxicological review by the EPA found the contaminant in tap water is “likely to be carcinogenic to humans.”

But scientific study on chromium-6 is ongoing, and some recent findings call into question at what levels and under what circumstances ingesting the metal may cause cancer.

California’s public health goal for chromium-6 levels is not a regulatory standard, only a step in the process of establishing one. State and federal regulators have yet to set a maximum allowable drinking water contaminant level for the metal, but work toward one is under way. ( source )

Regardless of whether or not California or the USEPA has established an official safety limit (i.e. Maximum Contaminant Level) for Chromium-6 in drinking water, none of us here at Water Testing Blog would want to drink water that contained that high a concentration of Chromium-6.

Testing for Chromium-6 in water?

You may pick up an easy-to-use test kit for chromium made by SenSafe/WaterWorks in our online water testing store.

As an alternative, yo can use a test called Heavy Metals Water Check Test Strip, a product also manufactured by SenSafe. It detects Chromium-6 but the product will not differentiate between Chromium-6 and the other metals it can detect. But, in all honesty, any heavy metals detected in one’s drinking water should make a person want to take action.

Removing or reducing Chromium-6?

A company called ZeroWater manufactures point-of-use water filters & water pitchers using NSF Certified (NSF 42 & NSF 53) technology that supposedly reduce the number of Total Dissolved Solids in drinking water to zero.

For those who in search of a water filter system capable of producing quality drinking water out of the tap rather than a pitcher or dispenser, the NSF 58 Certified Goldline Reverse Osmosis System which carries the WQA Gold Seal installs under the sink (i.e. out of sight) and produces just under 11.5 gallons of purified drinking water per day.

NSF 58 Certified RO System for the Reduction of Barium, Chromium III & VI, Fluoride,
Lead, Nitrate, Nitrite, Radium, Selenium, and TDS Levels