Water Testing Options

The amount of toxins that can get into water between the water treatment plant and your faucet has been discovered to be over 2,100 different kinds. With that worrying thought, there are some options if you want to test your water, so you can decide if you want to invest in a water filter or not. Testing your water can tell you what is in your water that you may not be able to see, taste, or smell and will help you feel a little better about the quality of your water.

If you have well water, the EPA recommends that you get your well water tested every year. Well water isn�t covered under the normal water provider in your area, and to make sure it�s safe, it should be tested at least every year, if not more frequently if you suspect there may have been some contamination. But there are two types of testing that can be done: professional tests and home tests that you do yourself.

Professional Tests

Having your water professionally tested is the first choice in finding out what contamination could be in your water. Your water provider should test your water once a year and provide you with an annual drinking water quality report, which will tell you what kinds of toxins are in your water and if they meet EPA standards or not. Before you get your water tested, you should request a copy of this report and study it so that you�re not paying for a test you don�t really need.

If your water provider�s annual drinking water quality report doesn�t satisfy your curiosity or leaves you still feeling uneasy, you can also have your water professionally tested. Each state has its own testing facilities, and you�ll have to do some research into those to decide what kind of test you want to have done. These tests will cost you some money and generally run between $15 and $100 depending on what you are testing for.

Some of the tests that you can have done include:

Having a professional water test is an excellent way to discover if there is something that doesn�t belong in your water. But if you don�t want to pay for a professional test, there are also tests that you can do in the privacy of your own home that are available from retailers.

Home Water Tests

Testing your water at home is a decision you should make if you aren�t sure if your water really is contaminated or not. Testing your water at home is more economical than having someone come in and do it professionally, and more convenient, as you don�t have to schedule tests or be home at a certain time to help.

There are many types of home water tests. Some test for everything and other test for just one thing, but they are all usually certified by the EPA, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the American Industrial Hygiene Association, which all have proficiency testing programs that are approved by the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program. This means these tests have been used and certified by the professionals who you would otherwise pay to come into your home and test your water on your time and money.

Some of the tests available are:

As long as these tests are certified by the above mentioned organizations, they will give you an accurate reading of what kinds of contaminates are in your water. If the toxins in your water are within the acceptable limits, you can decide from there whether to get a water filter or not. Getting your water tested more than the normal once a year that the water company provides is a good idea if you are unsure of the quality of your water, or have a well. But if you want to do it yourself, a certified home kit is just as good as hiring someone to do it for you.