We absolutely love finding out that local health officials and water quality experts in areas have banded together to provide low-cost testing to local residents. Today’s water testing good news came to us from Michigan where residents of Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet, and Otsego counties can take advantage of two different testing packages for nominal fees.
Is your well water safe?
It may look crystal clear, but don’t let that fool you; contaminants could be lurking.
The only way to know for sure if your home’s drinking water is safe is to have it tested.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends having well water tested every year, and the best time to do so is now, in the spring after a few rainy days.
“Unlike public water systems, there are no water quality monitoring requirements for private wells, and many never get tested,” said Scott Kendzierski, director of environmental health services for the Health Department of Northwest Michigan. “It is up to well owners to make sure their drinking water is safe for consumption. Fortunately, it’s easy, quick and inexpensive to test drinking water.”
The local health department offers two types of well water testing kits for a nominal fee. Both kits are available the department’s offices in Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet and Otsego counties. The kit, which tests for the presence of E. coli and other bacteria, costs $16; and the kit that tests for fluoride, chloride, hardness, iron, sodium, sulfates and nitrites is $18. These are small prices to pay to assure your family’s drinking water is safe. ( source )
So, for less than $40 residents of Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet, and Otsego counties in Michgan can have their water tested for coliform bacteria (including E. Coli), fluoride, chloride, hardness, iron, sodium, sulfates, and nitrites. We consider THAT a really great deal!
OK, but what about everyone else?
If you live close to those counties but not actually in any of them, the article concludes by saying, “
Looking for test kits for home use?
Although all of us at Water Testing Blog highly suggest that private well owners get their water tested annually by a certified water testing laboratory such as National Testing Laboratories or one recommended by your local Health Department, if you would like to test your own well or ground water we can definitely point you in the right direction.
The Water Testing Blog Store carries a variety of useful test kits for home water testing. Below you will find some of the more popular kits we carry:
You will find the full selection of test kits currently available on the Water Testing Blog Store’s Main Page.
