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How Do I Test My Water for Drinkability?

When it comes to your health, no one contributing factor makes more of a difference than proper hydration. With that in mind, you may want to make sure that your drinking water is safe for consumption for you, your family, and your pets. Testing water -- whether it be from a municipality or a private well -- is not hard to do and can give you the reassurance about your water's quality or alert you to potential dangers. Test your water for both bacterial contamination and potentially harmful solvents.

Things You'll Need

  • Water bottles
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Instructions

  1. Well water

    • 1

      Contact a water well system contractor in your area and ask if they offer water testing for well water or your municipal tap water. Well water contractors are responsible for setting up and designing clean wells, so they will have the necessary equipment to check either well water or tap water.

    • 2

      Gather samples from your water and label them with the information of where they were retrieved and when. If you're having problems with sulfur in your water, ask the water contractor for information about testing your water throughout the year.

    • 3

      Submit your samples to the well water contractor. They should be able to get the samples back to you readily.

    Testing Municipal Water

    • 4

      Examine your water. If you suspect lead, radon, have scaly residue on your faucets, or have recurrent gastro-intestinal illnesses, then you need to test your water. Use the When To Test Your Water checklist at the EPA's Safe Drinking Water website listed in the Resource section for the warning signs of contaminated water.

    • 5

      Call the county extension service for your area if your water has any of the troubling criteria on the EPA list. Do not bottle your water in advance, the extension service will do it for you.

    • 6

      Call an EPA recommended state laboratory if you are ineligible for testing by the county or your local city. You will need to bottle the water in a kit that is sent to you from the laboratory to assure that the lab receives a sample that is not contaminated by bacteria that exists on used drinking bottles. Call 1-800-426-4791 for further information.

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