Free water testing…. for private well owners in the State of Indiana.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) Office of Water Quality (OWQ) recently announced that it would offer residential well owners the opportunity to have their water tested for several critical water quality parameters as part of a statewide Ground Water Monitoring Network.

Tests included in the free well water testing program include testing for: metals, nitrate-nitrite, VOCs, SOCs, alkalinity, pesticide degradates, and other general chemistry indicators. The testing will get conducted free of charge for up to 400 qualified private water well owners across the state.

Eligibility for the program: Each well must be get registered in the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) water well database and each well must have an untreated spigot located outdoors that IDEM staff can easily access.

If interested in having your well water tested as part of this program, please visit http://www.in.gov/idem/6892.htm or contact Kevin Spindler by phone at 317-234-3243 for additional information.

Why test your well water?

We routinely get emails from folks asking why they should test their well water periodically. They say things like ‘my water looks fine’ or ‘it tastes the same as it has for years’ and we respond by telling them potentially harmful levels of contaminants such as coliform bacteria, nitrates/nitrites, heavy metals, arsenic, etc. impart little or no taste, smell or color to well water… and can infiltrate underground water sources without warning.

National Groundwater Awareness Week: March 9th – March 15th.

Roughly 96 percent of the U.S. rural population relies upon ground water, the water filling the cracks and porous areas between rock and sand, for fresh drinking water. Additionally, in the United States approximately 79.6 billion gallons per day of fresh groundwater get used by the public for irrigation, watering livestock, manufacturing processes, mining operations, thermoelectric power generation, and other purposes. ( source )
In Illinois: Thanks to sponsorship by the Central Regional Groundwater Committee, the Tazewell County Health Department, Peoria County Health Department, Woodford County Health Department, and the Mason Soil and Water Conservation will offer free private water testing for private well owners in Tazewell, Peoria, Woodford and Mason Counties.

The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) suggests routine well maintenance checks to help ensure water quality and proper operation of the well. As part of regular well maintenance, the NGWA also suggests that owners of prove water wells have their water tested (at least) annually or when well owner’s notice a change in their water’s taste, color, odor, or appearance.

Well water also should get tested in the event that the well head gets submerged by surface water (i.e. during a flood) or after the well head gets unsealed for service work.

Private well owners may collect free sample bottles from the Tazewell County Health Department, Peoria County Health Department, Woodford County Health Department or Mason County Soil and Water Conservation and drop off samples for free water testing between 8:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. on March 9th, 10th and 11th during Groundwater Awareness Week. Samples will get tested for nitrates and total coliform bacteria. This offer available only to private well owners.

Officials working for the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services urge every owner of a private water well to test their well water for contaminants on a regular basis

This announcement comes as part of the Department's recognition of March 9-15 as National Groundwater Awareness Week in the Granite State (and the rest of the country!)

Environmental officials in the state estimate that more than 40 percent of New Hampshire residents get their drinking water from private wells. Those same folks ALSO say many of those wells may contain unhealthy levels of naturally-occurring Arsenic Test Kits, radon, and/or other contaminants like Water Metals Test Kits.

In the case of contaminants like arsenic and radon, those contaminants cannot get detected by taste, odor or the appearance of the water.  Therefore only testing will alert a private well owner to the presence of those contaminants.

Officials and well water professionals recommend that well owners have their water tested regularly (most agree that annually is a good idea) by an accredited lab and:

• When well water develops an unusual or different color, taste or appearance
• After service gets performed on the well or well head
• After an event such as flooding causes the well head to become submerged under surface water

Looking for a water testing laboratory in the New Hampshire area?  The DES website contains a list of accredited laboratories at www.des.nh.gov.

National Groundwater Awareness Week: March 9th - March 15th.

Roughly 96 percent of the U.S. rural population relies upon ground water, the water filling the cracks and porous areas between rock and sand, for fresh drinking water. Additionally, in the United States approximately 79.6 billion gallons per day of fresh groundwater get used by the public for irrigation, watering livestock, manufacturing processes, mining operations, thermoelectric power generation, and other purposes. ( source )

In Illinois: Thanks to sponsorship by the Central Regional Groundwater Committee, the Tazewell County Health Department, Peoria County Health Department, Woodford County Health Department, and the Mason Soil and Water Conservation will offer free private water testing for private well owners in Tazewell, Peoria, Woodford and Mason Counties.

The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) suggests routine well maintenance checks to help ensure water quality and proper operation of the well. As part of regular well maintenance, the NGWA also suggests that owners of prove water wells have their water tested (at least) annually or when well owner's notice a change in their water's taste, color, odor, or appearance.

Well water also should get tested in the event that the well head gets submerged by surface water (i.e. during a flood) or after the well head gets unsealed for service work.

Private well owners may collect free sample bottles from the Tazewell County Health Department, Peoria County Health Department, Woodford County Health Department or Mason County Soil and Water Conservation and drop off samples for free water testing between 8:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. on March 9th, 10th and 11th during Groundwater Awareness Week. Samples will get tested for nitrates and total coliform bacteria. This offer available only to private well owners.

Well Water Test Kit for Coliform Bacteria

Well Water Test Kit for Nitrates and Nitritesa

Lead in Water Test

Water Metals Test Strips

Total Iron Visual Test Kit

Total Copper in Water Test

Chromium in Water Test

Mercury in Water Test

Today’s inquiry deals with the EZ Coliform Cult Test for coliform bacteria in water. ‘Pam’ asked, “I bought an EZ Coliform Cult test and read the instructions, but have now lost the instructions. The packaging tells everything except the incubation time and temperature. Would you please give me that information?”

Of COURSE we can assist with this request! The EZ Coliform Cult Test can have either a 24 hour incubation period or a 48 hour incubation period depending upon temperature.

• 24 hour incubation period @ 35C/95F
   
• 48 hour incubation @ 25C/77F

Why the difference in times for different temperatures? Simple: Biological activity increases at warmer temperatures meaning coliform bacteria, if present, will reproduce faster. As that happens, the increased number of bacteria naturally produce compounds that cause the test to show a ‘positive’ result.

A word of caution…

Coliform bacteria typically come from the waste products of mammals (i.e. humans, warm-blooded animals). If a properly performed coliform bacteria test gives a positive result then we highly suggest having the water source tested by a certified water quality testing laboratory and taking action(s) to remedy the situation if the lab results also come back positive for coliform bacteria.

WaterWorks™ Chloride Check is the most advanced chloride test strip available today. Designed to verify EPA guidelines for chloride, the Chloride Check test strips are easy and safe to use without sacrificing performance and reliability.

• Measuring levels from 0-500 ppm (mg/L), Chloride Check promises to replace conventional measuring techniques in situations where meters or traditional wet tests would prove too cumbersome.
   
• Detection Range: 0, 50, 100, 250, 500 ppm (mg/L)
   
• Each Bottle Contains 50 Tests
   
• Each Test Takes Just 40 Seconds to Perform
   
• Product Manufactured in the United States by Industrial Test Systems, Inc.

Why Test for Chlorides?

In recent years scientists studying the effects of certain industrial activities have loosely linked changes in chloride concentrations found in bodies of water (both above and below ground) near those activities to those industrial activities. Accordingly, researchers have determined that extreme changes in chloride concentrations found in a water supply definitely merit further investigation and more in-depth testing of the water supply.

As an example, some researchers studying the effects of hydraulic fracturing (aka: fracking, the practice of injecting water an chemicals deep into the Earth at high pressures to liberate natural gas from shale formations) on surface and ground water believe that sudden changes in chloride levels may occur as a direct or indirect result of hydraulic fracturing and suggest performing other testing if a private well owner notices a change in chloride levels in his/her well water.

Today’s well water question came to us from ‘Pam’, who asked:

“Do you sell a complete well water test kit? I see you have several on the site. I want to test for arsenic and other heavy metals as well as bacteria. I do not know what else I need to test for though. If you do not have a complete test which do you recommend for a complete test? It is my personal well so no chlorine or other added chemicals. Thanks, Pam”

Regarding the matter of a ‘complete’ test kit for well water, we do not believe such an animal ‘truly’ exists… because one could ALWAYS think of more tests to perform — depending on the circumstances.

Technically speaking, literally HUNDREDS of possible tests COULD get done on well water… but most usually only need doing in rare and very unusual circumstances, as we implied previously.

Now, getting back to your question with a more real world perspective, the Water Quality Test Kit offers a good selection of normal tests for well water and also includes a lead in water, a (basic) pesticides in water test, and an arsenic in water test.

If looking for an even more comprehensive test for well water, then you may want to consider the WaterCheck Well-Check Water Test Kit from National Testing Laboratories.

Specifically: The Watercheck Well-Check Test Kit from National Testing Laboratories makes having your well water or spring water tested for bacteria (total coliform and e-coli), 19 heavy metals and minerals (including lead, arsenic and mercury), 6 inorganic chemicals (including nitrates and fluoride) and 5 physical factors (including pH and hardness).

Today’s question about testing for manganese in water came to us from ‘Blair’ who asked, “Can you please verify if the Metal Check test strips will detect Manganese? Thank you.”

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

Yes, the SenSafe Heavy Metals Check product should detect dissolved Manganese since it typically has a +2 valence state for its electrons BUT do keep in mind that other dissolved metals, if present in your samples, will also yield positive results and the test kit will not differentiate between (or identify) the metals it detects.

If you require a more manganese-specific test kit, then you may want to consider the SenSafe Manganese Check product which includes interference masking agents on each strip to reduce false positive readings given by metals other than Manganese.

Normally if a homeowner finds that he or she has a higher than desirable level of ANY metals in his or her water, regardless of the metals’ identities, that person typically seeks out additional, more qualitative (i.e. laboratory) testing so that a decision regarding what filtering solution will work best for their unique water quality situation can get made.

Laboratory testing for manganese

In the event that you do decide to seek out laboratory testing, we suggest first contacting your local health department to get a list of qualified water testing labs in your area. If that does not work then we suggest considering one of the WaterCheck Test Kits manufactured by National Testing Laboratories.

If you have a need to test for total chlorine levels (free chlorine + combined chlorine) in the range of 0 to 80 ppm then the Total Chlorine HR (High Range) water quality test strips will definitely come in handy. Sold in bottles of 50 tests, this product makes total chlorine testing in the field, in the lab, and just about anywhere a fast, easy process.

• Detection Range: 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, 80 ppm (mg/L)
• Total Test Time of Less Than 40 Seconds
• Manufacturer Part Number: 480033
• Made in the United States by Industrial Test Systems, Inc.
• Total Chlorine HR Test Strips require no powders to mix, tablets to crush, drops to add/count, or glass ampuoles to break.

What is the MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level) for Chlorine?

In municipal water systems the US Environmental Protection Agency has stated that a water treatment facility must take immediate action to reduce free and/or total chlorine levels in excess of 4 ppm (mg/L).

How Does the Total Chlorine HR Compare to DPD Test Methods?

Unlike DPD test methods for higher (than 10ppm) concentrations of total chlorine which require test personnel to perform dilutions before testing samples, the High Range Total Chlorine Test Strips allow for immediate, on-the-spot testing of water samples.

Why Do DPD Test Methods Require Dilution(s) of Samples?

When testing water samples containing more than 8 to 10 ppm of total chlorine either as free chlorine or combined chlorine the chemical indicator DPD ‘bleaches out’ and becomes clear. Therefore a sample must get diluted prior to testing to make certain the total chlorine concentration does not approach 8 parts per million.

The Total Chlorine High Range test procedure does not require dilution for samples containing more than 8 or 10 ppm chlorine since its chemical indicator can endure and continue to function properly in the presence of elevated chlorine levels.

Moral of the Story?

If you need to test for higher levels of total chlorine than traditional DPD methods allow, and you want to do it quickly and accurately, the WaterWorks Total Chlorine High Range test strip product will most certainly come in handy.

Today’s inquiry came to us from ‘Mandy’ who had concerns about the quality of her well water. She asked, “I am very concerned about our well water. I would like to know what test you
recommend for testing my water. Thanks”

Good evening, Mandy, and thank you for contacting us about your well water concerns. As for what you may want to consider testing for, that all depends on the exact nature of your concerns as well as several factors which include:

1) Proximity of well head and well to septic systems and septic system components (i.e. tanks, drain lines, leach fields, etc.). Possible contaminants include: Bacteria, Nitrates, Nitrites.

2) Proximity of well head and well to agricultural activities (i.e. farming, raising of animals, etc.). Possible contaminants include: Bacteria, Nitrates, Nitrites, Pesticides.

3) Proximity of well head and well to industrial activities (i.e. machine shops, manufacturing, any process that uses chemical solvents). Possible contaminants include a HUGE for the imagination to comprehend. Identifying the types of industries in your area will help you determine what sorts of chemical compounds and solvents your well water may contain. Note: Testing for most of the contaminants from industrial processes will more than likely require the services of a water testing laboratory.

4) What sort of naturally occurring minerals and compounds exist in the ground where your well draws its water from? as an example, does the ground contain high levels of things like Iron, Copper, Arsenic, Hydrogen Sulfide, etc.?

By no stretch of the imagination have we touched on all the possible drinking water contaminants that could have found their way into your well water, but hopefully we have at least given you an idea of some things to consider.

Once you have pondered the above points, please feel free to contact us, again, and we will make a recommendations at that time. Testing options we offer range from very basic:

… to a lot more thorough:

… and the kits can get even more thorough. If you believe a more comprehensive test kit will fit your needs we have some listed in the National Testing Laboratories section of the Water Test Kit Store.