Many people ask: How can I improve the water quality in my home? Well, the first thing that you need to know is how to go about inspecting home water quality. Of course, you might not be able to do laboratory testing because it requires the right kits. However, in the later sections of this post, you will see a couple of methods you can use to test water quality at home.
Public water quality must meet the primary and the secondary standards. The primary standard is for the pollutants, and the secondary standard is for the taste, corrosivity, and color among others. The public utility must treat the water before releasing it for human consumption.
Not all water comes from a public utility. If you are using well water at home, the owner of the well should ensure that it meets the required quality. However, you cannot be sure that the water is up to standard. That is why you need to know important things about home water quality.
Easy way to inspect your water
Inspecting water at home need not feel like rocket science. Since water is a consumable item, you can start with the simplest things such as checking the color and taste. If the water is not clear, it is too foamy, tastes weird, it means there is something wrong with it.
You can also inspect your laundry after it is dry. If there are stains, water is the likely culprit. Check whether there are stains on the bathtub, toilet, tiles, and other fixtures. If you notice brown or reddish stains, the water quality is questionable.
When drinking the water, look out for strange tastes and odors. Clean water should be tasteless and odorless. Metallic, rotten egg, septic, gasoline, or soapy smells and tastes mean the water is not clean.
It is best to get the well water tested at least once a year
If you do not have access to utility water, you are responsible for the cleanliness and quality of the well water that you are using. Experts recommend that you get the water tested in a laboratory at least once a year.
Collect a little amount of water and send it to a laboratory that is accredited by DEP – Department of Environmental Protection. The testing laboratory will charge you a fee, but they will send you a comprehensive report regarding your water quality.
You can test your water at home
If you do not want to send your water sample to a laboratory, you can test your water at home. To do that, you will have to choose a testing method. Powder kits and test strips are the most common home testing methods.
Since each kit comes with instructions for use, it should not be too difficult to use. The things to consider regarding your water quality include bacteria, color, taste, and heavy metals. Water test strips can test water for metals and other pollutants while the powder kit can test for bacteria.
Once you know what is ailing your water, you can then decide on the type of water filtration system to buy to purify your water.