A few days ago we posted information about how nitrates in drinking water could possibly cause health problems. Specifically, we talked about a condition known as blue baby syndrome which can definitely prove fatal.

Today, though, we have some good news for residents in an area of Nebraska: Free Nitrate Testing at the Husker Harvest Days in Grand Island.

We always like it when someone takes the initiative to make nitrate testing, or any other type of well water testing available to the public for a good price… and we like it more when someone offers it for FREE!

Associated Press – September 7, 2010 5:35 AM ET

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) – Nebraskans who wonder about nitrates in their well water are being invited to have it tested free at Husker Harvest Days in Grand Island.

A cup of the water is needed for the testing in the Natural Resources Tent at the Husker Harvest grounds. Testing will be done Sept. 14-15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT and between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Sept. 16.

Results will be available about an hour after samples are dropped off.

Experts say nitrates pose extra danger to infants and pregnant women and anyone who has a weak immune system. Livestock also are susceptible to nitrate poisoning.

Nitrate can naturally occur, but it is also a byproduct of fertilizer and manure. ( source )

So what happens when if the water test comes back positive for nitrates? Does the mean you will get sick and die? All depends upon the level of nitrates in the water. Oh, and as always, people with certain pre-existing medical conditions may find themselves more likely to suffer from the effects of elevated nitrate levels in drinking water.

Getting rid of nitrates in drinking water?

While nitrates typically pose more of a danger to people in the country, or more specifically in farming/agricultural areas, pretty much anyone with well water ought to test for nitrates every once in a while. If test results come back positive for elevated nitrate levels, then a nitrate removal system will definitely come in handy.

A long time ago people with high nitrate levels in their water had limited options available to them for nitrate removal. Those days have passed. Now homeowners and/or private well owners have multiple options.

Inline Nitrate Filter

No-Cartridge Nitrate Filter Countertop

Undersink Nitrate Filter

]]> http://watertestingblog.com/2010/09/09/free-nitrate-testing-offered-at-husker-festival-in-nebraska/feed/ 0 http://watertestingblog.com/2010/09/05/testing-for-nitrates-in-drinking-water/ http://watertestingblog.com/2010/09/05/testing-for-nitrates-in-drinking-water/#comments Sun, 05 Sep 2010 13:27:49 +0000 Water Testing Blog http://watertestingblog.com/?p=2298 Blue baby syndrome. A very good reason to test the water coming up from your well for nitrates.

Blue baby syndrome can also be caused by Methemoglobinemia. It is believed to be caused by high nitrate contamination in ground water resulting in decreased oxygen carrying capacity of hemoglobin in babies leading to death. The groundwater is thought to be contaminated by leaching of nitrate generated from fertilizer used in agricultural lands and waste dumps [4]. It may also be related to some pesticides (DDT, PCBs etc), which cause ecotoxicological problems in the food chains of living organisms, increasing BOD, which kills aquatic animals. ( source )

So… elevated nitrate levels in drinking water can lead to ‘methemoglobinemia’, but what does that word MEAN?

The disorder methemoglobinemia typically means the blood contains elevated levels of methemoglobin (metHb), a form of hemoglobin that really and truly likes to attach itself to oxygen molecules — and if present in too great a quantity it will latch onto enough oxygen molecules to cause living tissue to die as a result of oxygen-deprivation.

Where does the ‘blue’ part of blue baby syndrome come from?

Without proper oxygenation of red blood cells a condition known as cyanosis occurs. Note: The term has nothing to do with cyanide, though cyanide poisoning can definitely result in skin turning a shade of blue due to oxygen deprivation.

But, since the topic of cyanide has come up, if you believe you may have someone out to get you, maybe you should consider testing your water for cyanide. It will let you test cyanide levels from 0.05ppm up to 200ppm.

Getting back to the topic of nitrates, though, health officials and water quality professionals agree that owners of wells should, at the very least, periodically test their well water for the presence of nitrates & nitrites, coliform bacteria, lead, copper, total iron, total hardness, pH and commonly used pesticides/herbicides.

Moral of the story?

In the end, if you have a private well, the responsibility for making sure the quality of the water coming out of that well falls squarely on… your shoulders. Therefore, test your well water at least once a year. It’s your well, your water, and ultimately your LIFE.

Arsenic Low Range Test Kit

Pesticide Test Kit

Heavy Metals Test Kit

]]> http://watertestingblog.com/2010/09/05/testing-for-nitrates-in-drinking-water/feed/ 0 http://watertestingblog.com/2010/09/05/usepa-finds-methane-and-benzene-in-wyoming-water/ http://watertestingblog.com/2010/09/05/usepa-finds-methane-and-benzene-in-wyoming-water/#comments Sun, 05 Sep 2010 13:03:26 +0000 Water Testing Blog http://watertestingblog.com/?p=2287 Many people vastly underestimate the probability that unwanted contaminants could somehow get into their water supply. Not only does it stand to reason that drinking water contamination could occur, it stands to reason that more people need to face the facts that it already has occurred in a number of places all around the world.

In this case, the USEPA has discovered that it has reason to take a closer look at the quality of water in a region of Colorado. Folks interested in the effects of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on the environment may want to keep an eye on this story as it develops.

(CNN) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency investigating drinking water contamination in Pavillion, Wyoming, found benzene and methane in wells and in groundwater, agency officials said.

At a community meeting with well owners, EPA officials revealed Tuesday they found low levels of petroleum compounds in 17 of 19 drinking water wells sampled, and that nearby shallow groundwater was contaminated with high levels of petroleum compounds such as benzene, according to the report.

The affected well owners were advised not to drink the water at the recommendation of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and told to use alternate sources of water for drinking and cooking, agency officials said.

Meanwhile, the EPA is working with various government partners and EnCana, a natural gas company, to provide affected residents with water and to address potential sources of the contamination, agency officials said.

The study included sampling 21 domestic wells within the area of concern, two municipal wells, plus sediment and water from a nearby creek. The EPA also sampled groundwater and soil from pit remediation sites, and produced water and condensate from five production wells operated by the primary natural gas operator in the area, agency officials said.

No health concerns were found related to inhalation exposure to chemicals while showering or using evaporative coolers, agency officials said.

The EPA has not reached any conclusions about the sources of chemical compounds found in drinking water wells, including hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” the controversial process used to extract natural gas from underground, agency officials said.

Officials are uncertain if the contaminated shallow groundwater will migrate to the drinking water aquifer, according to the report.

…

In spring 2008, residents of Pavillion — concerned about the quality of their drinking water — contacted the EPA in Denver, Colorado. The agency sampled 39 individual wells (37 residential wells and two municipal wells) in March 2009 and found nitrate, arsenic and methane gas. The agency conducted the second sampling in January 2010.( source )

These findings may make more people think twice about letting gas companies drill natural gas in their area… even though no conclusive proof has come to light that ‘fracking’ has contributed to the contamination of this area’s water supply.

Should more people test their well water?

Whether you live in an area whose water supply could potentially become affected by ‘fracking’ or any other industrial process or not, well owners should test the water coming out of their wells on a regular basis.

Any natural that causes a shift in the water table can potentially cause unwanted, and usually unexpected, contaminants to enter the water supply. For example: Both heavy amounts of rain and long periods without rain can result in changes to the quality of water going into the aquifer… which means the quality of water drawn from the aquifer by wells will also change.

What are common well water contaminants?

Every area has different concerns, but as a general rule most well owners will, at the very least, test for contaminants such as arsenic, chromium, copper, lead, iron, nitrates & nitrites, and bacteria.

A properly constructed and maintained household-supply well will provide you with many years of quality service. The National Ground Water Association recommends routine annual maintenance checks to ensure the proper operation of the well and prolong its years of service, as well as monitor the water quality. ( source )

Don’t know if you can help, but what in the world is a sulfur water test? An older couple came by to look at our house today and before they left the man asked us the last time we had a sulfur water test done. So what is a sulfur water test and why did he ask that?

NicholasG

Given that he asked about a ‘sulfur water test’, we will assume your home has a private well as its water supply. The term ‘sulfur water test’ usually refers to any test that detects dissolved hydrogen sulfide in water.

Why would drinking water contain hydrogen sulfide?

Pinpointing the exact source of hydrogen sulfide in water sometimes takes a bit of effort. The gas occurs naturally in groundwater and may come from microorganisms referred to as ‘sulfur bacteria’. That same type of bacteria may also exist in a well and or in the water distribution system after a well. To make matters even worse, sulfur bacteria may also live in water heaters and chemical reactions within certain types of water heaters can also result in the addition of hydrogen sulfide to water.It can be produced also by sulfur bacteria or chemical reactions inside water heaters.

Though not nearly as common, specific types of pollution may also add hydrogen sulfide to a water supply.

Sulfur bacteria and hydrogen sulfide… Dangerous?

Most times a rotten egg smell coming from water does not mean the water poses a significant health risk. But, in the absence of other contributing factors, one should always remember that in rare cases hydrogen sulfide may occur as a result of a contamination from sewage or other types of pollution — and in those cases serious and/or life-threatening health hazards may exist.

As a precautionary measure, we suggest that anyone whose water suddenly develops a rotten egg smell have their water tested for other water parameters such as coliform bacteria and nitrates, as unsafe levels of either in water make the water unsafe to drink non-potable and unfit for human consumption.

Another thing to remember about hydrogen sulfide gas, at high levels in the air it poses a danger. Therefore one should always take steps to properly vent any area where the gas may build up, such as around the well head, basements where well water enters, etc. Entering an area that has a built up hydrogen gas in the air could very well prove fatal without the right protective gear so if a you suspect a buildup, call in a professional.

Testing for hydrogen sulfide in water… Difficult?

Before you can choose a hydrogen sulfide removal systems you must first know how much you have present — or risk purchasing and installing the wrong size or type of filter!

While the majority of people will have the ability to pick up the distinct aroma (odor!) of rotten eggs in a sample of water, most people do not know that it takes only a small amount of hydrogen sulfide gas in water to make quite a huge stink. Therefore you will need a test kit for hydrogen sulfide to determine how much you have.

For drinking water applications, the Low Range Hydrogen Sulfide Test Kit will work quite well since it has a low detection level of 0.3 parts per million hydrogen sulfide and an upper detection limit of 2.0 ppm. Most people with a hydrogen sulfide problem will have a level somewhere in that range.

Testing for hydrogen sulfide in industry?

OK, since we know some people in industry have uses for water containing much greater concentrations of hydrogen sulfide, we figure they, too, may want to test hydrogen sulfide levels — and for them we suggest the WaterWorks Hydrogen Sulfide Test Kit which has a detection range of 5 ppm to 80 ppm and gives results in under a minute.

Hydrogen Sulfide Test Kit for Drinking Water

Hydrogen Sulfide Test Kit for Industrial Applications

]]> http://watertestingblog.com/2010/09/01/question-what-is-a-sulfur-water-test/feed/ 0 http://watertestingblog.com/2010/08/25/man-does-unspeakable-thing-in-co-workers-water-bottle/ http://watertestingblog.com/2010/08/25/man-does-unspeakable-thing-in-co-workers-water-bottle/#comments Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:03:36 +0000 Water Testing Blog http://watertestingblog.com/?p=2175 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.

National Testing Labs 27 Parameter Test Kit

National Testing Labs 83 Parameter Test Kit

National Testing Labs 97 Parameter Test Kit

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!

We commend the Ohio EPA for speaking up on behalf of the residents and taking action to make sure their drinking water no longer contained bad tasting chlorides.

CAMDEN, Ohio (WDTN) – Ohio EPA has issued a preliminary site approval for Camden to investigate as a possible alternate well field. The approval is the first step in the process of replacing the village’s present sodium-contaminated well field.

The village has been supplying fresh drinking water to residents who do not like the taste of Camden’s water since salt entered the drinking water system in late July. Ohio EPA officials notified village officials that Camden must find a permanent solution.

The proposed well field is north of the salt pile that is presumed to be the source of the current contamination. Indications are that the area will not be affected by the salt; however, test wells must produce adequate water quantity and be free of bacteria or other contaminants. ( source )

Can the average person test for chlorides in their own drinking water?

Of course they can! WaterWorks manufactures an easy-to-use dip and read test strip that detects chloride levels in drinking water as low as 0 ppm and as high as 500 ppm with distinct color blocks at 0, 50, 100, 250, 500 ppm (mg/L).

Most people do not have to worry about chlorides in their drinking water, but if you do, a test kit like WaterWorks Chloride Check will make testing a simple, quick task.

OK, so the the village has to find a new source of drinking water and pretty much anyone can test for chloride in their drinking water in a matter of seconds… but well water can contain quite a few other contaminants, so what about those? Can the average person test for those, as well?

WaterSafe test kits and SenSafe test kits make drinking water testing easy and affordable for everyone. Average homeowners can make excellent use of drinking water test kits such as the WaterSafe Well Water Test Kit and/or the SenSafe Water Quality Test Kit while water quality service professionals can make excellent use of drinking water test kits such as eXact Micro 7+ Water Testing Meter and/or the Well Driller Master Test Kit

Keep in mind, though, that do-it-yourself test kits for testing water quality work well as screening tools but should not get used as the ‘final ‘word’ regarding the potability of a water supply. In situations where you have reason to suspect contamination of your drinking water source, always defer to the expertise of a certified drinking water laboratory such as National Testing Labs.

WaterSafe All in One Test Kit

National Testing Labs 83 Parameter Test Kit

Radon in Water Test Kit

]]> http://watertestingblog.com/2010/08/23/salty-water-forces-town-to-seek-new-well/feed/ 0 http://watertestingblog.com/2010/08/15/reduced-fee-water-tests-in-woodstock/ http://watertestingblog.com/2010/08/15/reduced-fee-water-tests-in-woodstock/#comments Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:51:53 +0000 Water Testing Blog http://watertestingblog.com/?p=2150 Water Testing Blog loves to hear about local health departments taking the initiative to try and get residents to test their well water for potentially harmful contaminants. In this case, the health department in McHenry County, Illinois has stepped up to the plate by offering coliform bacteria and nitrate testing at a reduced cost until the end of August.

WOODSTOCK – McHenry County Department of Health will offer reduced fee water testing for individual well water users during the month of August.

Residents can have their well water sampled for coliform bacteria and nitrate for $18.

Testing wells regularly is the only way to determine whether well water is safe to drink, as many contaminants are colorless and odorless.

Water from a public or municipal water system regularly is tested for contaminants regulated by federal and state standards.

Bacteria and chemicals can get into well water and contaminate it in different ways.

Some bacteria and chemicals occur naturally.

Contaminants, such as nitrate, can come from animal waste, wastewater, flooded sewers, polluted storm water runoff, fertilizers, agricultural runoff, or decaying plants. High levels of nitrate in drinking water can cause illness in young children and pregnant women. Coliform bacteria are microbes found in the digestive systems of warm-blooded animals, in soil, on plants, and in surface water.

For a nominal charge, the health department also will sample private wells for nuisance chemicals resulting in water hardness, iron, discoloration and odor.

Sampling kits can be picked up at the health department in Woodstock or at one of eight drop-off centers. Samples can be dropped off for testing Tuesday mornings between 9 a.m. and noon at the following centers:

• Algonquin Township Office, 3702 Route 14, Crystal Lake; 847-639-2329.

• Dorr Township Office, 140 Newell St., Woodstock; 815-338-0125.

• McHenry Township Office, 3703 Richmond Road, McHenry; 815-385-5605.

• Nunda Township Office, 3510 Bay Road, Crystal Lake; 815-459-4011.

• Marengo City Hall, 132 E. Prairie St., Marengo; 815-568-7112.

• Harvard Police Department, 201 W Front St., Harvard; 815-943-4431.

• Richmond Township Office, 7812 S. Route 31, Richmond; 815-678-0077.

• Grafton Township Office, 10109 Vine St., Huntley; 847-669-3328.

For information about private well water, call the health department’s Environmental Division at 815-334-4585. ( source )

Many people believe coliform bacteria only get into OTHER people’s wells because THEY did something wrong… but in reality, something as simple heavy periods of rain causing a rise in the water table supplying a person’s well could result in the introduction of potentially harmful contaminants.

Also, the slightest crack in a well’s casing, which could come from age or a shifting in the ground surrounding the well, could serve as a very convenient point-of-entry for bacteria or other well water contaminants.

Coliform Bacteria Test

Nitrate Test Strips

24 Hour Bacteria Test Kit

]]> http://watertestingblog.com/2010/08/15/reduced-fee-water-tests-in-woodstock/feed/ 0 http://watertestingblog.com/2010/08/05/question-tds-meter-for-use-in-gas-drilling-region/ http://watertestingblog.com/2010/08/05/question-tds-meter-for-use-in-gas-drilling-region/#comments Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:43:49 +0000 Water Testing Blog http://watertestingblog.com/?p=2107 Over the past few years we have written a few blog postings about the potential effects on water quality that gas drilling may have. Today, a woman named ‘Sylvia’ who lives in an area where a lot of drilling has started asks,

Looking to by a TDS monitor for personal use.

We have a lot of gas drilling starting where I live, I’m having my well and water checked by a professional well service. But there are a few of us that would like to have a tds monitor for after the fact to keep a check on our water instead of constantly having to pay a professional to find out if there has been any change. I would like to know if you have a tds monitor that would pick up pH, barium, chloride, and methane. iron manganese, hardness (calcium and magnesium), sodium, total organic carbon, strontium, oil&grease, detergents, lead, arsenic, alkalinity, coliform bacteria, sulfate and nitrate. Volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) or a subgroup of VOC’s called BTEX (benzene etc.) along with radionuclides like gross alpha, radium and radon.

The first thing we need to point out: TDS Meters cannot detect all of those things. This does not mean, however, that they do not have their use in monitoring water quality in regions where gas drilling, or other industrial activities, take place.

Wikipedia describes TDS in the following manner: “Primary sources for TDS in receiving waters are agricultural and residential runoff, leaching of soil contamination and point source water pollution discharge from industrial or sewage treatment plants. The most common chemical constituents are calcium, phosphates, nitrates, sodium, potassium and chloride, which are found in nutrient runoff, general stormwater runoff and runoff from snowy climates where road de-icing salts are applied. The chemicals may be cations, anions, molecules or agglomerations on the order of one thousand or fewer molecules, so long as a soluble micro-granule is formed. More exotic and harmful elements of TDS are pesticides arising from surface runoff.” ( source )

Given the possibilities of what TDS meters COULD possibly detect, one could safely say that regardless of whether or not a person lives near gas drilling or not, a sudden change in TDS readings might warrant further investigation.

Sudden and/or drastic changes in the pH levels of source water may also serve as good reason to perform additional testing so having a pH meter handy may also prove beneficial.

At-Home Testing vs. Laboratory Testing

In a situation like Sylvia’s where a myriad of both simple and complex drinking water contaminants could show up at any time, we feel confident saying that no at-home test kit will protect her and her neighbors fully and we hope that local health officials will step up to the challenge of keeping tabs on local water quality by implementing a full regimen of independent testing… instead of blindly trusting the results handed down from private industry.

Without knowing how much your local lab charges for a ‘full battery’ of testing, Sylvia, we will suggest contacting companies like National Testing Labs to see what they have to offer.

Inexpensive Spot Checking Options

As we previously stated, occasionally testing the TDS and pH levels of source water may provide clues as to whether or not it contains contaminants. You may also want to test for the following:

• Chlorides
• Nitrates/Nitrites
• Heavy Metals (Collectively)
• Heavy Metals (Independently — Lead, Copper, Arsenic, Iron, Chromium, etc.)

A company by the name of Industrial Test Systems, Inc. manufactures an excellent test kit known as the Well Driller Master Test Kit which offers a number of useful tests designed for use on well water at a reasonable price — usually around $200 — and the kits come with multiple tests for each parameter.

In our experience, four basic groups of people ought to consider installing a nitrate filter on their drinking water line and/or main water line, though other folks may have reason to as well:

   * Anyone who has well water and lives in an area where regional flooding takes place on a regular or semi-regular basis. Nitrates occur naturally in the environment and if a well head gets covered by flood water, any crack or fissure in the well covering could allow nitrates, bacteria and other potentially harmful contaminants to infiltrate the well.

   * Anyone who has well water and lives in an area close to certain types of manufacturing facilities — most notably fertilizer factories. Sometimes runoff containing nitrates from facilities infiltrate local water supplies… by accident, of course.

   * Anyone who has well water and lives in or close to areas engaged in agriculture (farming). Many of the fertilizers used by even the smallest of farms contain nitrates and often times those nitrates will get washed away by rain water and make their way into aquifers. Additionally, farms that raise animals may not always dispose of nitrate-rich animal waste and just as in the case of nitrates from fertilizers, the nitrates from animal waste often find their way into aquifers.

First Line of Defense

Without testing, one will never know if their water contains potentially harmful contaminants. Therefore, a homeowner’s first line of defense against drinking water contamination is and always will be testing their drinking water.

For nitrate and nitrate in drinking water testing, SenSafe manufactures an easy-to-use test strip that measures both nitrate and nitrate concentrations in water at the same time and yields results in about one minute.

Should you rely solely upon a test strip to tell you whether or not your water contains potentially harmful contaminants? Not at all. Certified testing labs such as National Testing Laboratories specialize in analyzing drinking water for contaminants and follow strict government approved and/or recommended protocols when performing any testing.

Jun. 7 — Surface water and water wells near pending natural gas drilling operations should be tested before any drilling starts, Scott Fickbohm, manager of Otsego County’s Soil & Water District, said.

“We need baseline tests if we’re going to be able to show that any changes have occurred,” Fickbohm said Friday.

In his agency, he and one other staff member could work part-time at monitoring surface water in the county, he said. The Soil & Water District does not have the means to test thousands of water wells, “but I’m working on a database to try to let people know where they can get their water tested, and how much it will cost,” he said.

Costs will depend on how comprehensive the tests are. “I’ve heard everything from hundreds to thousands of dollars,” he said.

…

The state may mandate that drilling firms pay for baseline testing of water wells within a certain distance of a drilling operation, he noted.

Although the state’s rules have yet to be issued, Soil & Water is preparing for its upcoming duties because it cannot wait, Fickbohm said.

“We’re taking our lead from the SRBC,” he said.

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission is monitoring the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania for conductivity and Ph values because when these values change they may indicate the river is being polluted, he said.

“Conductivity is the presence of ions in the water, and that’s likely to pick up any change in salinity,” he said.

In their quest for shale gas, companies are drilling thousands of feet down into a zone where there are pockets of saline water, Fickbohm said. A change in the river’s saline levels might mean that brackish water from the depths has reached the river, the largest source of fresh water in the Chesapeake Bay. ( source )

Testing for Conductivity

Conductivity testing typically gets done with the use of a conductivity meter. You will find examples of several popular conductivity meters below.

Product Name	Model
Conductivity Meter: Digital 0 to 1999 µS Water Quality Meter (WA300) with Remote Sensor Probe & 36″ Lead	WA300
Conductivity Meter: Digital 0 to 1999µS (PWA-301) with Integral Sensor Tip & Protective Cap	PWA-301
Conductivity Meter: Digital Pen Style 10 to 9990 µS/cm (CO502) ATC with Calibration Solution, Screwdriver & Hard Case	CO502
Conductivity TDS Meter: Digital (CDM22CT) with Built-In Thermometer	DCM22CT
Electrical Conductivity EC Meter: Digital 0 to 20.0 EC (EC506) ATC with Calibration Solution, Screwdriver & Hard Case	EC506
pH/ORP/Temperature Conductivity Combination Digital Water Testing Meter (DPHO1380K) with Software & Carrying Case	DPHO1380K

While this article mentioned conductivity as a means of testing for changes in surface water’s salinity, other testing methods such as TDS meters, salt (chloride) meters and/or chloride test strips may work as well, but their effectiveness, we believe, may get limited by their detection ranges.