how often should drinking water be tested

When was the last time you tested your drinking water? If you cannot remember, it’s time to pay attention to your water quality. Drinking water often contains contaminants such as lead, arsenic, bacteria, and viruses that can cause health problems. The better your understanding of your water quality, the better protected you are from these contaminants. So, how often should drinking water be tested? In this article, we will discuss the answer to this question.

What are the risks of not testing drinking water regularly?

Drinking water can contain a wide range of contaminants, which pose significant risks to humans. These contaminants can be introduced to your water supply through many means, including industrial waste, stormwater runoff, agricultural production, and old pipes. Regular water testing helps detect these contaminants and ensures the water you drink is safe. Some potential risks of not testing drinking water regularly include:

1. Health issues: Consuming contaminated water can cause a range of health problems, including gastrointestinal illness, neurological disorders, skin lesions, and carcinogenicity.

2. Reduced water quality: Contaminants in water can also affect the taste, odor, and color of your water, which reduces your water's overall quality and makes it less appealing to drink.

3. Increased medical bills: Drinking contaminated water that leads to health problems will require you to visit the doctor more frequently, which is costly.

4. Legal liability: If anybody falls sick from drinking contaminated water from your water source, you may be held liable.

How often should you test your drinking water?

The frequency of testing drinking water varies and depends on many factors, including:

1. Source of the water: If you rely on a well, borehole or other non-municipal sources of water, it is essential to test your water quality at least once annually. Groundwater sources are susceptible to contamination from fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals used in agricultural production.

2. Type of building: Commercial buildings such as hotels, schools, and hospitals that use water intensively should be tested once a month.

3. Age of the building: If your building is old, your plumbing system is likely to be outdated and contain lead pipes. Lead pipes can lead to lead poisoning, so water in old buildings needs to be tested regularly.

4. Presence of contaminants: If a particular contaminant has been found in your water quality, it is essential to test for the substance regularly.

5. Regulatory requirements: Depending on where you live, there may be local, state, or federal regulations that require testing of your drinking water. Compliance with these regulations is essential.

In summary, water quality testing should be conducted as follows:

a. Municipal water: Municipal water supplies rely on water treatment plants that test water quality regularly. However, it is recommended that you test your water quality at least once a year.

b. Well water: If you rely on a well, it is essential to test your water at least once a year. You should also test if there are any changes in taste, odor, or color.

c. Public buildings: Public buildings should test their water at least once a month.

d. Private buildings: Private buildings should test their water at least once a year.

What tests should you perform on your water?

The types of tests you should perform on your water depend on what you want to detect. However, some common tests include:

1. Bacteria and viruses test: This test detects microbes that cause gastrointestinal illnesses, including E.coli and salmonella.

2. Nitrates test: Nitrates are chemicals that can contaminate agricultural water sources. Excessive levels of nitrates can cause health problems such as cyanosis, which is a blue-coloration of the skin.

3. Lead test: Lead is a toxic metal that can cause lead poisoning. It is commonly found in old plumbing systems or water containing industrial waste. It's essential to test for lead if you live in an old building or near an industrial area.

4. Pesticides test: Pesticides are used in agricultural productions to protect crops. However, they can enter water sources and cause health problems such as cancer.

5. pH test: pH is a measure of water acidity or alkalinity. Extreme pH levels can affect water taste, odor, and color.

Conclusion

Testing drinking water quality is crucial in ensuring the water you consume is safe. The frequency of testing mainly depends on the quality of the water source and the type of building. Municipal water needs to be tested at least once a year, while wells, public buildings, and old buildings require more frequent testing. Testing should also include different tests for bacteria, viruses, nitrates, pH, and pesticides. By regularly testing drinking water, you protect yourself from health issues, reduced water quality, increased medical costs, legal liability, and compliance-related issues.