Your drinking water is perhaps one of the most vital elements of your home. Many of us simply use the tap water we have available without really checking into the source and determining whether or not it’s safe water.
Check out these 5 tips on checking your drinking water.
Table of Contents
Check with the Source
One of the easiest ways to check out your water supply details is to simply check with the source. Most likely you pay a water company of some sort for your water. There are a myriad of health benefits directly related to drinking water but it is also important to know the water you’re drinking doesn’t contain harmful elements.
Water companies are required to provide annual water quality reports that list contaminants and other data that you can review.
Water Testing
Another great resource is water testing. There are a ton of water testing kits out there that you can use at home. These kits test for things like lead, chlorine, and more, and then you can take action from there.
Once you know what your water has in it, you can take steps like this simple guide on how to remove lead from water that walks you through a lead removal process. There are other guides, as well as filtration options you can try out too.
Do Your Research
If you’ve gathered the data and know what is in the water you need to do your research on just what those contaminants are and what you can do about them. Some contaminants are less harmful than others so understanding just what you’re looking at really can make a difference in the end.
These water companies do have to meet specific guidelines so the contaminants are going to be within allowable ranges but you should still know just what it is you are ingesting.
National Drinking Water Database
Perhaps you didn’t pay attention to that annual report from your water company and now you don’t want to wait for the next one to be released. An easy way to find a collection of all of the reports is to use the Environmental Working Group’s National Database.
This user-friendly database maintains a database of all of the reports and you can search by your zip code, the city name, or even the name of the water company to find yours.
This database is also useful in determining what contaminants are regulated and what isn’t.
Drinking-Water Watch Program
The EPA offers a watch program for drinking water. At this time, it’s a bit limited as not all states participate in the program. However, for the states that do participate, you can easily get on the site for the program and search the database.
You will find water quality information here but this site goes one step further to also talk about actions and enforcement for improving water quality. It gives you the details, the efforts, and sometimes a plan.
Conclusion
While there is only so much we can do about our drinking water, there are options. At the very least, you should familiarize yourself with what is in your drinking water and then you can take small steps to improve it in your home.
Review 5 Ways To Check Your Drinking Water.