While DIY test kits might not provide all the answers you're looking for, they can be a starting point. After all, they're fast and convenient, which makes them one potentially worthwhile way to get started on your water quality journey. However, like most things in life, these DIY test kits aren't perfect.
Most do-it-yourself or at-home test kits are neither very accurate nor comprehensive. Too many of these products exaggerate what they're able to provide for you.
Laboratory Testing: Though the most expensive option, the most accurate and thorough way to test your water is to obtain a kit from an EPA- or state-certified laboratory. Some can test for more than 200 different types of contaminants.
With some basic training and equipment, home inspectors can offer water quality testing as an ancillary service or as part of their standard home inspection. In many areas, mortgage lenders require water quality testing for properties with private wells.
How accurate are lead test kits? Not all DIY lead tests are created equal. To get the most accurate results possible, you'll want to choose an EPA-recognized test. To receive this designation, a test must produce an accurate result 95 percent of the time when performed correctly.
Lead in drinking water remains a significant human health risk. At-home lead in water test kits could provide consumers with a convenient and affordable option to evaluate this risk, but their accuracy and reliability is uncertain.
Signs of Lead in Your Home
Here are some signs to look out for: Peeling or chipping paint. Old home built prior to 1978 (before lead-based paint was banned in the U.S.) A metallic taste in your mouth.
To test the purity of water at home, buy a home testing kit and dip each testing strip into a glass of tap water. Use the chart that came with the kit to determine your water quality. If you don't have a kit, smell, taste, and inspect the water.
According to Doityourself.com, the most obvious place for signs of water damage is on your walls and ceilings. If the paint is cracking or there are visible stains, the inspector will note that there has been a leak. If left unchecked, mold can grow, causing dangerous health issues.
Contaminants like chemicals, lead, heavy metals, and bacteria can find their way into the water supply. By testing water quality in your home, plumbing professionals play a pivotal role in safeguarding your family's well-being as well as helping with the longevity of the plumbing systems in your home.
Often county health departments will help you test for bacteria or nitrates. If not, you can have your water tested by a state certified laboratory. You can find one in your area by calling the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 or visiting www.epa.gov/safewater/labs.
Some counties offer free well water testing, so check with your county first. If they don't, use this EPA website to find a list of state-certified laboratories in your area that do water testing, or contact your county or state health department or your State Certification Officer for assistance.
First, be wary of the many do-it-yourself test kits sold online or in hardware stores, in which you test a sample of water in your own home without sending it to a lab. It's not always clear what they test for or how accurate they are. Instead, the EPA recommends using a certified lab.
The report provides information on local drinking water quality, including the levels of various contaminants found in the water. Water quality reports can be obtained by contacting the supplier directly, or through the U.S. EPA's website on Local Drinking Water Information.
Key points. Public tap water in the United States is regulated and usually safe to drink. However, sometimes tap water gets contaminated with chemicals that can make you sick. Contact your drinking water utility or health department if you think your tap water is contaminated with harmful chemicals.
For the most precise leak detection, plumbers use video pipe inspection equipment. These are small cameras mounted on long flexible fiber optic cables. Plumbers can insert these in faucets and other plumbing outlets to detect leaks.
Water testing is a straightforward test that your home inspector can provide. If the water sampling fails a water quality test, these issues should be addressed before home buyers sign on the dotted line.
This type of leak detection costs can range from $150 to $1200; the average is $400.00.
However, using water testing strips for chemical contaminants has major flaws: They do not test with enough accuracy. They do not test at low-enough levels.
Use a state-certified laboratory to test your water. Local or state health departments or environmental departments often test for nitrates, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, volatile organic compounds, and pH.
Answer: The older your home, the more likely it contains lead-based paint. For example, 87% of homes built before 1940 have some lead-based paint, while 24% of homes built between 1960 and 1978 have some lead-based paint.
Chelation therapy.
In this treatment, a medication given by mouth binds with the lead so that it's excreted in urine. Chelation therapy might be recommended for children with a blood level of 45 mcg/dL or greater and adults with high blood levels of lead or symptoms of lead poisoning.
Since you cannot see, taste, or smell lead dissolved in water, testing is the only sure way of telling whether there are harmful quantities of lead in your drinking water. A list of certified laboratories are available from your state or local drinking water authority. Testing costs between $20 and $100.