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Union County
UGA Extension Office

Water Quality Testing

WATER TESTING SERVICES

Many sources of water we assume are safe may contain dissolved minerals, organic compounds or even live organisms at harmful levels. Your water should be safe to drink and acceptable for all other household uses. In addition to illness, a variety of less serious problems such as taste, color, odor and staining of clothes or fixtures are symptoms of water quality problems. 

Basic Water Testing - (W1) tests are $27.00 per sample, this includes shipping. Other water testing is also available, please contact the Union County Extension office for more information on other water test analyses and fees.

Basic Water Test include testing for:

Aluminum (Al)            Copper (Cu)                              Molybdenum (Mo)               Potassium (K)

Boron (B)                           Iron (Fe)                                       Nickel (Ni)                                    Silica (SiO2)

Calcium (Ca)                  Magnesium (Mg)                 pH and Hardness                  Sodium (Na)

Chromium (Cr)            Manganese (Mn)                 Phosphorus (P)                      Zinc (Zn)

WATER TESTING FOR PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES 

A Public Water System (PWS) is one that has at least 15 service connections or serves at least 25 people per day for at least 60 days of the year. If you receive drinking water from a PWS, the source of drinking water is either a surface water reservoir, a public well that pumps groundwater, or both. A system of pipes distributes the water to you and your neighbors. When your home is on a PWS, there are fewer concerns about water quality and safety because they are routinely tested and treated (if needed) for potential contaminants according to the EPA “Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)-1974.” You may still want to test your household water even if it comes from a PWS if there is a possibility of in-house contamination due to your home’s plumbing, connections or treatment system.

WATER TESTING FOR PRIVATE WATER SUPPLIES

Government agencies do not monitor or regulate water quality in private wells, and water testing is not required by any federal or state regulation. If you are one of the 1.7 million Georgians with a private well, you are responsible for the quality and safety of your well water. Testing your well water quality is important to your health. Properly constructed and maintained water wells can provide many years of trouble-free service. However, surface contaminants may enter the well if it is not properly constructed and maintained, and the well may eventually deteriorate or become damaged as it gets older. In addition, some groundwater naturally contains one or more chemical substances at levels above the EPA’s health-based standards, called the Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). The taste, odor and appearance of your drinking water can give you an indication of its quality, but it does not indicate if the water is really safe or unsafe to drink. Contaminated water can taste and smell fine, whereas unpleasant-tasting or -smelling water can be safe to drink or use. Many of the most serious problems can only be detected through laboratory testing of the water. 

TYPES OF WATER QUALITY TESTS

  • Mineral tests can determine if the mineral content of your water is high enough to affect either health or the aesthetic and cleaning capacities of your water. A mineral test may include calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc and some others. An abundance of these minerals can cause hard water, plumbing and laundry stains, or bad odors. 
  • Bacteriological tests generally check for indicator bacteria (for example, total coliform, fecal coliform or Escherichia coli) and can indicate the presence or absence of disease-causing bacteria. However, there are many types of bacteriological tests that cover a variety of bacteria. These tests are costly and are conducted only if they are absolutely essential.
  •  Other tests may be conducted on radiological contaminants (radium and radon) or heavy metals (such as arsenic, mercury, lead or cadmium) based on the suspected natural and anthropogenic (man-made) sources of such contaminants.

***No single test provides information on all possible contaminants, but water quality can be determined by the right test(s).***


HOW SHOULD I TAKE A WATER SAMPLE FOR TESTING? 

  • Samples collected from the wellhead would allow evaluation of source water properties and designing any treatment system that may be necessary. 
  • Samples collected from a kitchen faucet would reflect the source water properties plus any potential contamination from the well owner’s water supply system. 


Collect the first draw water sample, after a minimum of 6 to 12-hour period during which time there was no water usage prior to the sampling. Either early morning or evening upon returning home are the best sampling times to ensure that the necessary stagnant water conditions exist. A kitchen or bathroom cold-water faucet is to be used for sampling.



FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WATER TESTING CHECK OUT: HOUSEHOLD WATER QUALITY SERIES

 


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