Home based testing of water quality
The quality of the water we drink and use daily impacts our health. Whether you’re concerned about contaminants or chemicals in your well water or the overall pH of your city water, at-home water testing kits give accurate results.
IDENTIFY WHICH WATER SOURCES TO TEST
The kind of testing kit you want depends on the water source you’re testing. If you’re interested in testing your city’s drinking water, a basic kit that covers common contaminants like lead and chlorine will get the job done. If you have well water, you’ll need a water quality testing kit that’s more comprehensive and includes screening for pesticides.
CHOOSE A WATER QUALITY TESTING METHOD
Most water quality test kits are intended for one-time use. You should also consider whether you plan to follow up an initial home test with testing that uses a professional lab. Because most test strips give a range of results rather than a specific number, the increased accuracy of colour disk kits might be worth the cost.
WATER QUALITY TEST STRIPS
Test strips like those in the Health Metric kit are the most common method of testing water quality because they’re affordable and easy to use. Although instructions may vary slightly from kit to kit, here's what typically happens:
- 1. Fill a test container with a water sample, dip a test strip in, swirl the container, and wait a few minutes with the test strip resting in the water sample.
- 2. Take the strip out of the water and compare the colour changes on the test strip to a colour chart included in the kit.
Test strips can indicate the type of contaminant and its ppm (parts per million, a.k.a. its level of concentration in your water). Test strips aren't as precise as other methods, but they give a range that can pinpoint concerns.
POWDER KITS FOR BACTERIA TESTING
Instead of strips, these water testing kits have you add a few drops of water to a container with powder, shake it, and then compare colours with the container until you find a match.These kits are reported to have better accuracy than test strips for certain types of contaminants such as bacteria.
DECIDE WHICH CONTAMINANTS TO TEST FOR
What your kit tests for is a critical measure of how useful the results will be to you. Different water sources are more likely to have certain kinds of contaminants. For instance, well water is frequently used in rural areas where runoff from nearby fields could affect levels of pesticides or fertilizer toxins in the drinking water.Look for kits that, at a bare minimum, provide information about the following:
- 1. Bacteria
- 2. Lead
- 3. Nitrates
- 4. Nitrites
- 5. Chlorine etc.
ENSURE THE ACCURACY OF YOUR RESULTS
While testing strips are easy to use and read, getting accurate results is a little more than meets the eye. If you want to maximize the effectiveness of your water quality testing kit, follow these tips today:
Water quality testing tips:
- 1. Read the directions.
- 2. Don’t open testing strips until you’re ready.
- 3. Wash your hands first.
- 4. Keep a timer nearby.
- 5. Use cold water.
- 6. Pour carefully.
