Many people vastly underestimate the probability that unwanted contaminants could somehow get into their water supply. Not only does it stand to reason that drinking water contamination could occur, it stands to reason that more people need to face the facts that it already has occurred in a number of places all around the world.

In this case, the USEPA has discovered that it has reason to take a closer look at the quality of water in a region of Colorado. Folks interested in the effects of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on the environment may want to keep an eye on this story as it develops.

(CNN) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency investigating drinking water contamination in Pavillion, Wyoming, found benzene and methane in wells and in groundwater, agency officials said.

At a community meeting with well owners, EPA officials revealed Tuesday they found low levels of petroleum compounds in 17 of 19 drinking water wells sampled, and that nearby shallow groundwater was contaminated with high levels of petroleum compounds such as benzene, according to the report.

The affected well owners were advised not to drink the water at the recommendation of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and told to use alternate sources of water for drinking and cooking, agency officials said.

Meanwhile, the EPA is working with various government partners and EnCana, a natural gas company, to provide affected residents with water and to address potential sources of the contamination, agency officials said.

The study included sampling 21 domestic wells within the area of concern, two municipal wells, plus sediment and water from a nearby creek. The EPA also sampled groundwater and soil from pit remediation sites, and produced water and condensate from five production wells operated by the primary natural gas operator in the area, agency officials said.

No health concerns were found related to inhalation exposure to chemicals while showering or using evaporative coolers, agency officials said.

The EPA has not reached any conclusions about the sources of chemical compounds found in drinking water wells, including hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” the controversial process used to extract natural gas from underground, agency officials said.

Officials are uncertain if the contaminated shallow groundwater will migrate to the drinking water aquifer, according to the report.

…

In spring 2008, residents of Pavillion — concerned about the quality of their drinking water — contacted the EPA in Denver, Colorado. The agency sampled 39 individual wells (37 residential wells and two municipal wells) in March 2009 and found nitrate, arsenic and methane gas. The agency conducted the second sampling in January 2010.( source )

These findings may make more people think twice about letting gas companies drill natural gas in their area… even though no conclusive proof has come to light that ‘fracking’ has contributed to the contamination of this area’s water supply.

Should more people test their well water?

Whether you live in an area whose water supply could potentially become affected by ‘fracking’ or any other industrial process or not, well owners should test the water coming out of their wells on a regular basis.

Any natural that causes a shift in the water table can potentially cause unwanted, and usually unexpected, contaminants to enter the water supply. For example: Both heavy amounts of rain and long periods without rain can result in changes to the quality of water going into the aquifer… which means the quality of water drawn from the aquifer by wells will also change.

What are common well water contaminants?

Every area has different concerns, but as a general rule most well owners will, at the very least, test for contaminants such as arsenic, chromium, copper, lead, iron, nitrates & nitrites, and bacteria.

A properly constructed and maintained household-supply well will provide you with many years of quality service. The National Ground Water Association recommends routine annual maintenance checks to ensure the proper operation of the well and prolong its years of service, as well as monitor the water quality. ( source )

Tags: Water Testing, water testing blog

We often get asked if people who have city/town water ought to test their drinking water from time to time. If you live in the city of Edgewood, Iowa, you no longer have to ask that question.

While the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says they do not believe any dangerous water safety issues avoided detection, the fact that a city employee responsible for testing the city’s public drinking water supply on a regular basis purchased only enough supplies for 100 tests — despite claiming to have performed 3,889 water tests between January 2006 and July 2009 — would make just about anyone curious.

A former Edgewood city employee has been sentenced to probation after he admitted that he failed to test the town’s water supply and submitted false reports to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

…

Harris, 43, pleaded guilty in April to one count of making false statements in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Environmental Protection Agency.

In the plea agreement, Harris admitted he sent false monthly reports to the DNR from February 2008 and July 2009. He falsely claimed testing for fluoride, chlorine and manganese. DNR tests showed less chlorine in the water than the 1.5 milligrams per liter required by state law to kill bacteria.

The review found lower-than-acceptable levels of fluoride, which reduces tooth decay, and manganese oxide, which helps remove cancer-causing radium from the water. Residents in the eastern Iowa town were not exposed to any short- or long-term health risks, a DNR officer said.

The DNR originally alleged that Harris claimed to have done 3,889 water tests between January 2006 and July 2009, but bought enough material for only 100 tests. Harris resigned in August 2009.

The investigation began after some residents complained about declining water quality. ( source )

OK, now having read that, does the statement, “DNR tests showed less chlorine in the water than the 1.5 milligrams per liter required by state law to kill bacteria.” make you feel… safe?

How about “The investigation began after some residents complained about declining water quality.” Does that give you any sense of security?

Can individuals test their city/town/tap water?

Of course they can! While only certified water testing laboratories can give the absolute last word on the safety and potability of drinking water, at-home drinking water test kits from companies like SenSafe and WaterSafe allow the average homeowner to test critical water parameters on their own, whenever they want, and for little money.

What water parameters should homeowners test?

Given the number of possible drinking water contaminants, the average homeowner would find it difficult (and expensive!) to test for them all… but as a general rule, if typically makes sense for people on city/town/tap water to test for water parameters such as:

• free chlorine residual
• total chlorine residual
• lead in water
• copper in water
• iron in water
• total hardness
• bacteria in water
• hydrogen sulfide

Should homeowners with city water test for other things? That all depends on where their water company gets its water. As an example, if the water comes from a well, other potentially harmful water contaminants such as pesticides and arsenic could find their way into the water supply and an ill-equipped water treatment facility may not have the proper technology installed to remove them.

As always, though, if you have serious reason to suspect that your tap water has ‘issues’, seek advice from certified water quality experts. Home water test kits serve as great field tests, but the final word regarding a water supply’s potability should come from a certified water testing laboratory.

Tags: Water Testing, water testing blog

Back in the month of June resident of Alberta, Canada with his own ‘news’ blog did his community a great service by posting an article warning people that scam artists had targeted neighbors. Apparently, a fly-by-night, or otherwise not-so-ethical organization, left small bags containing water sampling kits on people’s doors and has now started making follow-up calls to the homes where they dropped off bags.

While the town of Morinville DOES have a random sampling program in effect to help guarantee water quality for all residents, the town has nothing to do with the surprise water testing packages showing up at people’s homes.

Morinville – If you come home to find a little blue bag hanging on your door with a water testing kit inside, Morinville Enforcement Services want you to know that it is not a town-run program.

Enforcement Services have recently received a number of calls from Morinville residents who have received the kits and are reporting that follow-up calls are being made to their homes regarding them.

The kits are not being distributed by Public Works or any other Morinville department.

Morinville already has a water testing process in place. Water testers collect unsolicited random samples on a daily basis and send them to a government lab to ensure the quality and safety of the Town’s water.

If the Town requires anything from a resident or their property, they contact the person directly. At no time do they hang collection kits on a resident’s door.

Residents with questions are asked to call Enforcement Services at 939-4361 or Public Works at 939-2590. ( source )

We have written about shady water testing companies in the past, we find ourselves writing about them now, and we will probably wind up writing about them again in the future. It saddens us to know that people could use matters as serious as drinking water contamination as a way to trick people into purchasing additional water testing and/or possibly unneeded water filtration equipment.

Avoiding the snake oil salesman

Most Effective Method: Don’t let the b#stards in the front door to begin with and/or hang up on them when they call.

Next Most Effective Method: Knowing the condition of your drinking water will always provide you with the best defense against unethical water testing companies and companies using deceptive water testing tactics. They cannot possibly convince you that you need ‘this’ or that you will DIE if you don’t install ‘that’ right away if you already know from testing of your own or a trusted water testing facility indicates otherwise.

Always remember that a water filter company offering to come out and test your water ‘for free’ spends money on gas, training, salary and equipment sending a technician (salesperson) to your house — and therefore expects that technician (salesperson) to sell you something whether you need it or not.

If you think you may need a water filter, first have an independent lab like National Testing Laboratories or a local laboratory certified to test drinking water give you a complete analysis. Then read the results over carefully and make sure you understand what they mean so that when the water filter salesperson makes his/her presentation, you can ask the right questions and keep yourself from accidentally getting sold more filter than you really need.

Tags: Water Testing, water testing blog

Today we received a question from NicholasG asking about something called… ‘a sulfur water test’.

Don’t know if you can help, but what in the world is a sulfur water test? An older couple came by to look at our house today and before they left the man asked us the last time we had a sulfur water test done. So what is a sulfur water test and why did he ask that?

NicholasG

Given that he asked about a ‘sulfur water test’, we will assume your home has a private well as its water supply. The term ‘sulfur water test’ usually refers to any test that detects dissolved hydrogen sulfide in water.

Why would drinking water contain hydrogen sulfide?

Pinpointing the exact source of hydrogen sulfide in water sometimes takes a bit of effort. The gas occurs naturally in groundwater and may come from microorganisms referred to as ‘sulfur bacteria’. That same type of bacteria may also exist in a well and or in the water distribution system after a well. To make matters even worse, sulfur bacteria may also live in water heaters and chemical reactions within certain types of water heaters can also result in the addition of hydrogen sulfide to water.It can be produced also by sulfur bacteria or chemical reactions inside water heaters.

Though not nearly as common, specific types of pollution may also add hydrogen sulfide to a water supply.

Sulfur bacteria and hydrogen sulfide… Dangerous?

Most times a rotten egg smell coming from water does not mean the water poses a significant health risk. But, in the absence of other contributing factors, one should always remember that in rare cases hydrogen sulfide may occur as a result of a contamination from sewage or other types of pollution — and in those cases serious and/or life-threatening health hazards may exist.

As a precautionary measure, we suggest that anyone whose water suddenly develops a rotten egg smell have their water tested for other water parameters such as coliform bacteria and nitrates, as unsafe levels of either in water make the water unsafe to drink non-potable and unfit for human consumption.

Another thing to remember about hydrogen sulfide gas, at high levels in the air it poses a danger. Therefore one should always take steps to properly vent any area where the gas may build up, such as around the well head, basements where well water enters, etc. Entering an area that has a built up hydrogen gas in the air could very well prove fatal without the right protective gear so if a you suspect a buildup, call in a professional.

Testing for hydrogen sulfide in water… Difficult?

Before you can choose a hydrogen sulfide removal systems you must first know how much you have present — or risk purchasing and installing the wrong size or type of filter!

While the majority of people will have the ability to pick up the distinct aroma (odor!) of rotten eggs in a sample of water, most people do not know that it takes only a small amount of hydrogen sulfide gas in water to make quite a huge stink. Therefore you will need a test kit for hydrogen sulfide to determine how much you have.

For drinking water applications, the Low Range Hydrogen Sulfide Test Kit will work quite well since it has a low detection level of 0.3 parts per million hydrogen sulfide and an upper detection limit of 2.0 ppm. Most people with a hydrogen sulfide problem will have a level somewhere in that range.

Testing for hydrogen sulfide in industry?

OK, since we know some people in industry have uses for water containing much greater concentrations of hydrogen sulfide, we figure they, too, may want to test hydrogen sulfide levels — and for them we suggest the WaterWorks Hydrogen Sulfide Test Kit which has a detection range of 5 ppm to 80 ppm and gives results in under a minute.

Tags: Water Testing, water testing blog

Although many areas of the country continue to experience above average temperatures, the fact remains that the end of the 2010 swimming season has almost arrived. That means most pool owners have already started thinking about the things they’ll need to properly close up their pool.

Often making the list of things that pool owners need to pick up at the end of swimming season: winterizing chemicals, above ground winter covers, inground winter covers, and pool line anti-freeze.

When it comes to closing up a swimming pool most people, as a general rule, will add some form of shock treatment, a winter algaecide and a stain preventative to their pool water before putting on the cover. If closed properly, and nothing causes the cover to rip, a pool owner will remove the cover in the Spring and have crystal-clear water.

So anyways, the folks over at Pool Water Testing Blog have started posting stuff related to closing up swimming pools so if you happen to own a swimming pool and need to know where to get the correct pool closing supplies, those folks know a lot more about that sort of thing than we do… so go and check ‘em out!

Recently posted on Pool Water Testing Blog:

• Safety Covers Can Make a World of Difference
• Cantar Winter Covers — 10 Year Warranties
• Protectiv Covers for Pool Heaters
• Winterizing Your Pool — Diving Board Covers
• Pool Winterizing Kits
• What is a Mesh Winter Cover

Tags: Water Testing, water testing blog

Now before you freak out, keep in mind that the presence of fecal coliform bacteria in a body of water does not necessarily mean the water will cause a person to get sick… or die. Also, this sampling included, for the most part, outside bodies of water, not drinking water supplies.

So having said that, why should residents in that area care if ponds, streams, rivers, lakes, etc. contain fecal coliform bacteria? Simple: The presence of such a contaminant serves as a warning flag that somehow, in some way, sewer and septic systems have failed to contain human waste… and it has found a way to seep into the environment untreated.

If enough untreated sewage finds its way into the environment, a good chance exists that it may one day also find its way to a popular swimming hole in a local creek, drift around until it lingers just off the shore of a lake where people wade to cool off, and possibly even seep down into the ground where it could enter an aquifer that provides water to wells servicing the homes of unsuspecting families.

Officials in Augusta have broadened their examination of water downtown after an Augusta Chronicle analysis found elevated levels of fecal coliform bacteria.

The sampling began Monday after the newspaper published a report Sunday revealing the results of water sample testing from 50 locations in Richmond, Columbia and Aiken counties.

Fecal coliform bacteria indicates that pathogens may be present and could pose a risk to human health.

Garrett Weiss, manager of the Augusta Engineering Department’s Stormwater and Environmental Section, says his department has been aware of some of the problems and is moving to correct them.

He said old, hidden sewer lines that aren’t properly hooked up to sanitary sewer systems may be to blame for the high levels. ( source )

I you or someone you know has reason to suspect contamination of their water supply with coliform bacteria or any other potentially harmful chemical element, compound, or organism, seek the assistance of a certified water testing laboratory in your area. If no labs exist in your immediate area, or they have extremely high testing rates, contact your local health department or take a look at the water testing services offered by companies like National Testing Laboratories.

Tags: Water Testing, water testing blog

We have all heard the stories about people having date rape drugs slipped into their drinks while out at bars and nightclubs, but how many have heard of THIS? A male co-worker put his own…. ‘seed’…. into a female co-worker’s water bottle. Twice.

Just… Wow. What a flippin’ disgusting individual!

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) — A 31-year-old Fullerton man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly ejaculating twice into a co-worker’s water bottle.

Authorities said Michael Kevin Lallana was linked through DNA to the crimes.

Lallana allegedly entered the victim’s office and deposited his ejaculation into a water bottle that was on her desk in January. Police said the unsuspecting victim later drank the water, which made her feel sick, so she threw it away.

In April, investigators said Lallana did the same thing, but this time, the victim saved the water bottle and sent it to a private lab for testing. She then reported the results to the Orange Police Department.

Lallana is charged with two misdemeanor counts each of releasing an offensive material in a public place and assault, with sentencing allegations for committing a crime for sexual gratification.

If convicted, Lallana faces a maximum of three years in jail with mandatory sex offender registration. He is free on $500 bond and will be arraigned next month. ( source )

If this little bit of news does not make you want to take proper precautions to guard your water, whether in the bottle you leave on your desk at the office or as the drinking water that comes up from the aquifer and into your home, then perhaps nothing will.

Do you have control over the quality of the water in the aquifer supplying your well? Most likely not, but you always have the chance and opportunity to test the quality of water for unwanted contaminants. Periodic use of a well water test kit helps to ensure that no changes in the quality of your well water have taken place.

What sort of well water testing should well owners consider? At the very least we suggest they test for naturally occurring contaminants such as bacteria, nitrates/nitrates, heavy metals like mercury and lead, arsenic, etc.

Huh? Test for arsenic? Why? Is someone trying to poison us? Most likely not, but we have good reasons to suggest well owners test their water for arsenic. If you want to know why arsenic testing for well owners makes sense, take a look at Arsenic-Test-Kit.Com and ArsenicQuick.Com.

Getting back to the topic of well water testing, the United States Environmental Protection Agency as well as public health officials on State and Local levels urge private well owners to have their well water tested by a certified water testing laboratory annually. Qualified water testing labs like National Testing Laboratories typically provide reliable test results in under two weeks.

Oh, and before we forget, you paranoid folks out there may want to invest in a Cyanide in Water Test Kit… ‘cuz you never know. Maybe your neighbors really ARE out to get you!

Tags: Water Testing, water testing blog

While the average person does not have a need to for chlorine levels much above 3 to 5 parts per million, and even then they would typically only need to do so to make sure their swimming pools had a sufficient amount of free chlorine, but other folks have the need to test for free chlorine levels in excess of 25 or 50 parts per million on a regular basis. Below we will list a few of the places where you might expect to see a need for high range free chlorine testing.

Fruit & Vegetable Processing

After fresh produce leaves the fields it travels to a processing facility where it typically gets washed with a solution containing some sort of sanitizer such as chlorine, ozone, etc. In cases where the produce processing plant uses chlorine employees must make sure the rinse water contains a certain amount of free chlorine after it has passed over the fruit/vegetables.

Levels of free chlorine drop with an increase in biological load (contamination) and the rinse water having free chlorine left after use indicates that the produce no longer contains biological contamination on its surfaces.

Childcare Facilities

State laws require that childcare facilities clean their surfaces with properly mixed sanitizing and disinfecting solutions that contain an appropriate concentration of sanitizing or disinfecting chemicals. In many cases these facilities use chlorine bleach solutions for cleaning purposes.

As a general rule these solutions must contain anywhere from 50 to 200 parts per million free chlorine for sanitizing solutions and anywhere from 500 to 800 parts per million free chlorine for disinfecting solutions. In case like this the Waterworks High Range Free Chlorine Test Strips will not work because they have an upper detection limit of only 120 parts per million free chlorine, but WaterWorks Free Chlorine Check Ultra High II has an upper detection limit of 2,000 parts per million free chlorine and works well in this application.

Some states leave it up to individual childcare facilities to determine testing frequency of sanitizing and disinfecting solutions while other states, like North Carolina for example, have strict laws dictating how often childcare facilities must perform testing.

As of January 1, 2006, all licensed, non-in-home daycare centers in the State of North Carolina had to have the ability to test the chlorine bleach content in both their sanitizing and their disinfecting solutions. Previously the law stated that they had to test only the chlorine concentration in their sanitizing solutions. ( source )

If interested in purchasing a test kit for testing sanitizing & disinfecting solutions in a childcare facility, you can find them readily available on the Filters Fast web site.

Water Lines and Water Mains

Before a water line can go into service for the first time or go back into service after a breakage or leak has gotten repaired technicians must flush (burn) the lines with water containing a high concentration of free chlorine to clean out any and biological contaminants. Typically the technicians must test the discharge water periodically until the free chlorine level remains constant at a high level for a set amount of time.

Waterworks High Range Free Chlorine Test Strips work very well for this application.

Product-specific information about Waterworks High Range Free Chlorine Test Strips:

• Testing requires just 32 seconds
• Each bottle contains 50 ready-to-use tests
• Color chart has easily distinguished color blocks at 1, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 120 ppm
• No harmful chemicals or reagents to handle

Tags: Water Testing, water testing blog

People living in the city of Camden, OH spoke up when their city drinking water, which came from a village-owned well, developed an unpleasant salty taste. As a result, the Ohio EPA got involved and in July they informed village officials that they would have to remedy the taste problem via filtration or find a new well.

We commend the Ohio EPA for speaking up on behalf of the residents and taking action to make sure their drinking water no longer contained bad tasting chlorides.

CAMDEN, Ohio (WDTN) – Ohio EPA has issued a preliminary site approval for Camden to investigate as a possible alternate well field. The approval is the first step in the process of replacing the village’s present sodium-contaminated well field.

The village has been supplying fresh drinking water to residents who do not like the taste of Camden’s water since salt entered the drinking water system in late July. Ohio EPA officials notified village officials that Camden must find a permanent solution.

The proposed well field is north of the salt pile that is presumed to be the source of the current contamination. Indications are that the area will not be affected by the salt; however, test wells must produce adequate water quantity and be free of bacteria or other contaminants. ( source )

Can the average person test for chlorides in their own drinking water?

Of course they can! WaterWorks manufactures an easy-to-use dip and read test strip that detects chloride levels in drinking water as low as 0 ppm and as high as 500 ppm with distinct color blocks at 0, 50, 100, 250, 500 ppm (mg/L).

Most people do not have to worry about chlorides in their drinking water, but if you do, a test kit like WaterWorks Chloride Check will make testing a simple, quick task.

OK, so the the village has to find a new source of drinking water and pretty much anyone can test for chloride in their drinking water in a matter of seconds… but well water can contain quite a few other contaminants, so what about those? Can the average person test for those, as well?

WaterSafe test kits and SenSafe test kits make drinking water testing easy and affordable for everyone. Average homeowners can make excellent use of drinking water test kits such as the WaterSafe Well Water Test Kit and/or the SenSafe Water Quality Test Kit while water quality service professionals can make excellent use of drinking water test kits such as eXact Micro 7+ Water Testing Meter and/or the Well Driller Master Test Kit

Keep in mind, though, that do-it-yourself test kits for testing water quality work well as screening tools but should not get used as the ‘final ‘word’ regarding the potability of a water supply. In situations where you have reason to suspect contamination of your drinking water source, always defer to the expertise of a certified drinking water laboratory such as National Testing Labs.

Tags: Water Testing, water testing blog