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What Should I Test My Water For?

  • 2 days ago
  • 3 min read

Summary

  • Water testing is important for health and aesthetic concerns

  • Certain areas of Minnesota have higher concentrations of specific contaminants

  • If you’re on well water, it’s recommended to test for total coliform bacteria, lead, arsenic, and nitrate

  • Young children are more sensitive to primary contaminants (such as lead, nitrate, manganese) in drinking water

  • Homes built before 1986 are recommended to test for lead

  • Take our quiz to see what primary contaminants you should be testing for when selling your house 



Why Should I Test my Water?

Whether or not you should test your water depends on a few things. Your water quality can impact your health; certain contaminants like lead, arsenic, nitrate, and bacteria, have adverse health effects. Other contaminants may not affect your health, but can affect water’s taste, smell, or appearance (aesthetic issues). If you're concerned about either health or aesthetic quality, testing your water may be the next step.



What Tests Should I Run?

Water is not the same in every region, county, or home. What is in your water depends on your home’s age, geographic location, and health of the residents. To determine what tests are right for you, consider the following questions:


Are You on Well or City Water?

Most cities regularly test and treat for total coliform bacteria, nitrate, and arsenic. If you are on city water, the main contaminants are lead, copper, and iron. These metals can enter your water through pipes that are installed further down the water lines, which is not detected by city testing. You can contact your city for specific questions regarding your water.


All cities publish a consumer water report that goes into detail about each parameter they tested for and the results. 


For private wells, it is up to the well owner to ensure the water is safe for consumption. It is recommended by MDH for private wells to be tested for nitrate and total coliform yearly, and then lead, arsenic, and manganese at least once.


Where Do You Live?

Some areas of Minnesota are high in certain contaminants. For example, most areas with nitrate levels above 10 mg/L are in Central and Southwestern Minnesota due to agricultural practices. Western Minnesota and the Western Twin Cities tend to have higher arsenic levels. The maximum contaminant level (MCL) for both substances is 10 mg/L. If your contaminant level exceeds the MCL, remediation is required 



These are areas in MN that have high arsenic and nitrate levels. The maximum contaminant level recommended by MDH for both contaminants is 10 mg/L. Maps sourced from Minnesota Department of Health at https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/wells/waterquality/nitrate.html and https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/wells/waterquality/arsenic.html

 


Do You Have Small Children At Home?

Young children are especially vulnerable to contaminants like lead, nitrates/nitrites, and manganese due to their developing bodies and weaker immune systems. To protect your children, it’s important to test your water if you have young children at home.


Lead is a neurotoxin; in small children it can delay and impact their development. Exposure to nitrate can affect how the blood carries oxygen. This can cause ‘blue baby syndrome’, which occurs when there is not enough oxygen in the bloodstream. This can cause blue skin, increased heart rate, trouble breathing, loss of consciousness, and seizures. In extreme cases, blue baby syndrome can be fatal.


How Old is Your Home?

The age of your home plays a critical role in whether you should test for lead. Lead enters your home mainly through your pipes. That’s because lead can leach into your drinking water from plumbing components—especially if your home has older pipes or solder.


In 1986, the EPA prohibited the use of pipes containing  lead components. If your pipes were installed before 1986, it’s recommended to test your water for lead, even if you’re on city water.



Are you selling your home? 

Most lenders and buyers want to ensure that the well water is potable. To find out which tests you’ll most likely need for your property sale please visit www.twincitywaterclinic.com/homesalewaterquestionaire



Who Should I Contact For Help?

There are multiple labs accredited by MDH that are able to test your water for contaminants. Not all labs test for the same substances, so it’s important to check the parameters of your lab of interest. To check what labs are accredited, you can use the MDH database:





References


 
 
 

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