Many people believe well water cannot become tainted by contaminants because it typically comes from locations far beneath the surface. Water Testing Blog strongly suggests that you DO NOT BUY INTO THAT LINE OF THOUGHT.

We ‘yelled’ that last bit for a reason. Unwanted and potentially harmful contaminants can find their way into well water regardless of how far below the surface it comes from.

Hence the reason why well water professionals and health officials suggest having one’s well water tested yearly.

Today’s story about well water contamination came from Kansas where residents of Butler County have had to all but abandon the use of their drinking water wells because of an unpleasant chemical smell.

Specifically, the water coming out of the private wells has a gasoline like odor to it.

A bad odor and taste in the well water has some residents in a neighborhood east of Andover concerned. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment and a water testing lab are working to find the source of the problem, but residents in the area are becoming frustrated.

Eric and Brittney Hauck say the well water at their house in Butler County smells terrible and they fear it could be unsafe.

“There was the smell of gasoline, kind of a paint-thinner kind of smell,” said Brittney Hauck.

The Haucks immediately stopped drinking the water and contacted the KDHE. Ash Creek Associates out of Portland, Oregon came out to their house and tested the water.

Last week, the Haucks received the results which showed elevated levels of benzene and other contaminants. The testing company gave the Haucks bottled water and installed a charcoal filter at no charge.

A week later, the family and many other neighborhood residents are still waiting for answers from the KDHE about what’s causing their water to become contaminated. KAKE News attempted to contact both the testing company and KDHE but could not get a response because the offices were closed for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Some residents suspect the contamination may be coming from a petroleum pipeline that runs through their neighborhood. Until they can get some definitive answers about the safety of their well water, residents say they’ll continue to use bottled water for drinking, cooking and bathing. ( source )

We feel very bad for the Haucks and all the other folks in that area affected by the suspected contamination of the aquifer from which they draw their well water. Hopefully the KDHE will determine the source of the well water contamination quickly and make it so the Haucks and their neighbors can once again perform simple tasks like cooking and bathing with their well water.

Testing for benzene in drinking water?

The average person cannot obtain an off-the-shelf test kit capable of testing for the presence of benzene in drinking, tap or well water. That sort of testing must get done in a laboratory using advanced analytical techniques and equipment.

AS usual at this point we suggest contacting your local water department or board of health to see if they can provide you with a list of certified water testing laboratories. For those wishing to use a mail-in water testing service, you may want to take a look at the 83 water quality parameter test package offered by National Testing Laboratories.

National Testing Labs Water Test Kit for 83 Drinking Water Parameters [ Most Popular Testing Option According to FilterWater.Com ]

National Testing Labs Water Test Kit for Fluoride in Water

National Testing Labs Water Test Kit for Iron Bacteria

]]> http://test-for.com/blog/2012/02/kansas-residents-concerned-about-bad-smelling-well-water/feed/ 0 http://test-for.com/blog/2012/02/testing-your-smoke-detectors-can-save-your-life/ http://test-for.com/blog/2012/02/testing-your-smoke-detectors-can-save-your-life/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:23:58 +0000 Test For Admin http://test-for.com/blog/?p=1067 Fact: Testing your smoke detectors every few months can save your life.

“The Federal Government says 16 million smoke detectors in US homes do not work. Furthermore, studies show that working smoke detectors reduce the risk of fatalities by 50%.” ( source )

Smoke Detector Test Spray

Many people feel safe simply knowing they have smoke detectors installed in their homes and don’t think to check their functionality until they hear the annoying ‘beep… beep… beep…’ that let’s them know their smoke detector has all but run out of battery power.

Question: Do smoke detectors function at their optimal levels until that beeping starts? Honestly, we don’t know but if taking a few minutes every month or two to check to see if our smoke detectors work will save our lives, well, you bet your britches we’ll test our smoke detectors on a regular basis!

OK, well how can I test my smoke detector?

Most smoke detectors have a ‘test’ button on them that gives owners the impression that if their alarm goes off when that button gets pressed they have a fully functional smoke detector. Not true! That little button only tests to see if the batteries have enough power to sound the alarm and does nothing with the ‘smoke sensing’ portion of the smoke detector.

So… how can one fully test the functionality of their smoke detectors without setting a fire in the house? Easy! Smoke Check comes in different sizes, can be purchased in bulk and has optional accessories that make it possible to test the functionality of smoke detectors on ceilings without having to stand on chairs or use a ladder.

According to Smoke Check‘s manufacturer, the Smoke Check Smoke Detector Tester allows users to test smoke detectors that use both photoelectric and ionization methods of smoke detection. By emitting a patented mixture of particles in an aerosol spray, Smoke Check simulates smoke generated by a wide range of fire conditions and in doing so performs a thorough test of smoke detectors’ components.

Smoke Detector Tester puts both photoelectric and ionization smoke detectors through their paces to ensure that their circuitry and alarm systems are functioning and that they are actively sampling the air for any hint of a fire. Our patented formulation of aerosol particles simulates the entire range of fire conditions giving you the confidence of knowing your fire alarm system will respond promptly to any kind of fire condition. ( source )

So… test those detectors, folks! Your life and the lives of your loved ones may depend on it!

Dear Sir, I mixed chlorine tablets(water purification Tablets) in water. my friend taken water in Test tube. mixed one drop of liquid then water color changed in yellow. what is name of that liquid. how to by that.please can sent details.

Hello, Kishore, and thank you for the inquiry about a liquid test reagent that turns yellow in the presence of chlorine. Based upon your description we suspect your friend used a chemical called ‘OTO’ to perform the testing. OTO stands for Orthotolidine dihydrochloride. It test for total chlorine (free chlorine plus combined chlorine collectively).

You can find OTO in most pool supply stores, as it normally comes in the more basic pool water testing kits for total chlorine and pH, the two most commonly tested pool water quality parameters.

Many companies also sell the two reagents separately since they do tend to ‘go bad’ after a year once opened and exposed to air.

If you want to perform more precise chlorine concentration testing for free chlorine, the compound most people have the most interest in (usually) when attempting to determine if water has had the proper amount of disinfectant added to it, you will want to invest in a drinking water test kit that uses DPD-based reagents. ( What is DPD? )

For an even simpler means of testing the chlorine levels in water samples you may want to consider a product such as the SenSafe Free Chlorine Water Check, an EPA Approved method for determining free chlorine concentrations in drinking water, or the WaterWorks 2 Free & Total Chlorine product that uses the same free chlorine testing method as the SenSafe Free Chlorine Water Check and also includes a separate test area for total chlorine.

Want to know more about the differences between free and total chlorine? Check out an article called Free Chlorine, Combined Chlorine, Total Chlorine.

One more thing about OTO before we go: We have heard that some countries have outlawed its use due to scientists having evidence that it may cause cancer in humans… so check local laws before making a purchase!

We hope this helps!

Hundreds of Stamford residents have registered for the health department’s new water testing program scheduled to launch early next month, leaving about a third of the tests budgeted for this fiscal year available.

Officials are encouraging Stamford homeowners to sign up for the public service, which is mandated under a new city ordinance the Board of Representatives approved late last year. The Health Department will share the data it gathers with state health and environmental agencies in an effort to better understand the scope of water contamination in the area of Scofieldtown Park.

The park is the site of a former landfill and had been thought for years to be the source of potentially cancer-causing chemicals discovered in nearby wells in 2009.

…

Premier Laboratory in Dayville won a competitive bid to perform the testing at a rate of $89.50 per test, Murray said. Homeowners will be charged a flat $100 fee, which will cover the cost of the test itself as well as mailing, printing and logistical expenses associated with the program. Murray said the public service is a good deal for Stamford residents, who would likely pay between $200 and $300 to have their well water tested privately. ( source )

Granted the testing will still cost residents $100, but one has to admit that the fee definitely ranks as a pretty decent bargain considering the alternative: full price. Local officials encourage residents to take advantage of this water testing deal and so do we.

A problem with well water clearly exists in that area and only a properly implemented (thorough) testing of well water in the region surrounding the suspected contamination site will allow officials to get a real good look at the scope and magnitude of the problem.

Removing and/or reducing VOC’s in drinking water?

Naturally the question that follows the discovery of contaminants in one’s drinking water has to do with how to remove or reduce them to ‘safe’ levels. In the article one family had a carbon block filter of some sort installed. Below you will find an example of a carbon block filter hooked up to the Pentek RO-3500 currently offered by numerous online water filter systems vendors like WaterFilters.Net and FiltersFast.Com.

Pentek US-1500 Under Sink Water Filter System certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 42 for the reduction of Taste and Odor, Chlorine, and Particulate Class I as well as Standard 53 for the reduction of Lead, Mercury, VOC, Cyst, Asbestos, and Turbidity

]]> http://test-for.com/blog/2012/01/deeply-discounted-water-testing-in-stamford-ct/feed/ 0 http://test-for.com/blog/2012/01/river-of-blood-flowing-into-the-trinity-river/ http://test-for.com/blog/2012/01/river-of-blood-flowing-into-the-trinity-river/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:45:33 +0000 Water Testing Blog http://watertestingblog.com/?p=5192 OK, so if THIS does not tell you that owners of private wells should perform periodic testing of the water pulled from their wells, then we wholeheartedly doubt we will ever find a better reason. A hobbyist drone (unmanned aircraft) pilot in the Dallas, TX area captured a rather disturbing image of what looked like a river of blood exiting a meatpacking facility and heading towards a nearby river, the Trinity River.

Huh? What? A river of BLOOD? Has somebody taken their love of Twilight or any of the other vampire-themed shows a little too far as a prank?

Unfortunately not. We found this article posted on Yahoo News last night and as ridiculous as it sounds, it also appears quite real from the photograph and later statements made by a spokesperson for the Texas Environmental Crimes Task Force.

What danger does this pose?

Honestly, we lack the proper background to go into this one fully, but we do know that discharging that much untreated biological matter will throw the ecosystem in the Trinity River off in ways that would make ecologists stutter, sweat profusely, and probably possibly go into shock.

That stream appears to contain 100′s of gallons of untreated nitrates, nitrites, proteins, decaying organic matter, bacteria, and microscopic parasites — all capable of disrupting the Trinity River’s ecological balance and eventually making their way into public and private water supplies.

Public water systems using wells

Pretty much all public water systems that pull ground water from wells test and treat the water for contaminants before distribution but in extreme situations even they can get overwhelmed if they receive massive, unexpected levels of biological contaminants in source water. While workers will make the necessary adjustments to chemical feeders and filters to counteract the influx of filth, making those changes may take time and some contaminated water may find its way into the water supply.

Owners of private wells

Most do not use any sort of disinfection system on their wells so events like this put them at great risk. Really not a whole lot more to say except… Only regular testing of your well water can warn you of contamination!

Think about this, private well owners: How long had material flowed out of that ‘secondary pipe’ before a random flyover by a hobbyist’s drone (unmanned aircraft) captured a picture?

Moral of the story?

We believe one of two things happened at that meatpacking facility: 1) Not everyone played by the rules set forth by local officials and the facility broke the rules intentionally; 2) Unexpected events such as equipment malfunctioning or human error caused the slaughter waste to go down the wrong pipe. In either case this bloody mess may not have gotten noticed for quite some time and in that time countless people may have gotten sick from drinking contaminated water.

Periodic testing of well and ground water can help keep you safe from accidents like this one and many others that may take place without you knowing.

as we always like to say, “It’s your water, your health… and ultimately your LIFE!”

Crystal Quest Countertop Water Filter for Bacteria (Cleanable & Replaceable)

Crystal Quest Under Sink Water Filter for Bacteria (Cleanable & Replaceable)

]]> http://test-for.com/blog/2012/01/river-of-blood-flowing-into-the-trinity-river/feed/ 0 http://test-for.com/blog/2012/01/science-fair-project-testing-for-arsenic-in-apple-juice/ http://test-for.com/blog/2012/01/science-fair-project-testing-for-arsenic-in-apple-juice/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:24:02 +0000 Water Testing Blog http://watertestingblog.com/?p=5183 With so many news outlets discussing recent findings of arsenic in bottles of apple juice bearing brand names it comes as no surprise to us that we would receive an inquiry like the one we just got from ‘Hadiah’ who asked, “I would like to know exactly what arsenic testing kit i could use for my daughters science fair project. She is testing for arsenic in apple juice.”

Thus far in our limited research we have found only one kit that we THINK may have the ability to perform testing on various juices: Arsenic Quick. Why do we think this kit may have promise? Quite simply, its design (hanging the test pad reaction area above the liquid getting tested and relying solely upon arsenic gas liberated by a small quantity of food grade acid) means the color of the juice ought not interfere with reading the resultant color of the test pad after at the completion of the test.

Food grade acid? Liberated arsenic gas? Is this test SAFE?

Having performed the test numerous times ourselves, we can assure you that the test procedure and required testing reagents pose little to no harm to people performing the tests.

Food Grade Acid – Instead of using more caustic and potentially dangerous acids like other kits, the Arsenic Quick Test Kit uses tartaric acid, an acid commonly found in various ingredients used in foods most of us eat on a daily basis.

Liberated Arsenic Gas – While the directions for the Arsenic Quick Test Kit instruct testing personnel to perform testing in a well-ventilated area, the amount of gas generated by such a small sample should pose no risks.

But, just the same… open a window in the kitchen and turn on the stove exhaust fan (if you have one), test in the garage w/ the door open, or take some other precaution that will keep fresh air coming into the test area.

Proper precaution in any testing environment, even if the testing environment seems safe, always pays off!

Last week, residents complained about the water quality at a Village Board meeting and brought pictures of children with orange hair, damaged pipes and water sample results that documented the iron content was some three times the normal level.

This week, after action taken by the village, residents say things are looking up.

“It is looking better, this is good news,” Karol Armbruster, one of the residents affected by the rusty water, said Tuesday.

Her daughter has had to visit a hair salon on two occasions due to the rust in the water, she said. “It was turning orange and a had a little green tint,” she said,

“It doesn’t seem to be as bad,” said Debbie Way, another resident.

The water problems began Nov. 19 when the motor that runs Well 14 broke. At that time, village officials began sending water to the area from other wells.

The rust is the result of a change in direction of the water flow in the pipes.

“The cause of the rust was a build-up of iron deposits inside the pipes for some 50 years,” said Michael Pubentz, Montgomery public works director. ( source )

For these folks water conditions will improve once the new well pump comes online, according to the article, but what about YOUR water? Do you know how much iron or other metals it contains? While some metals (like iron) usually pose more of an aesthetic problem, other metals such as lead, mercury, chromium, etc. can have lasting detrimental health effects.

Moral of the story?

If you notice sudden changes in water quality could mean problems with the safety of your water and only testing the water for its purity will let you know for sure if the changes mean action needs to get taken by your water company or, if your water comes have a private well, you need to take action.

In this case the water district had a pump fail and needed to redirect water through different lines that had not seen a lot of use in a long time and years of corrosion got pumped to people’s homes. We believe that local residents’ seeking testing and banding together to lobby for prompt action on the part of the water company resulted in the situation getting cleared up a lot faster than may have happened if residents had not presented test results along with their complaints.

Certified water testing data gets results. So, as we like to say, “It’s your water, your health… and ultimately your LIFE.”

Take an interest in the quality of your water and perform spot checks from time to time — especially if you notice a ‘change’ in the color, taste or smell of your water. Doing so could, in some cases, possibly save your life or the life of a loved one.

Interested in removing iron from drinking water? Whether you need a replacement 10″ iron filter cartridge, replacement 20″ iron filter cartridge or a whole house iron removal system, we believe FilterWater.Com may have the perfect solution for your water quality situation.

Whole House Greensand Water Filter Reduces Iron, Manganese and Hydrogen Sulfide

Commercial Iron Removal Water Filter Reduces Iron, Manganese and Hydrogen Sulfide

]]> http://test-for.com/blog/2012/01/orange-hair-from-tap-water-too-much-iron-in-the-water/feed/ 0 http://test-for.com/blog/2012/01/turns-red-when-mixed-with-chlorinated-water-leak-detection/ http://test-for.com/blog/2012/01/turns-red-when-mixed-with-chlorinated-water-leak-detection/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:16:56 +0000 Water Testing Blog http://watertestingblog.com/?p=5140 Every once in a while we get a question about a topic related to water quality, but not quite a water quality question… so today’s question came to us from ‘Michael’ who asked,

I need to purchase a quick test means to locate water leaks in supply pipes to my residential water service meter. The county water uses a small tear able foil packet of chemicals that turns red when mixed with chlorinated water. My home has very low water pressure and volume, we are serviced by an extremely old and much damaged 2″ pvc line serviced by the Logan County PSD, Logan WV. The PSD does not have the time or personnel to investigate all of the water puddles located in the community where I live. I would like to be able to quickly and safely test any ground water in the hope of finding where the line rupture is.

Thank you, Michael, for this inquiry. From the sounds of things your local water department uses DPD powder pillows or tablets to investigate the nature of puddles suspected to have formed as a result of leaks in municipal water lines. The chemical DPD turns various shades of pink through dark red in the presence of oxidizers such as chlorine, bromine, ozone, etc.

Where can the average citizen get DPD?

Chemical supply houses often carry DPD powder and/or tablets in bulk and many swimming pool stores tend to carry DPD powder pillows and tablets intended to work with swimming pool test kits.

For what you want to do, though, we suggest you look more closely at DPD powder. Specifically we think you should focus your acquisition efforts on DPD-4, a compound which will detect both free chlorine and combined chlorine in a water sample. This matters because once water treated with free chlorine exits a controlled environment (i.e. leaves the pipe through a crack, fissure, etc.) the free chlorine will immediately begin acting on any and everything in its environment… and that will result in only combined chlorine possibly reaching the surface and creating a pool of water.

Problems with testing puddles for chlorine?

While not totally impossible that a pool of chlorinated water could potentially wind up on the surface over or near a leak from a chlorinated municipal water line, we believe that only a good sized leak could produce water in the volume required to get water containing highly reactive chlorine molecules through contaminant filled soil and up to the surface — with readable/detectable chlorine residual levels high enough to detect visually (or with a portable meter) using DPD.

But, since your local water department does it, either your water line infrastructure routinely has large leaks or its water lines lie very close to the surface. Either way, a swimming pool supply company called In the Swim carries DPD-1 tablets and DPD-3 tablets.

Crushing (carefully) and then mixing them (carefully) in equal parts should enable you to create your own version of DPD-4, but to play it safe we suggest using the appropriate amount of DPD-1 in a 10 mL sample of water and then using the DPD-3 in that same sample — per the ‘accepted’ procedures for free and total chlorine concentration determination.

Hi..I work in an office building in brooklyn (11211) and the water in the bathroom sink smells really bad. If you wash your hands…which we all do…your hands smell too. I have talked to the landlord many times about this and they have not done anything My staff has complained about the same thing. The land next door used to be a chemical plant and nothing was allowed to be built for years..Could something be seeping in the water somehow. I would like to have the water tested. I am not sure what to test for exactly so hoping you can advise. How much $ will I have to spend to get the water tested and if it is found to be contaminated somehow…then what do I do?

A couple of questions came to mind right away while reading Rachel’s question about water quality in her office:

1) What type of smell or odor do you detect emanating from the water? Does the unpleasant odor resemble the stench of rotten eggs (i.e. does it smell like sulfur)?

2) Does the odor come from both hot and cold water or just from one or the other?

We ask those questions because problems with hot water heaters often serve as the source of odor(s) in many homes and offices.

Water containing dissolved hydrogen sulfide gas produces an offensive (and VERY unpleasant) “rotten egg” or “sulfur” odor and will also have a similar taste. In a lot of cases the odor seems a lot stronger when one first turns on the water or runs hot water from the faucet. ( source )

If the smell you get from the water does not meet the profile above, and actually even it does meet the above profile, we highly suggest getting the water tested by a certified water testing laboratory like National Testing Laboratories or a local laboratory recommended by your local health department.

WaterCheck Laboratory Test Kit

Well Driller Master Test Kit

Given the history of the property (next door) we suggest going w/ the most comprehensive test you can afford. Why? Quite simply because many of the ‘more interesting’ contaminants resulting from industrial activities may not get detected by commonly offered water testing packages.

History… Not just for students anymore!

See what you can learn about what REALLY went on next door before the company closed up shop. What sorts of chemicals did they produce? Why did they shut down? Why did the city (or other agency) put a ban on building there after the company shut down?

While we believe it unlikely that the ‘issues’ left behind by that company have much to do with your current water woes since your water comes from the city, we would not rule it out entirely.

Do your homework, find a certified lab that can test for the sorts of nasty things that company may have left behind, make sure the results of their findings can get admitted as evidence in a legal proceedings, have the results examined by a qualified water specialist, and then determine what needs to happen next — be it legal action on the part of your landlord against the company or the city or the landlord simply installing the correct filter to remove the contaminants that make the water small so awful.

Today’s inquiry came to us from ‘Ric C’ who asked a very wise question about a water filtration unit he may wish to purchase (HomePure AP-0930):

Hi
Am dealing with a product that has an NSF certification, and below is the address;

http://www.nsf.com/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?TradeName=homepure&Standard=&ProductType=&PlantState=&PlantCountry=&PlantRegion=&submit3=SEARCH&hdModlStd=ModlStd

Does this mean the product is good?

Quite honestly, we have never seen the HomePure AP-0930 before but as we said previously, the marketplace has a ton of water filtration units out there and we seriously doubt that anyone could know the in’s and out’s of every single water filtration unit currently available for purchase.

With that said, we looked at the NSF credentials supplied by Ric and saw that this unit has tested and certified to NSF/ANSI STANDARD 042 (Drinking Water Treatment Units – Aesthetic Effects) for the reduction of chlorine taste and odor as well as NSF/ANSI STANDARD 053 (Drinking Water Treatment Units – Health Effects) for the reduction of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s).

While having NSF Certification does give the HomePure AP-0930 a bit of credibility, please keep in mind that not every water filter will work in every application — even with NSF, WQA, etc. certifications to back up its capabilities.

Think of it this way: A high quality hammer won’t do you a bit of good when you need to turn a screw.

Testing your water first?

Yes! Do it! Test your drinking water before spending money on a water filter!

Before investing in a water filter for your home or office make sure you test your water for as wide a range of potential contaminants as possible. Doing so could save you the expense and aggravation associated with installing a filter that addresses the wrong water quality issues.

Anything specific about the HomePure AP-0930 catch your eye?

We like the fact that the HomePure AP-0930 has NSF certifications. As we said before, it means the unit certainly has some credibility.

One thing we did not like about the unit dealt w/ it inability to filter out heavy metals such as lead, copper, iron, chromium, etc. In our opinion a well-rounded, general purpose water filter would also have the ability to remove/reduce levels of heavy metals in drinking water.

Older homes most likely contain metal piping and the majority of public water systems contain metal pipes, as well. “But, we live a newly constructed home.” Does not matter (in our opinion). Newer homes, while mostly containing PVC or some other type of plastic piping, still get connected to public water systems that contain miles and miles of metal pipes.

Depending upon the quality of the water when it leaves the water treatment plant, it has the opportunity to pick up anywhere from traces of metals to noticeable levels of metals as it travels through those miles of metal pipes to homes and offices on the water system.

Interesting fact: The literature for the HomePure AP-0930 water filter system did mention metals and say that metals in water may cause problems, but the HomePure AP-0930 does not remove/reduce metals.

Replacement filters for the HomePure AP-0930?

According to the NSF web site, the HomePure AP-0930 uses a replacement filter element with model number “AP-0931″. A quick search of three popular online water filter web sites (FilterWater.Com, FiltersFast.Com and WaterFilters.Net) and a google search yielded no locations where a person could purchase replacement filters.

Not a particularly good sign! What happens in 3 months or a year when the original filter kicks the bucket?

Moral of the story?

Not all water filter systems are created equal and even though some bear seals of certification and/or endorsement from well-known, reputable organizations such as NSF or WQA, not every one of those ‘certified’ products will clean up every possible water quality condition.

So, test your water to see what problems/issues it may have and THEN set about the task of locating the correct water quality improvement device for your water.

Look for products that bear the NSF and/or WQA logos, but do not assume the logo automatically means that a particular device will do what you need it to do.

Oh, and one last thing: Check to make sure you can easily acquire replacement filters for any water filter you consider buying.