Should I Test My Drinking Water?

Posted by Water Test Kit Store (www.watertestkitstore.com) on March 02, 2018

We get asked all the time: "Should I test my tap water?"

For the sake of this article we will assume tap water refers to city or municipal water.

Naturally we think EVERYone should test their water every once in a while and since we know the next question will be, "WHY?", here are a few basic questions that a water professional might ask if determining whether or not to test a water supply:

Is someone in your household is pregnant or nursing? (Yes = Test the water)
Has there been an unexplained illnesses in the household recently? (Yes = Test the water)
Have any of your neighbors found a dangerous or unwanted contaminant in their water? (Yes = Test the water)
Did you notice a change in the taste, color, clarity and/or smell of your water recently? (Yes = Test the water)
Do you know of any recent chemical, sewage or or fuel spills in your area? (Yes = Test the water)
Have you had any work done on your plumbing in the house or leading to the house? (Yes = Test the water)
Does your home have older copper plumbing that may have lead bearing solder in its joints? (Yes = Test the water)
Have you noticed discoloration on plumbing fixtures? (Yes = Test the water)
Do your do your soaps, detergents and shampoos lather up as quickly and easily as in the past? (No = Test the water)
Has crusty material formed on sink fixtures? (Yes = Test the water)

What kind of testing makes the most sense?

Honestly, it depends on what sort of contamination you suspect may have infiltrated your water supply.

Home water test kits (like SenSafe Water Quality Test Kit & COMPLETE Water Test Kit) have the ability to detect basic water quality parameters and give a general idea of water quality BUT they do not detect things like man-made chemicals. To detect things like VOC's, THM's and other disinfection byproducts, fuel components, etc. you will need the services of a water quality testing laboratory such as National Testing Laboratories that offers various levels of testing ranging from just beyond what a home water test kit can do all the way through to a thorough water analysis for literally hundreds of potential water contaminants.