Could you benefit from private water testing in Haymarket, VA? The short answer to that question is yes! If you and your family get your water from a well or a spring on your property, there’s no government agency that comes around to check the quality of the water. Testing is the only way you have of knowing whether or not the water you rely on for drinking, cooking, bathing and washing your clothes is safe, and this is definitely a case of what you don’t know can hurt, or even kill you.
To be safe, we recommend taking advantage of our private water testing service in Haymarket, VA on an annual basis, first to give you a baseline and peace of mind, and then, to let you know what, if anything has changed in your water supply over the twelve months since your last test.
Broadly speaking, there are two questions people want answered when they consider testing. Those questions come down to how safe their water is and why it tastes funny or smells bad.
Where water safety is concerned, we offer three different tests. They are:
Lead – Remember when Flint, Michigan made headlines around the world for the problems they had with their water? In that case, lead was the culprit. In their case, the lead was introduced by automotive plants in the area, but many older homes in our area may have lead in their water leeching in from older pipes inside the home itself. This test will tell you exactly what the lead levels in your water are.
If you own an older home that was once a working farm, there may have been a large number of vehicles on the property that used lead-based gasoline. If so, some of the lead from the gas may have leached into the soil and worked its way into your water, so the root cause of the presence of the lead isn’t always immediately obvious.
Total Coliform Bacteria – Coliform bacteria is one of the most common causes of gastrointestinal illnesses. If you, or members of your family are experiencing chronic gastrointestinal issues, the water you’re drinking may be the culprit. This test will either confirm that or rule it out.
This should be considered the standard water safety test. Note that if the sample you send us fails this test, then we will automatically test further, for the presence of E-Coli bacteria.
And Nitrates – If you live in an area where there’s lots of agricultural activity, you could easily have a high concentration of nitrates in the water you are drinking. The results of this test will tell you if the level of nitrates in your water is a problem.
Private water testing in Haymarket, VA is also valuable if you’re interested in improving the quality of your water. If it smells bad, tastes funny, or leaves annoying stains on your teeth, clothes, sinks, tubs, and toilets, you can almost always do something to fix that but before you fix it you have to know what’s causing it in the first place. That’s what these tests are all about. Here’s a quick overview:
pH – Not only does a very high or very low pH level impact the taste of the water you’re drinking, high pH levels can corrode the pipes in your home, which can cause a variety of dangerous metals to leach into the water your family relies on. This is an incredibly important test!
Hardness – You’ve almost certainly heard at least some people talk about how ‘hard’ their water is. The reason it’s a problem is that it causes an unsightly scaly residue to build up in your shower, tub, and sinks and hard water prevents soaps from lathering up properly.
Iron – If your sinks, toilet and tub are stained with a reddish-brown discoloration, the likeliest culprit is a high concentration of iron in your water. This test will confirm that to be the root cause of the issue.
Manganese – Like iron, a high concentration of manganese in the water coming into your home will stain your sinks, toilets and tub, along with any clothing you wash.
Sulfates – Does your water smell like rotten eggs? Sulfates are the likely culprit. This test will confirm that, and tell you how big a problem you’ve got.
And Total Dissolved Solids – A small amount of minerals in your water can actually be a good thing, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and minerals in high concentration can dramatically alter the taste of the water you’re drinking, and usually not in a good way. This test will tell you what minerals are present, and in what concentrations.
Whatever your private water testing need are in Haymarket, VA, we’ve got you covered. The quality of the water you rely on is too important to take any chances with. If you even suspect that there’s a problem, you owe it to yourself to give our office a call.
If you’re not exactly sure which tests you need, after speaking with you about the particulars of your situation, one of our experienced technicians can offer guidance on that front. Once you’ve selected the tests you’re most interested in, we’ll send you the necessary collection supplies and instructions. Just collect the samples and bring them to one of our pickup locations and before you know it, you’ll have your test results back. Give us a call when you’re ready to get started.