Why test my well water?

Many potentially harmful well water contaminants have no taste, color or odor and may enter aquifers from which drinking water wells without notice. Municipal water supplies that draw from the same aquifers as local private water wells perform regular tests on their water (as mandated by law) so any changes would get noticed and corrected immediately where as no laws mandate testing of private wells… meaning private well owners would continue using contaminated water because they did not know of water quality issues.

How does well water contamination occur?

Despite the fact that wells draw their water from sources hundreds or possibly thousands of feet below the Earth’s surface, any source of contamination on the Earth’s surface can eventually makes its way into our subterranean water sources.

Potential sources of surface contamination that can trickle into our water supply include animal waste (pick up after your dogs, people!), wastewater from industry, sewer and sewage system overflows, tainted storm water runoff (don’t dump things into the sewers, people!), excessive fertilizer use in agriculture and on lawns, and in some cases pollutants come right out of Nature itself (examples: metals, arsenic, radon, uranium, etc.)

OK, so how do I get my water tested in McHenry County?

First, pick up a sterile water sampling container from one of the participating locations listed below. Then, return samples for testing on Tuesdays in April between 9 AM and noon at one of the same locations. Note: We suggest collecting your sample on the same day as you intend to drop it off for testing.

• Algonquin Township Office, 3702 Route 14, Crystal Lake, (847)639-2329
• Dorr Township Office, 1039 Lake St., Woodstock, (815) 338-0125
• McHenry County Dept. of Health, 2200 N. Seminary Ave., Woodstock (815) 334-4585
• McHenry County Dept. of Health, 100 N. Virginia St., Crystal Lake (815) 459-5151
• McHenry Township Office, 3703 Richmond Road, McHenry (accepting samples from 8 AM to 4 PM Monday – Wednesday; and 8 AM to Noon on Thursdays) (815) 385-5605
• Nunda Township Office, 3510 Bay Road, Crystal Lake, (815) 459-4011
• City of Marengo, City Hall, 134 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

Source: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160401/submitted/160409879/

What if I want my water tested… but I live elsewhere?

Not all discounted (or free!) water testing opportunities offered by departments of health and other agencies get publicized as much as they should so we recommend contacting your local health department directly to see what they may offer.

For those interested in performing water testing on their own well or tap water, we offer a wide variety of DIY water test kits in the Water Test Kit Store.

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

]]> http://watertestingblog.com/2016/04/06/reduced-fee-water-testing-in-mchenry-county-illinois-april-1st-30th-2016/feed/ 0 http://watertestingblog.com/2016/03/17/plastic-or-glass-for-water-sample-collection/ http://watertestingblog.com/2016/03/17/plastic-or-glass-for-water-sample-collection/#respond Thu, 17 Mar 2016 22:18:14 +0000 http://www.watertestkitstore.com/blog/plastic-or-glass-for-water-sample-collection/ We received a recent inquiry from 'HollyDay' who asked, " What kind of containers should we use for collecting the water samples? i.e., plastic, glass... And should we use a different container for each sample we test?"

Thank you, Holly, for asking a VERY good question.

Read the test kit's directions first

We cannot stress the importance of reading the directions of a water test, or ANY test for that matter, enough.

Reviewing the procedure before starting a test helps you understand the 'big picture' of how the testing will go and allows you to make any preparations needed for the test before you begin.

• Some tests will require different volumes of water sample, so choose sample vessels accordingly.  No need to use a gallon-sized container to collect a sample for a test that requires only 100 mL of water!
• Will some tests need time to 'develop' or do some of your tests require a specific geometry of sample container?  As an example of the latter, the SenSafe brand of water test strips uses patented aperture technology on their test strips that allows for the detection of lower concentrations, but requires a sample container wide enough to allow the strip adequate back-and-forth motion.

What type of container should I use?

In most situations it will not matter if you use a glass or plastic container, but when collecting a sample for testing, remember the following:

• Glass containers can break, so if prone to dropping things -- especially wet things -- you may want to stick with plastic.  Chances are you do not want shards of glass in or near your drinking water source!
• Choose a clean container, meaning one that does not contain 'chunks' of its previous contents stuck to the sides.
• Avoid using containers that previously contained products like bleach, soap, peroxide, ammonia, etc. since compounds like those may have leached into container walls -- and may creep back out into your water sample(s).
• Rinse the containers thoroughly with sample water prior to collecting a sample for analysis.
• If reusing the sample sample container for different tests, make sure you rinse the container thoroughly with sample water between tests to eliminate the risk of reagents from the previous test(s) affecting the next test.

And finally?

At the end of the day,when you have completed your testing, if any test results indicate a potential problem with your water, definitely have your water tested by a qualified water testing laboratory so you can find out for certain and install the correct water treatment option.

Manganese in Water Test

Arsenic in Water Test Kit

Cyanide in Water Test Kit

Why the concern?

By now pretty much everyone has seen the videos of people lighting their well water on fire and some of you may have even seen the video where a representative from a gas or oil drilling company took a drink from a glass that allegedly contained fluid used in hydraulic fracturing — to ‘prove’ that the stuff was harmless.

One side says fracking destroys water sources and the other says it does little, if any, harm to the environment… so who should the homeowner believe?

Our opinion…

Regardless of WHAT industrial activity takes place in the area of a private water well, be it fracking, coal mining, gold mining, oil drilling, or maybe even commercial farming, the responsibility for monitoring the water coming out of a private well falls on the shoulders of the well owner.

With that said, private water well owners need to watch the quality of their water and alert authorities when a noticeable change in water quality occurs — because rest assured the companies potentially responsible for changes in ground water quality will not say a word about potential problems until they get caught by the EPA or called out by the public.

Simple tests the public can perform…

Opponents of hydraulic fracturing have called for gas and oil companies to release the list of chemicals involved in hydraulic fracturing for a number of years. Now of COURSE not one single company (that we know of) has made that sort of information public… which leaves many folks wondering how they will know if fracking fluid or other byproducts of the oil and gas drilling industry have crept into their well water.

Since the average person does not have regular access to laboratory grade equipment or usually feel like spending hundreds of dollars each time they want to test their well water, we suggest using the following simple water tests as indicators for when a person may want to consider having their water checked by a certified water testing laboratory:

• Chlorides
   
• Heavy Metals
   
• Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
   
• pH & Alkalinity

Drastic changes in the above water quality parameters may indicate that some sort of contamination of the well water source has occurred and that a well owner may want consider having a certified water testing laboratory perform a more thorough, complete analysis for contaminants not detectable using home water test kits.

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.

• 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.

COMPLETE Water Quality Test Kit

This article comes from our own personal experience and involves shower water that caused dry, flaky and sometimes itchy skin.

Each time we visited a family member’s home our children’s skin got really dry… and so did ours. We knew immediately that the water which the family member said had no issues that would cause the conditions we experienced — did actually have an issue.

We suspected chlorine as the skin irritant (due to our having to remove it from the shower water at our own home) and performed water testing using the COMPLETE Water Quality Test Kit to try and confirm our suspicions.

To our surprise, we did not find anything terribly out of line regarding the water’s chlorine content but we DID find that the water had unusually high pH and total alkalinity levels.

Had we not tested, we would have installed a filter geared more towards chlorine removal and possibly wasted our money!

So what did we end up doing?

At home we previously installed shower filters using the Austin Springs Premium Shower Filter (after doing water testing, of course!) to correct higher than desirable chlorine levels in our shower water. We noticed a positive change in the water almost immediately. The chlorine smell went away, soaps lathered up better, and the water seemed to take on a sweeter taste.

In that case we knew we would need a shower filter designed more for chlorine removal (hence the reason we opted to install shower heads that utilized Austin Springs Premium Shower Filters) but at our relative’s house we believed the issue dealt more with the pH and alkalinity of the water — despite neither parameter’s test value having strayed too far away from the norm.

The next time we visited our family we installed the Basic Austin Springs Shower Filter and immediately noticed a change in shower water quality. The water felt less ‘abrasive’ and we none of us needed to slather up with several layers of moisturizing lotion after a shower.

Moral of the story?

Testing your water (or a family member’s water) before selecting a water treatment option empowers you with the ability to correctly pick the water quality improvement device best suited for your unique water quality situation.

NOT testing the water before picking a water filtration device may result in a person installing a water filter that will not directly address the water quality issue at-hand… and that means money wasted on a solution that solves nothing.

Simply taking a few minutes and performing simple at-home water testing may save you hundreds of dollars and hours of aggravation!

As an example, “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency usually gives Wisconsin about $225,000 for tests, but it will get about half of that this year. The money will be used to test the highest-priority beaches, or about 84 out of 192 of them, according to the Associated Press.” ( source )

So… what about potential water quality problems at the OTHER beaches? How will swimmers know if the temptingly cool water at those beaches or in those rivers and streams contains dangerous levels of bacteria, parasites, pesticides, etc.?

Quite simply, they WON’T and each swim could be their LAST!

No, not really, but we simply could not resist adding a bit of life or death drama to this article.

Seriously, though, swimming in water that contains high levels of certain bacteria could result in gastrointestinal troubles and in some cases death if swimmers accidentally ingest mouthfuls of water.

OK, so testing is NEEDED, we know, but WHO would test water for FREE?

In the article referenced above they talked about how the city of Milwaukee forged a partnership with a local University that had academic interest in water quality and made arrangements for the University to share the results of its testing program with the municipality.

Hey, while the water testing may not get performed by a professional water lab, no, the testing will at least shed SOME light on water conditions at popular bodies of water in the area — and quite possibly keep unsuspecting swimmers from entering water that could make them very ill!

Moral of the story?

Should you find yourself faced with budget cuts that will affect your ability to have water tested in your area, you may have to get creative like the folks in Milwaukee who tapped into the local resources of a university.

We also read about local residents in other areas having fundraisers to cover the expenses associated with having the water tested at their favorite beaches, lakes and rivers.

At the end of the day we say this: Without water testing you will NEVER know if the water in front you will harm you so make every effort to test on a regular basis!

After all… It’s your water, your health… and ultimately your LIFE!

“My reverse osmosis water filter made me sick since April 2013- current. I have been unable to work or leave the house due to explosive diahreah, weakness, headaches and other stomach issues. I have documented water samples stating the RO water has 89 fecal coliform bacteria colonies and 682 coliform colonies. The water direct from the faucet had 0 coliform colonies. Please contact me regarding case.”

Note: For privacy reasons we will keep all aspects of her identity concealed and so we don’t get sued by the water filter manufacturer, we will keep their model number and brand name concealed, as well. Additionally, we would like to state for the record that reverse osmosis water filter systems normally do not cause the kinds of problems experienced by our reader

Then why bother writing this article w/ no specifics?

We opted to write about this poor woman’s condition so we could illustrate a few takeaway points from our conversation with our reader that that some folks out there really ought to hear.

1. Whenever faced with a situation like the one described above, do what she did and get the water tested before and after filtration. In this case the fact that her filtered water contained coliform bacteria and her raw source water did not pointed the finger of blame directly at the water filter as the source of the bacteria.
    
2. If ever you suddenly find yourself ill right after beginning the use a of a water filtration product STOP USING THAT PRODUCT IMMEDIATELY and see if the symptoms improve. If they do, then definitely get the water filter checked out for defects.
    
3. RO water, by default, has no disinfecting properties left in it after passing through the membrane(s) and other filters so if you do not use a large amount of water make sure you do not invest in a reverse osmosis unit that has a huge holding tank… because the least little bit of bacteria will thrive in the absence of any disinfectants.

   Or, if the idea of having water in reserve appeals to you, then you may want to invest in an ultraviolet water filter as an add-on for your reverse osmosis unit. Ultraviolet water filter will prevent bacteria, if present, from multiplying in your purified water holding tank.
    

4. Always, always, always use extreme care and caution when installing a reverse osmosis or any type of water filter in your home. That means make sure you have cleaned the work area ahead of time and have washed your hands, as well. The introduction of any dirt, dust, grime, slime, or debris into the water filter’s system may have disastrous effects.

   Please feel free to refer back to our unfortunate reader’s comment about explosive diarrhea, weakness, headaches and other stomach issues if you don’t believe us.

   Oh, and if for one minute you think that a water filter manufacturer or distributor will admit to wrongdoing (i.e. improperly sterilized components), then please keep the following words (which we sent to our reader) in mind: “Based on previous cases we have read involving ANY type of filter and alleged bacterial contamination coming from the filter… a manufacturer almost ALWAYS has the following defense: ‘The customer contaminated the unit prior to (or during) installation and the bacteria grew in the system since that time.’ True or not, proving them incorrect, and therefore negligent in some way, becomes incredibly difficult — if not darn near impossible.”
    

5. Should you EVER find your self feeling as bad as our reader, PLEASE understand that the possible consequences of bacterial contamination may include not only the symptoms she described, but also more unpleasant ones like… death.

   Definitely seek medical attention should you feel as bad as our reader did and don’t rely on over-the-counter medications to solve your problems. In many cases over-the-counter medications for the symptoms associated with conditions caused by foreign bacteria in a person’s system may not pack the medicinal punch required to fully rid a person of infectious bacteria.
    

6. After installing a water filter one should always perform occasional testing on the water produced by the filter to make certain it still functions as intended. Remember: Some unwanted and potentially harmful contaminants (arsenic is a great example) have no discernible taste or smell so if present in your source water, and your water filter develops problems, you will not know unless you test the water.

In conclusion we would like to thank our reader for allowing us to hear of her troubles and also tell the rest of you that the manufacturer of her filter agreed to take the unit back and refund her money per the satisfaction guarantee issued when she purchased the unit.

Moral of the story?

In this case testing of the reader’s water allowed her to determine the potential cause of her health-related issues. We believe if more people took just a few minutes every once in a while to test the quality of their drinking water… a good number of people would realize that their water, although seemingly tasty and delicious, could get even better with just a little help from a water filter.

We ALSO believe that the folks who perform regular water testing, and find nothing wrong, get a certain, and quite invaluable, peace of mind.

Thank you, Dee, for your inquiry and YES we believe that you can justify taking a few minutes out your already hectic schedule to test your water for (at least) the basic water quality parameters like coliform bacteria, heavy metals like lead and iron, pH & alkalinity, total hardness, etc.

We sincerely believe that KNOWING your water has the proper balance to keep you living a healthier, and dare we hope for longer, life makes spending 10 to 20 minutes every so often well worth ANYone’s time — especially if you have young children, elderly family, and/or individuals with compromised immune systems living with you.

Three water testing options

1. Local Water Quality Technicians — Having someone from a local water filtration company come out to test your water will save you the time it takes to test your water, yes, but prepare yourself for a sales pitch since they typically make their money on the water filters they sell, not the testing services they provide. Many an unsuspecting homeowner has purchased a water filter system that they did not need based upon the results of water test results provided by a water filter salesperson.

   Not saying ALL water filter salespeople stoop to that low level, but hard evidence points to the fact that many have in the past.

   Oh, and make certain the local water testing lab you select has the proper certifications to test drinking water.

   Watercheck Well Water Package

2. Mail-In Water Testing Services — It usually takes about 10 to 20 minutes to properly collect and pack up a water sample that then needs to get shipped via and overnight method guarantee that specific water quality characteristics and contaminant levels do not shift between the time of collection and testing.

   Companies like National Testing Laboratories offer a variety of water testing packages ranging from single tests for things like tannins and fluoride to comprehensive water testing packages that detect more than 100 metals, volatile organic compounds, DBP’s (disinfection byproducts), water characteristics, etc.

3. Perform the Testing Yourself — This option (more than the other two) will require you to get your hands wet, yes, but it also costs the least amount of money and makes it possible for you to test your water on-the-spot when/if it tastes funny, looks cloudy, smells bad, etc.

   Granted no at-home drinking water test kits exist for things like VOC’s and DBP’s, but you can easily test at home for other more common water problems like metals, coliform bacteria and total hardness in a matter of minutes.

   No matter which option you choose, just CHOOSE and rest easier knowing that unwanted contaminants have not slipped into your water supply.

   Remember: It’s Your Water, Your Health, and Ultimately… Your LIFE!

   ]]> http://watertestingblog.com/2013/05/23/how-long-does-water-testing-take/feed/ 0 http://watertestingblog.com/2013/04/02/test-before-you-invest-in-a-water-filter/ http://watertestingblog.com/2013/04/02/test-before-you-invest-in-a-water-filter/#respond Wed, 03 Apr 2013 01:03:56 +0000 http://watertestingblog.com/?p=6705 Our reader question for the day came to us from ‘Fred222’ who wanted information on the Austin Springs line of water filters… and specifically he wanted information on the Countertop (AS-DW-CT-P) and Undercounter (AS-DW-UC) models.

   I have city water and want to know if the austin springs water filter will clean my water so it is safe. The under counter and countertop models look like they will work but how can I can I tell for sure?

   First and foremost, Fred, before you start deciding on a water filter, we think you should consider getting your water fully tested for typical water contaminants in your area. Contact your local water department for a copy of the most recent annual water quality publication and then locate a certified water testing laboratory in your area that can perform any testing that appears necessary.

   We suggest using a qualified (and certified!) local water testing laboratory because they may have the ability to recommend testing based on their experience with the local water supply over a number of years.

   Watercheck City-Check Basic Tests for 31 Water Parameters

   If no local lab exists, then you may want to consider the mail-in water testing services of a company like National Testing Laboratories that currently offers three levels of what they call ‘City-Check’ ranging in cost from $140 for the Basic City-Check up to $250 for the Deluxe City-Check.

   After completion of testing?

   With any luck, Fred, your water will receive a clean bill of health! But, if not, then make a list of all the things found in your water that you would like removed (or in some cases reduced) and compare that list to the list of water contaminants removed/reduced by any of the water filters you have considered purchasing.

   Propur Undercounter Water Filter Removes/Reduces 60+ Contaminants

   Moral of the story?

   Rushing into a water filter purchase without knowing exactly what, if any, contaminants your water supply contains makes no sense. You could very easily make one of several foolhardy things:

   • Spend money on an expensive, complicated water filtration system when your water does not require anything more than simple chlorine reduction for taste and odor improvement.
      
   • Spend any amount of money on a water filter that does not address your specific water quality issues.
      
   • Spend money on point-of-use (i.e. shower, faucet, countertop, or undercounter) water filters when in actuality, only a whole house filter has the filtering power to meet your water quality improvement needs.

   What about simpler drinking water test kits?

   WaterSafe City Water Test Kit Costs Less Than $25

   The cost of water testing by a laboratory may not fit a lot of people’s budgets these days — and we can FULLY appreciate that!    🙂

   So… will more economically feasible water test kits like the WaterSafe City Water Test Kit, WaterWorks COMPLETE Test Kit or SenSafe Water Quality Test Kit work just as well? Not for complex contaminants like VOC’s (volatile organic contaminants) and harder to test for environmental elements, no, but for folks on municipal water systems one would HOPE that none of those would exist in the water supply to begin with since those folks PAY a company to clean up the water before distributing it!

   Interested in learning more about Austin Springs water filters?

   If you would like to learn more about the filtration capabilities of the Austin Springs product line, then the links below will take you to pages containing more facts about each of the products shown:

   Propur PMC-3000 Countertop Water Filter

   Propur PMC-4000 Undercounter Water Filter

   Propur ProMax PM-9000H Chrome Shower Filter with Massage Wand

   ]]> http://watertestingblog.com/2013/04/02/test-before-you-invest-in-a-water-filter/feed/ 0