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Real Estate Testing, Gross
Alpha, Radon, Organics
and Presticides, Lead,
Public Water Supplies, Follow
Up Testing, Testing After Chlorinating Well,
Summary Recommendations
General
The type of testing required for any water depends on the
use of the water. If the water is only to wash clothes and flush toilets, the demands on the quality of the water
will be considerably different than if it is to be used for drinking and cooking. Water that is suitable to drink
is called potable water. Many of our residential customers ask us to test their water for potability. This seems
like a simple request to most people. The difficulty comes in determining what is potable. There are two basic
concerns when one tests for potability. One is the safety of the water and the other is the aesthetics of the water.
The water may not present any health hazard, but, because of its odor and (or) appearance and (or) its taste, it
will not be considered potable.
The EPA has separated these criteria into two groups. The group for safe drinking water is called the "Primary Drinking
Water Regulations" and the aesthetic group is
called "Secondary
Drinking Water Regulations". Items on the secondary
list can cause the water to look bad, taste bad, smell bad and cause staining.
The State of Maine Health Lab recommends the initial test for a new private well include a safety check and a test
of fluoride, iron, manganese, pH, hardness, copper, chloride, and sodium. A safety check tests 3 parameters from
the group of primary standards. These parameters are coliform bacteria, nitrate nitrogen, nitrite nitrogen. All
the other parameters except fluoride are from the list of secondary drinking water standards. The choices are based
on immediate safety. Coliform bacteria, nitrates and nitrites are things that can cause acute health problems if
the water is ingested. It is important to understand that these recommendations are for the initial test of the
water. In no way does this imply that these are the only tests that need to be performed to the determine the safety
and or potability of the water.
Although these lists are helpful, they do not give clear cut answers. First, the lists are under constant review
and change. Secondly, there are things that are found in water that can make it undesirable to drink and are typically
not tested. An example of a parameter that is not usually tested is hydrogen sulfide. This is a gas that gives
the water an boiled egg odor and imparts a taste to the water. If the concentration is high enough it can cause
black staining. This gas is not typically tested for at the lab as it dissipates very quickly. The odor detected
in the house will not be detected in the lab.
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Calibrating an instument at A&L
Labs that will be used to
test arsenic.
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Who Does the Testing (top)
There are a number of local labs. Check the yellow pages
under water testing. Ask the lab what they are State of Maine certified to test. Many of the labs are only State
certified to test bacteria, nitrates and nitrites. In most cases, this certification is sufficient for mortgage
testing even if they are not certified for the secondary parameters they test for. Samples can be sent through
the mail but should reach the lab within 30hrs. Check to see about weekend processing at the lab if you must sample
on a Friday.
Mortgage and (or) Real Estate Tests (top)
You must determine if the testing is for a local lender or
if it is a VA or FHA loan. VA and FHA
Mortgages require more parameters be tested. Check with you lab to make sure you have the latest list and that
you specify the type (standard mortgage or VA/FHA) of testing that is to be done.
Gross Alpha (top)
The gross alpha test is used to determine if the water has
any dissolved radionuclides that emit alpha particles. Generally, this will be an indication of whether or not
the water has uranium or radium dissolved in it. This test does not indicate the presence of radon.
Radon Water (top)
The radon water test determines the concentration of the
radioactive gas called radon.
Organics and pesticides (if you are in a high risk area) (top)
Testing for organics or pesticides is usually only done if there is some suspicion of contamination. Close proximity
to a waste site, fuel tanks or farm may be enough to warrant this type of test.
These tests will only indicate what is presently in the water and in no way can they predict if there will ever
be a problem. In most cases, you should be prepared to retest or provide some kind of treatment that will protect
you in the future. For example, in the case of heavy metals, organics and pesticides, the concern will usually
be one of drinking the water. You may want to install a reverse osmosis system as an extra margin of safety.
Lead Testing (top)
Although there is much concern about lead in drinking water,
the techniques and philosophies for testing and control are less than perfect. In almost all cases, lead found
in drinking water is deposited there by the corrosion of lead in the distribution system. The source of the lead
is usually lead street connections, old soldered joints (solder used today does not contain lead) or brass fixtures.
The most common technique for controlling lead, other than removing the source, is corrosion control. In public
systems a water supplier will try to control the pH of the water to limit the amount of lead dissolved.
One recommendation to protect yourself against lead is to simply run the water for some period of time before drinking
the water. This will work because the lead dissolves relatively slowly. The problem with doing this is the uncertainty
of how long to run the water and to make sure children understand this.
Most people will suggest taking both first draw samples and samples after the water has run to determine the potential
for lead exposure. The problem, especially with public water supplies, is there are many other factors that affect
the concentration of lead in the water (rate of water usage, the amount of lead that is exposed in any given line,
etc...). If you are concerned about lead we recommend you install a point of use (POU) filter that will remove
lead. The device for removing the lead should be National Sanitary Foundation (NSF) approved for lead removal.
Testing Public Water Supplies (top)
We do not generally test public water supplies. Information
on what is in the water is readily available from the water supplier or the EPA confindence report web page.
The water is tested on a regular basis by state certified labs to determine if it is safe to drink. This does not,
however, mean there is no complaint or there is no problem with the supply. It may need one of the secondary (aesthetic
not health) standards of the supply treated, especially, if the supply is from a well. Other concerns such as those
about lead, taste, sediment, staining, cyst etc...; may motivate someone to have their water treated.
Follow-Up Tests (top)
Before installing equipment for use on a health related parameter,
perform a follow-up test to confirm the level of contamination.
Follow-up testing after the installation of equipment for health related parameters should always be done. Use
two tests. One of the tests will be of treated water and one will be raw or untreated water. Two tests are needed
to show if performance standards are met.
Testing After Chlorination of a Supply (top)
Water supplies that have recently been chlorinated pose some
special problems. If the water supply was chlorinated because bacteria was found in the water, a chlorine test
should be done before taking a bacteria sample. If there is any chlorine detected (free or total), do not take
the sample as the results will be meaningless. The purpose of testing is to determine if bacteria is being carried
into the well by the water source. If the water source supplying the well brings in bacteria, any chlorine left
in the well will kill it and give a false negative test.
Summary of Testing Recommendations (top)
Minimum Initial Testing (These tests should be followed up with the "Best Initial Testing"
within the year)
Standard Mortgage
Arsenic
Fluoride (if not included in the mortgage test)
Radon
Best Initial Testing
TE-1 - (Same as standard mortgage but includes arsenic, fluoride and inorganics)
Radon
Gross Alpha
Pesticides and VOC(s) (if suspect area for farming, buried tanks or land fill )
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