Why Do We Test 水 Quality? | 11 Warning Signs

如果你是1500万美国家庭中的一个从私人井里取水, the water 你的 family uses for drinking, 烹饪, cleaning and bathing is 你的 责任.

没有环保局的监督和公共供水系统的监管, 你的井水质量取决于你周围的地下水, it can be challenging to ensure a clean water supply. Especially when you consider:

• 23% of private wells tested had at least one contaminant根据… 最近的你.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data.
• 每年有超过700万美国人因水传播疾病而生病根据… the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
• Many of the contaminants in water supplies are 无味的 and odorless.

So, why do we test water quality? In the case of well water quality, there could be many things that you can’t see, 气味, or taste affecting 你的 home and family.  你的水会受到不断变化的环境的影响, so even if 你的 water did not have a certain contaminant last year, it might have been introduced at any time.

11 Contaminants You May Not Know 关于 (But Need To)

有很多 things you need to know about owning a well, including ways to improve the quality of 你的 water supply. Here are the most common contaminants you need to know about.

1. Iron and Manganese

大多数地下水都含有微量的这些自然产生的污染物, but if there are large amounts of limestone, shale and coal nearby, 你的水井里的地下水可能会受到影响. 如果你的水有金属味和/或红/棕色变色——也会弄脏管道和衣服——铁或锰可能是罪魁祸首.

2. Hydrogen Sulfide

Does 你的 water 气味 like rotten eggs? 它可能是被困在水中的硫化氢气体，这些气体来自于地下的高硫含量. 如果你住在沼泽地区或粪坑附近的农场，硫化物可能是你的问题. In addition to the bad odor, 硫化物会腐蚀你的管道，在你经常用水的地方留下黑色污渍.

3. 铜

铜, 如铁, occurs naturally, but if 你的 water has a blue/green discoloration, you may have corroding copper pipes, 这可能意味着你的管道基础设施或流经这些管道的异常酸性水存在更大的问题. If 你的 water has a significantly lower pH than 7, 它的酸性会从你的管道和水龙头上剥离金属. 地下水中铜污染的其他来源可能是你附近的采矿或制造活动.

4. 钙

Having problems with hard water? 基岩中矿物质含量高是可能的原因，其中钙是最常见的. Magnesium is another. As water passes through the ground, 它能溶解任何与它接触的石灰石或其他岩石，并将这些矿物质带进你的家.  While these contaminants rarely impact health, they can still cause a strange taste in the water, soap scum buildup, 轻微的皮肤刺激和额外的磨损，你的水使用电器.

5. Sodium Chloride

Better known as salt, 如果你住在高速公路沿线，或者在冬季用道路盐处理过的停车场附近，那么多余的氯化钠很容易渗入地下水. The runoff could lead to a white residue in 你的 water, 稍微改变一下味道，如果你在限制钠的饮食中，当然会对你产生负面影响. 如果你在海边有房子，你也可能会看到海水入侵. 天气的变化会使海水与地下水的混合比平时多或少.

6. 其他化学物质 & 矿物质

以上这些物品实际上只是触及了可能侵入供水系统的化学物质和矿物质的表面. 卵圆孔未闭的化学物质, 砷和二氧化硅是其他可能的水污染物，要注意，这取决于你的地理区域. Radon gas is another, 哪一个, 例如, 是无色的, 无味的, odorless and radioactive, 哪一个 amplifies the need for testing.

7. 污垢

Problems might not always be at the microscopic level. If dirt and sediment gets into 你的 well pump, 大颗粒和浑浊的水可能会进入你的水龙头(以及上述任何一种化学物质). 这可能意味着你的油井、泵、储罐或管道的结构完整性更大.

8. 空气

如果你的水龙头在水正常流动之前就发出噼啪声，你的系统中就有多余的空气. While this won’t negatively impact 你的 health, 从某种意义上说，它仍然是一种污染物，你不希望它出现在那里. More importantly, it could indicate a change in the water table, damage to 你的 drop pipe or an issue with 你的 well pump, so it’s an issue you should pay attention to.

9. Suspended Organic & Inorganic Particles

植物, 落叶, 昆虫进入你的井盖和其他环境因素，如侵蚀, 洪水和火灾会导致有机或无机颗粒物进入供水系统. 黄色或白色/浑浊的变色可能是这种污染的指示, though it may not be quite so obvious.

10. 硝酸盐

In addition to organic and inorganic particles, 有一些化学单位可以与这些化合物结合，比如硝酸盐, or nitrogen-oxygen compounds. While they’re nutrients for plants, excess nitrates can leach into groundwater, especially following heavy rain or flooding. 肥料也含有硝酸盐，可能会进入你的井水, especially considering they don’t bind well to soil. A variety of health issues are possible, especially for babies under 6 months old, but since nitrates are microscopic, it’s hard to tell they’re there without testing.

11. Coliform Bacteria

Bacteria like Giardia, or E. 大肠杆菌——可以通过动物粪便或化粪池的污水进入供水系统. 细菌也可能来自腐烂的动物尸体，这些动物可能已经找到了进入井盖的方法，但却无法找到出路. You can’t see or 气味 these bacteria, 哪一个 makes testing that much more important, especially if you’ve had a sewage overflow or flooding recently. 暴风雨或农业径流可能会让细菌进入你的井水. 而饮用含有细菌的水对你的健康无害, you might notice it giving you an upset stomach or diarrhea.

How to Test 水 Quality & Choosing Between DIY or Pro

国家地下水协会(NGWA)为拥有私人水井的房主提供在线日博365APP下载 WellOwner.org. 在那里你可以了解更多关于水井维护、水质和水处理的选择.

While it’s important to know how a well works and keep up on basic maintenance 你的self, the most important way to ensure safe water in the face of 无味的, 无臭无色污染物每年由持牌专业人员检测. Samples of 你的 water should be sent to a certified laboratory, 哪一个 can give you detailed results about 你的 water.

最终, 井水永远不会是完美的(城市水也一样), so testing is wise for anyone), but you can take steps to improve the water quality in 你的 home. 水权® and our family of brands can help. Whether you want to disinfect 你的 water with UV light, get better drinking water through 反渗透, reduce levels of iron with a filtration system, or eliminate the problems hard water can cause 使用软水器，365体育APP下载的专业家庭将找到解决方案.

Our conditioner models that utilized our unique Crystal-Right media are a good choice for homes with well water because it can address hardness, iron and manganese, and correct low pH levels commonly found with groundwater issues.

Schedule a 水 Test?

你的健康和家人的健康太重要了，不能让可预防的水污染成为阻碍. 请填写下面的表格，与365体育APP下载在您的订单中的当地合作伙伴之一配对，安排今天的井水测试，并发现您的井水中可能含有哪些污染物.