Water Testing

Water Quality - We know that man-made chemicals, the majority of which were introduced into society after World War II, have been poisoning our surface drinking water supplies for years. Over the decades they have filtered down and contaminated our vital underground drinking sources as well.
Some experts believe the toxins in our drinking water are the number one health threat causing cancer, heart disease and lead poisoning. Such chronic illnesses are brought on by the body's absorption. Water contaminants not only affect our health, but they can also corrode fixtures, stain and deteriorate clothing and household surfaces, alter the taste of food and drinking water, and slowly turn hair orange.

Chlorinating water is necessary for disinfecting; however, over-chlorination produces by-products known as trihalomethanes. One trihalomethanes, chloroform, is a known carcinogen. Nitrate or nitrite is a chemical that seeps our drinking water from fertilizer, sewage, feed lots and other geological elements. Nitrate over 10 ppm reduces the amount of oxygen available to the fetus in pregnant women causing "Blue Baby Syndrome" (methemoglobulinemia). It is also considered an immediate threat to children 6 months to 1 year old, and is a major health threat to adults. Iron is a mineral found in the ground that leaches into drinking water. Although a certain amount of iron is essential to good health, iron levels above .3 ppm cause water to taste bitter, stain and discolor our laundry, fixtures and hair. It is listed under the secondary standards for water. Water hardness is a measure of calcium and magnesium in water, neither of which are potential health risks in and of themselves. But hard water above 125 ppm tends to form scales inside pipes that, over time, can actually help to form a barrier from a dangerous lead contaminating drinking water from surrounding lead pipes. However, too much hard water buildup can clog pipes and heaters making cleaning operations much more difficult. Low water hardness of less than 54 ppm can be corrosive to plumbing and should only be considered a problem if you have lead soldered pipes. Measurements below 7 indicate that the water is corrosive to plumbing, resulting in lead leaching into your tap water. A desirable reading is between 7 and 7.5.

Pesticide ingestion and inhalation can damage internal organs, cause cancer, and eventually death. The World Health Organization estimates that one-half of the ground and well water in the U.S. is contaminated with pesticides, resulting in 20,000 deaths per year. Altrazine and simazine are two of the most commonly used pesticides found in ground water supplies in the United States.

Bacterial contamination causes severe digestive problems, fever, nausea, diarrhea and sometimes even death. According to the EPA, total coli form and E. coli bacteria testing is recommended twice a year. A simple do-it-yourself test identifies dangerous bacteria in 48 hours. Optional lab analysis is available, which indicates the exact count and type of bacteria present.

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