How long has it been since you took advantage of our public water system testing service in Haymarket, VA? If you’re like many people, that question may surprise you. After all, most people are of the opinion that since they’re on city water, there’s no real reason to test.
Unfortunately, things aren’t quite that simple. While it’s certainly true that municipal water suppliers are mandated with providing water that’s safe to drink, they sometimes don’t succeed in that goal. Remember the folks in Flint, Michigan? Their water was supposed to be safe to drink too!
Not to say that the water in your town is dangerous or that your city is failing you. It’s probably fine, or at least safe to drink but is that something you want to leave to chance? Do you just want to guess that it’s true or do you want to know that it’s true?
Then there’s this: Even if your water is safe to drink, you may be less than thrilled with its quality. As you know, water quality varies from one place to the next. If your water has a funny taste or a bad smell, or if it sometimes stains your clothing when you do a load of laundry, those are all signs that the water coming out of your tap has aesthetic issues.
Those kinds of things can be corrected but before you know what to tweak or change, you have to understand what’s causing the problem to begin with. That’s another thing that our public water system testing in Haymarket, VA can tell you.
Let’s take a closer look at exactly what kinds of tests we offer and how they can help shed light on what’s in your water:
Water Quality Related Tests
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.
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.
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.
Health-Related Tests
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, which makes it one of the most essential public water system testing services we provide in Haymarket, VA.
Lead – This is the exact problem with Flint, Michigan’s water supply. 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.
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.
If you’re not sure which tests you need, the best way to proceed is to give our office a call and speak with one of our knowledgeable technicians. After speaking with you about your water, our techs will be able to guide you toward the tests that will provide the insights into your water supply that you’re looking for.
Our recommendation is this: call us today to take advantage of our public water system testing service in Haymarket, VA. This will establish a baseline for the water you rely on. Then, have your water retested every twelve months so you can chart the changes over time. Naturally, if you notice any marked change in the taste or quality of your water, call us right away and order some additional testing to find out what’s going on.
There’s tremendous peace of mind in knowing exactly what’s in the water you drink. Call us today.