Water Testing
Why Test Your Water?
Drinking contaminated tap water can pose serious health risks to you and your family. Testing the quality of your tap water is the only way to determine if it is safe to drink or not.
Some indications of contaminated drinking water include recurring gastrointestinal illness, objectionable taste and smell, and cloudy or colored water. However, many water contaminants are tasteless, odorless, and invisible, and have a delayed health effect, which may give a false sense that drinking the water is safe.
While testing your water is important for all households, those with a private well are at an elevated risk. Private wells are not monitored or tested by state or local health departments. It is up to the well owner to discover any contamination and take steps to correct it. Those who have a baby or are pregnant or nursing are also at an elevated risk. More about that below.
What Should Water Be Tested For?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Minnesota recommend testing your water annually for Coliform Bacteria, Nitrate and Nitrite, and testing periodically for Lead and Arsenic. I recommend reading the EPA’s water fact sheet found here.
INFOTEC Home Inspection offers testing for all of these dangerous contaminants and much more. Our water testing is compatible with FHA and VA loan requirements. We have testing packages available for the most common contaminants and we can add on any other contaminants you wish to include. Rush service is also available for testing on short notice when results are needed quickly.
Babies And Well Water
Before a baby’s arrival, an accurate water test can help ensure that your new family member will have the very best start in life. Even if the adults in the house have no signs of illness from drinking the water, babies can be more severely affected by water quality problems. That’s because they more easily pick up illnesses or infections from poor-quality well water than adults. Also, pound for pound, children drink more than twice as much water as adults so they are, in effect, going to consume a higher concentration of any contaminants in the water.
How Does Water Testing Work?
Once we’re on-site, we will collect samples from the water supply. The samples are then sent to a laboratory for analysis. The laboratory will complete the analysis and send the report back to us, usually within a few days. We will then forward the report to you and provide a consultation if you have questions.
