People also utilize water for cooking, cleaning, and bathing. Most of them use tap water for all these purposes, and don’t use any water filters.
When it comes to toxins, the more you eat, the worse it gets, and you have no idea what’s in your food or water. Many people took for granted the purity and safety of their water.
You need to familiarize yourself with how to test your drinking water in order to protect your family.
3 Ways to Verify the Quality of Your Tap Water
1) Hire an Expert
Contact a water quality expert in your area for a tap water test. When they arrive, they will collect water samples and send them off to a lab where they will be tested for contaminants.
The EPA provides an easy-to-use, free database to help locate a certified water testing facility in your neighborhood. You can also look for an accredited lab by typing “test my water” into the Google search bar and entering your city or zip code. It will provide you with a list of testing facilities in the area and contact information for neighboring labs.
Consider hiring a “house inspector” to conduct environmental testing in addition to their standard examinations if you haven’t had any luck. Search terms like “water tester” and “water professional” isn’t likely to get many results. But a home inspector may often provide free consultation and valuable plans if you’re having problems getting started.
2) Invest in Self-Testing Kits
Get yourself a DIY water testing kit to save money while completely controlling the procedure. It’s common for people to utilize water testing kits to see if their tap water is tainted before they spend money on professional testing. You can also get some rapid reassurance by using testing kits that you can use at home if you aren’t sure what’s wrong. It is common to find these tests on Amazon or at large hardware stores.
To test your tap water with one of these kits, you must dip a strip of test paper into it. To help you interpret your results, the testing kit includes a handbook.
Even though they are pretty convenient, at-home tests have a few limitations. To begin, you’ll need to conduct your investigation to determine which tests to submit for consideration. Are you, for example, checking for the presence of lead, arsenic, farming chemicals, and so on? You won’t be able to find a one-size-fits-all test, so you’ll need to figure out what’s causing the issue.
As a result, you’ll likely need to purchase many kits to cover all of your bases. You’ll need one for lead, one for farming chemicals, etc., to ensure you know what you’re dealing with. The kit may inform you that heavy metal has been detected in your water but won’t tell you which or how to remove it. Professional testing would provide you with that knowledge.
3) Test Your Kits in a Professional Setting
A hybrid option is the last alternative. An at-home testing kit and certified lab findings are combined in one product. This option requires you to take a small sample of water home and send it to a laboratory for analysis. Several options exist for accomplishing this.
- Through a free program for municipal water testing
- Through a private laboratory at your own expense
First, research to see if your city or water company offers free in-home water quality testing. Doing so means they’ll furnish the collection kit and pay for the laboratory tests.
An at-home kit with professional testing is required if your town does not provide this service. You’ll get water vials and mail-in equipment from them. Next, you’ll collect vials of your tap water and mail them back to the lab using the supplies provided.
Drinking Water Safety Tips
1) Ask a Doctor or Nurse
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a reputable brand recommendation for bottled water. Try to get them to name a few popular bottled glasses of water if they can’t. It’s important to know what level of chlorine is safe for drinking, how much iron is present, how much water has been filtered, and what type of UV stabilizer was used.
2) Use a Water Filter of the Highest Quality
Before you do anything else, obtain a water filter system to deal with any possible water issues. It’s also essential to ensure you’re using the proper filter for the problem. For example, chlorination isn’t necessary if you have a well or a river to provide safe water. As with any other water supply, you’ll need to figure out how to get your water.
To pick the most excellent water filter for your needs, you need also think about the water filters you want. Reverse osmosis systems, for example, are effective at removing pollutants, but they are prohibitively expensive. Furthermore, they fear they may eliminate beneficial minerals in the process. Ideally, a filter should be able to remove both pollutants and harmful minerals from your drinking water. In addition, several water filters on the market are now capable of this task.
Choose a Water Filter by Following These Guidelines:
Identifying the sort of water you have is a prerequisite to purchasing any water filter. Installing a water filter in the right place is essential if you have a water system or a whole house. Keep an eye on the filter’s capacity to verify that you’re getting only purified water into your system.
Verify that the water filters you’re using also meet the manufacturer’s specifications. Thus, your product will perform to its full potential while also preventing the passage of any harmful contaminants.
When considering an in-home system, check if the manufacturer ensures it is safe. Your water supply should be safe to drink if the filter system you’re employing isn’t capable of guaranteeing that safety. Your family’s safety is vital to you, and you may have that peace of mind with the filters they offer.
How Often Should You Check the Water in Your Home to Ensure it’s Safe to Drink?
Your water should be tested every year, or anytime you observe a change in the quality. If you notice weird scents and tastes, or if the color of your tap water changes, you should have it tested. To ensure the quality of your household’s water when someone is pregnant or nursing, try it, even if you have an already-installed home water filter for contaminants.