Well, Tony, you raise a very good point. We can only say that we would HOPE municipalities used reputable third party testing agencies (which we believe they must) to perform the required testing. At some point SOMEone in the equation must have the values required to tell the truth if problems exist with a city’s water.

Assuming you can trust the water report…

Let’s say that the water reports we receive each year do tell the truth and all the reports say our water meets or exceeds Federal, State and Local guidelines for water quality — and we believe the reports accurate and factual. Does that mean we all have safe, clean drinking water coming out of our faucets?

Not by a long shot, unfortunately. Our tap water may have left the water treatment plant in perfect condition but before it reaches our homes it must travel through many miles of mixed composition plumbing (i.e. PVC, copper, cast iron, etc.) that may have gotten installed well before health regulations outlawed the use of heavy metals like lead in the solder used to connect pipes.

This means the crystal clear water produced by the water treatment plants could have picked up some unwanted drinking water contaminants along the way even though the political folks who wrote the annual drinking water quality reports told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Does this mean everyone needs a water filter?

While water filter manufacturers would LOVE for everyone to run out and purchase a water filter for their home, not everyone really does need a water filter. In fact, the vast majority of people on public water systems do NOT need water filters and have them merely for aesthetic reasons (i.e. removal of chlorine taste, removal of chlorine odor, etc.).

So… Should YOU have a water filter in your home? You will not know until you test your water — and of home drinking water test kits range from basic (4-in-1 City Water Check tests for pH, total alkalinity, total hardness, and total chlorine) to slightly more advanced (SenSafe Water Quality Test Kit tests for 14 water quality parameters).

Which water test kit will work best for you?

We have found that most people who draw their water from a municipal source typically can get by with total hardness testing, metals testing, pH testing, alkalinity testing, total chlorine testing, and/or coliform bacteria testing.

This does NOT mean, however, that some municipal water quality situations will not require more advanced testing for VOC’s and other drinking water contaminants.

Already know what you want to filter out of your water?

Next step: Determine which type of filter will work best for your application and where you want to install it (i.e. countertop, undercounter, whole house, on the shower head, on the faucet, etc.). Each location has benefits, but understand that each also has drawbacks.

So, before you plunk down you hard earned cash on a water filter for your home, school or office, make sure the type of filter you choose will do what you want it to do!

Today we stumbled across an article from a Chicago area paper talking about how a Federal Judge must decide whether or not a water company and also two of its employees should face charges for allegedly raising free chlorine levels intentionally right before taking readings and then allowing them to drop to potentially unsafe levels at other times throughout the day.

In the spirit of allowing both sides to present their case, we will post the entire article… which left us with more than one nagging question.

Our first question…

… deals with the frequency of testing: “Why did the plant only need to test in the mornings?”

Our second questions deals with the real results of the raising chlorine levels (supposedly) to pass inspection and then lowering them to potentially unsafe levels: “Did anyone get sick or suffer any form of harm as a result of these actions?”

Don’t get us wrong based upon that second question. We just want to know more about how these folks got caught. If someone got sick as a result of what the water company did, then this case would have ended in a guilty verdict without the need for the judge to deliberate longer… right?

Bitter truth about public water systems?

While few people would argue that the United States of America, when examined as a whole, has one of the most technologically advanced network of public water distribution systems in the world. This does not, however, mean that all of the systems do all of the testing they should at all the right times.

The article above, as well as articles we’ve read over the years about public officials and private firms fabricating water test results in an effort to save money, makes us leery of our great system… yet grateful as heck that for the most part our greatest fears about our public water supply deal mostly with ‘minor’ breaches in protocol rather than instances of blatant disregard for the maintaining of sanitary practices in our water treatment facilities.

Testing for chlorine in drinking water at home?

Do average people have the ability to keep tabs on the amount of chlorine in their drinking water? Absolutely! Companies like WaterSafe and SenSafe make reliable, accurate and completely affordable test kits for detecting levels of both free and total chlorine in tap/drinking water.

City Water Test Kit

Chlorine and Hardness Test Kit

Well Water Test Kit

]]> http://watertestingblog.com/2011/07/16/monkey-business-at-the-wastewater-treatment-plant/feed/ 0 http://watertestingblog.com/2010/11/18/should-you-test-your-water-if-you-have-citymunicipal-water/ http://watertestingblog.com/2010/11/18/should-you-test-your-water-if-you-have-citymunicipal-water/#respond Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:03:46 +0000 http://watertestingblog.com/?p=3036 We get asked this a LOT. Quite a few people write in ask things like, “I have city water, but it tastes funny. Should we test it?” or “The water in my town tastes different on different days. Is that a problem?”

In both cases, and so many more, we would suggest getting a test kit such as the Water Quality Test Kit made by SenSafe or the City Water Test Kit made by WaterSafe… and doing some preliminary testing of their own.

In most cases people complaining about city water will have problems caused by contaminants such as dissolved metals (i.e. lead, iron, copper, etc.), chlorine content (free and/or total), total hardness (calcium and/or manganese), and/or rotten egg smells caused by dissolved hydrogen sulfide.

If you get unusual or questionable results, definitely seek the services of a certified water testing laboratory; preferably one not affiliated with a water filter system distributor.

What about bacteria?

We also get asked quite often about the likelihood of harmful bacteria showing up in tap water. Despite the efficiency of modern water treatment facilities and the exemplary track records most have when it comes to the quality of the water they produce, one must always remember two things:

1) Accidental machinery malfunctions can occur.

2) City water travels through lots and lots of piping before it gets to your tap… meaning it passes over thousands of joints where leaks in the pipes could allow the introduction of dangerous bacteria.

If you suspect for any reason that your water supply may contain bacteria, although home drinking water test kits work well as screening methods, times like this call for the services of a certified water testing lab.

You local health department can suggest a water testing laboratory in your area or you can use a mail order laboratory such as National Testing Labs.

eXact Chlorine Photometer
for Free & Total Chlorine

Even with all of the technological advances one would find in a water treatment facility these days the fact remains that even the best and most expensive chemical dispensing and chemical monitoring equipment must get calibrated at some point… and technicians use old school chemistry methods to do it.

It seems that test kits using liquid, powder and tablet reagents will most likely never get phased out no matter how advanced and technologically advanced the art of water purification gets.

Companies like Taylor Technologies really like the sound of that, too.

KETCHIKAN — Ketchikan officials hope to start operations at the city’s new water treatment plant within the next month.

Water Division Manager John Kleinegger said state environmental regulators have given the city permission to operate the plant for testing purposes to ensure computers are working correctly.

He said the new treatment program has not yet received the go-ahead from the state. ( source )

What does all of that mean for the folks in Ketchikan, Alaska? Simple. A series of tests performed using very strict protocols will take place before the new water treatment plant can begin processing water and distributing water to the public.

Does water testing stop once the plant goes online?

Absolutely not! State and Federal guidelines require plant operators to perform and document routine testing from the time the plant begins operations to the very last day it pumps out water to the public. To make sure that all required testing gets done, State, Federal and sometimes third party auditors will occasionally drop in to check the records of a water treatment facility. Any discrepancies or peculiar anomalies in a facility’s record keeping can jeopardize the facility’s ability to stay in business… and plant operators know this.

Therefore most take extra precautions to make sure all the t’s get crossed and i’s get dotted in their testing log books.

If all that testing gets done, why should I test my tap/city water?

As we have said many times before, your tap water may leave the water treatment plant wholesome and clean, but it has many miles of (often older) piping to get through before it gets to your faucet.

All that travel through piping (that may have gone into the ground 40 or 100 years ago) whose integrity you have no control over and no ability to monitor leaves plenty of opportunity for water to pick up dissolved metals or other common drinking water contaminants.

Best way to test drinking water?

Experts will disagree on the ‘best way’ to test your drinking water if you choose to do the testing yourself. Some will argue that water testing meters have the accuracy and reliability required for the task, others will say that traditional reagent-based test kits using time tested liquid, tablet and powder reagents provide the most reliable results, and a third group believes the convenience, portability, affordability, and simplicity of water test strips the most useful water testing option.

Experts will agree, though, that the best testing will get performed by an independent certified water testing laboratory such as National Testing Laboratories

While the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says they do not believe any dangerous water safety issues avoided detection, the fact that a city employee responsible for testing the city’s public drinking water supply on a regular basis purchased only enough supplies for 100 tests — despite claiming to have performed 3,889 water tests between January 2006 and July 2009 — would make just about anyone curious.

A former Edgewood city employee has been sentenced to probation after he admitted that he failed to test the town’s water supply and submitted false reports to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

…

Harris, 43, pleaded guilty in April to one count of making false statements in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Environmental Protection Agency.

In the plea agreement, Harris admitted he sent false monthly reports to the DNR from February 2008 and July 2009. He falsely claimed testing for fluoride, chlorine and manganese. DNR tests showed less chlorine in the water than the 1.5 milligrams per liter required by state law to kill bacteria.

The review found lower-than-acceptable levels of fluoride, which reduces tooth decay, and manganese oxide, which helps remove cancer-causing radium from the water. Residents in the eastern Iowa town were not exposed to any short- or long-term health risks, a DNR officer said.

The DNR originally alleged that Harris claimed to have done 3,889 water tests between January 2006 and July 2009, but bought enough material for only 100 tests. Harris resigned in August 2009.

The investigation began after some residents complained about declining water quality. ( source )

OK, now having read that, does the statement, “DNR tests showed less chlorine in the water than the 1.5 milligrams per liter required by state law to kill bacteria.” make you feel… safe?

How about “The investigation began after some residents complained about declining water quality.” Does that give you any sense of security?

Can individuals test their city/town/tap water?

Of course they can! While only certified water testing laboratories can give the absolute last word on the safety and potability of drinking water, at-home drinking water test kits from companies like SenSafe and WaterSafe allow the average homeowner to test critical water parameters on their own, whenever they want, and for little money.

What water parameters should homeowners test?

Given the number of possible drinking water contaminants, the average homeowner would find it difficult (and expensive!) to test for them all… but as a general rule, if typically makes sense for people on city/town/tap water to test for water parameters such as:

• free chlorine residual
• total chlorine residual
• lead in water
• copper in water
• iron in water
• total hardness
• bacteria in water
• hydrogen sulfide

Should homeowners with city water test for other things? That all depends on where their water company gets its water. As an example, if the water comes from a well, other potentially harmful water contaminants such as pesticides and arsenic could find their way into the water supply and an ill-equipped water treatment facility may not have the proper technology installed to remove them.

As always, though, if you have serious reason to suspect that your tap water has ‘issues’, seek advice from certified water quality experts. Home water test kits serve as great field tests, but the final word regarding a water supply’s potability should come from a certified water testing laboratory.

Hi ~ thanks for this blog! Do cities provide free water testing as a service?

How would I know if my apt building has lead pipes?

Thanks!

Amy

To our knowledge most cities and municipalities do not provide free water testing as a service, though we have read that some areas will offer deeply discounted testing rates through local laboratories, or their own labs, in response to localized events such as regional flooding.

You can, however, call your local water company and request a copy of its most recent Annual Drinking Water Quality Report. Some cities opt to post their reports online and you can check to see if your area water company posts its report online at the EPA’s Safewater Project Web Site.

With regard to your question regarding whether or not your apartment building contains lead pipes, first determine the approximate age of the building.

Older houses are more likely to have problems with lead than houses built since 1988. Before that time, lead piping and lead solder were widely used in household plumbing systems as well as in the service lines that connect houses to street water mains. In 1986, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned the use of lead pipes and lead solder in plumbing systems because lead is an insidious and dangerous poison. The EPA set an “action level” of .015 milligrams per liter of water for lead, stating that levels higher than that in water could pose a risk to human health. ( source )

In all honesty, though, even if your building does not have lead someplace in its water delivery system, lead can enter your drinking water other ways…

Lead rarely occurs naturally in drinking water. It’s far more common for lead contamination to occur at some point in the water delivery system. It isn’t well known, but household plumbing is usually the culprit when it comes to high levels of lead and copper in drinking water. Lead and/or copper pipes, fittings and other components are commonly found in many plumbing systems. Metallic alloys such as brass and bronze often contain lead, so brass faucets or plumbing fittings may also release lead into home water systems. ( source )

With so many ways for potentially harmful levels of metals such as lead and copper to enter one’s drinking water, the only way to know for sure if you have lead in your water (which is what REALLY matters) involves testing your water.

Now of COURSE we suggest using a certified water testing lab such as Suburban Water Testing Laboratories, or another similarly qualified water testing service, but that does not mean you cannot test your own water from time to time for dangerous metals such as copper and lead.

Water Metals Test Kit

Water Quality Test Kit

Lead in Water Test Kit

The former owner of an environmental testing laboratory in Westford was indicted today for submitting falsified water testing reports to the Department of Environmental Protection for several municipalities, according to authorities. … He is accused of filing false reports for a number of municipalities, including Ashby, Chicopee, Harvard, and Lawrence, authorities said.
( source )

We tip our hats to the folks in the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection responsible for catching Mr. Carlson. It seems as though their organization’s practice of routinely auditing laboratories has paid off.

he DEP had partially decertified Thorstensen Laboratory in August 2007 and March 2008, which prohibited it from conducting several tests on water supplies. The action followed routine on-site inspections by DEP, the statement said. At that time, Carlson told the DEP he would subcontract those tests to other certified labs, the authorities said.

In December 2008, the DEP Laboratory Certification Program conducted an unannounced enforcement inspection and revoked Thorstensen Laboratory’s entire certification to conduct tests on water supplies and wastewater.

A subsequent investigation by the Massachusetts Environmental Crimes Strike Force found that Carlson was not subcontracting out water tests, according to the authorities. Instead, he manipulated the lab results to make them appear as if they had been conducted by certified laboratories, even though the water samples had either not been tested or had been tested at Thorstensen, a decertified laboratory, authorities allege. ( source )

Naturally consumers in the affected area now have doubts about the quality of their drinking water. Some have started asking, “If I had my water tested by Thostensen Laboratories, can I trust the results they gave me?” Honestly, neither we nor anyone outside of that lab can answer that question — and given the fact that authorities have already filed charges, we doubt you will get useful answers out of anyone who works, or now recently worked, at the lab.

How do I know if I have safe drinking water?

We suggest performing on-site water testing with a test kit such as the Water Quality Test Kit, Complete Water Quality Test Kit, WaterSafe All-in-One Test Kit, WaterSafe Well Water Test Kit right away and having a Certified Water Testing Laboratory analyze your water for dangers that at-home drinking water test kits cannot detect.