Water covers about 70 percent of the earth, and humans are made up of up to 60 percent of water. In fact, doctors recommend that you drink at least 64 ounces of water per day to maintain a healthy body. That’s why knowing what’s in your water is so important. One way consumers are ensuring their drinking water is healthy — and tastes good — is by installing home water filtration systems.
If you’re considering this route too, make sure to plan for testing your water first so that you will know what system is best for you. If you access your water through a municipal source, you can request a water quality report from your water utility company. If your home uses a well, you will need to do an independent water test. Even if you use municipal water, you may still want an independent test — especially if someone in you home is pregnant or nursing — or if you have any unexplained illnesses in the family.
Your county health department can sometimes help test for some contaminates. If not, you can have your water tested by a state certified laboratory. Find one in your area by calling the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 or go to their website at www.epa.gov/safewater/labs. You can also check out the Water Systems Council website (watersystemscouncil.org) to locate one in your area.
The laboratory will provide you with instructions on collecting your sample(s). Follow these guidelines to ensure the most accurate results. There are different collection instructions based on the contaminates you are looking for in the water. Some laboratories may provide a technician to collect the sample, or even do an on-site test, so ask if this service is available.
Knowing what’s in your drinking water, and how those items effect you, will help you find the best water filtration system for your home. Check out our next blog where we will discuss the different water filtration systems available.
Have more questions? Call us – we’d love to help! Call the professionals at Go Green Plumbing at 336-252-2999 for service 7 days a week/24 hours a day. If water runs through it – We Do It!
