Drinking Water Testing
Table of Contents
Why Water Quality Testing Important
The safety of you and your family’s drinking water should never be compromised. Our specialized water quality testing services screen for a wide array of hazardous substances, such as lead, pesticides, chlorine, bacteria, and nitrates. Utilizing state-of-the-art testing techniques and collaborating with accredited labs, we deliver precise assessments of your water’s safety.
The Importance of professional Water Quality Assessments
Contaminants can infiltrate your drinking water through various means, including industrial pollution, agricultural runoff, and natural elements like arsenic. While public water treatment facilities strive to purify water, they can’t eliminate all impurities. Factors like aging plumbing systems can introduce lead and copper into your water. Inadequate well maintenance and septic issues can also result in bacterial contamination.
Not knowing what harmful substances may be present in your daily drinking water poses a significant health risk. Our team employs a stringent, science-backed testing protocol to give you full confidence in your water’s safety.
What We Look For In Your Water
Lead is by far the most common contaminant we test for in drinking water.
Lead: A prevalent contaminant, lead poses severe health risks, particularly to children. Homes constructed before 1986 are at higher risk due to the historical use of lead pipes and solder.
Pesticides: Agricultural runoff and industrial activities can introduce pesticides into water sources. We screen for a variety of common pesticides.
Chlorine: Used for disinfecting public water supplies, monitoring chlorine levels is essential as high concentrations can lead to harmful byproducts.
Coliform Bacteria: The presence of Coliforms and E. coli indicates potential sewage or animal waste contamination, which can lead to diseases like gastroenteritis and hepatitis A.
Nitrates: Often originating from agricultural fertilizers and industrial waste, elevated nitrate levels are linked to cancers and birth defects.
Radon: This naturally occurring radioactive gas can dissolve into well water, increasing cancer risks over time. This applies to well water only.
Fluoride: Excessive fluoride levels can lead to dental and skeletal issues. We test for overall fluoride concentration.
Seldom do we test for the chemicals that do not pose harm to humans, but if you have want those minerals tested we can include them. Pricing changes depending upon what you want tested.
Water Testing Process
Every project is unique. We begin each project by listening to our client’s concerns and discussing possible options. Testing – collecting water from drinking sources inside and outside – that are analyzed by an accredited lab. A conference with the client follows and together we strategize the most cost-effective way to determine the extent of the potential contamination and how to fix it.
Industry standard practice dictates that levels of contaminants be below any established PELs (permissible exposure limits) set by the EPA.
We use special sterilized bottles to collect each sample. These bottles are shipped FedEx to a licensed environmental laboratory for analysis.
If laboratory results yield elevated levels of any particular contaminant, then either installing some sort of filtration system or re-plumbing the property should be considered.
After remediation has been performed, American Air Testing can provide further testing to confirm that no further contamination exists.
Post Abatement Clearance
After the repairs are made, clearance testing is recommended. You can’t see or taste lead in water, so testing is the only way to confirm the lead presence is no longer a problem. This is an expensive process – best to confirm your professionals did a complete job. It’s very easy to miss one plumbing joint that has lead solder.