Tap Water Facts – Simple Steps You Should Follow to Find Out What's in Your Water

When you are considering improving the quality of water that reaches your house it is essential to get your tap water facts. These facts are pertinent to your geographic location and the type of system that serves your home. Below, I will highlight some simple steps you should take, depending on your particular situation. Public utility in a city or small town 1. Request a copy of your utility's annual quality report. Based on a federal law passed back in 1999, public utilities are obliged to offer this for free to the public on an annual basis. In this report, you will find the yearlong average values for any pollutants, plus the highest levels of pollutants detected at any given time during the year. Please note that city tap water is normally of a higher quality than in a small town or a private system. This is because city water is provided by a utility company with a customer base large enough that it can afford sophisticated treatment plants. 2. Your next step is to find out, from your utility, where your water comes from. Is it mostly or all from ground or surface? If it is from groundwater, then look out for high levels of radon (a natural occurring gas that is the by-product of the decay of radioactive minerals) and toxic metals. If, on the other hand, the source is from the surface (lakes, rivers, reservoirs and pond), watch out for microorganisms, nitrates and organic chemicals. [ad#Post Body] 3. Ask your utility whether they add polyelectrolyte flocculants. This type of additive makes filtration more effective, but the additives themselves frequently contain trace amounts of cancer-causing chemicals. 4. When you get all your tap water facts together, compile its profile. This will help you make a better decision about the purification technology you intend to install. Private system (well or spring) In the case that your supply from a private well or spring, then it is more difficult to have all the tap water facts, as there are no standards stipulated. So, you should try to test it yourself, though a testing laboratory. A word of caution, however: Before you order tests from any lab, contact your state certification officer to see if it is state-certified for the tests that you need. As for the tests required, it is recommended to get a comprehensive test for pollutants, at least once every other year. If any pollutants are shown to be above government limits, make a note of which ones to complete your tap water facts profile. Regardless of your particular situation and no matter how diligent you are in gathering all your tap water facts, you should know that there is no way that you can find out 100% what's included in it. Just consider that, even if you absolutely know what's included in the treated water that is leaving your utility, whether public or private, there are a lot of other pollutants that might be introduced in your supply through your delivery system (piping, plumbing etc).