Water Testing

Water is the most important resource we have, and it is vitally important for all of us. So, in many countries it is the object of numerous environmental laws and regulations. This relates not only to drinking water but ultimately also for the whole water cycle, for example surface and ground water, process and waste water

Environment Testing is NATA accredited for the analysis of a wide range of water samples for;

Emerging Contaminants including PFAS and 1.4-Dioxane

Total Recovery Hydrocarbons

Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile Organic Compounds

Metals

Inorganics and Aggregates

Microbiology

Persistent Organic Pollutants including Dioxins / Dioxin-like PCBs

Microplastics

River and Streams

Sewage

Trade Waste

Groundwater

Storm Water

Leachate

Sea Water

Drinking Water

Reuse Water

Bottled Water

Process and Cooling Water

maintain a large inventory of instrumentation with built-in redundancy ensuring timely reporting to meet project schedules and the ability to accommodate schedule and scope changes. A dedicated Analytical Service Manager (ASM) is appointed to be the central liaison point for each client – one point of contact for all Pricing, Orders, Reporting and Technical enquiries.

 

Water Testing

Water Quality Testing

The Department of Utilities’ ensures that the drinking water flowing from your tap is safe to drink, but sometimes you may find it necessary to have your water quality tested. Water chemists offer water quality testing for Norfolk water customers. Should you feel the need to have your water tested

a chemist will be happy to take a water sample from your home.

Bacteria

Color

Chlorine/chloramine

Iron

PH

Turbidity

Well Water Testing

If you would like your private well water tested and you live we’ll tell you how to collect the sample and the type of container to use

These samples are tested for the following parameters, if you need to review what these terms mean

Alkalinity

Hardness

Iron

Fluoride

PH

Salt

Turbidity

 

Water Testing

When should I get my water tested?

Test if…

Your well does not meet construction codes.

The area around the wellhead has been flooded or submerged.

Back-siphoning has occurred.

You have mixed or used pesticides near the well, or have spilled pesticides or fuel near the well.

You have a heating oil tank or underground fuel tank near the well that you know has leaked.

You are pregnant, are planning a pregnancy, or have an infant less than 6 months old.

Your septic system absorption field, or your neighbor’s, is close to the well (within 100 feet).

Wondering about the quality of your irrigation water?

Test annually for:

Nitrates

Coliform Bacteria

Testing for fecal coliform and/or total bacteria is a good place to start. Depending on the results of that test, you may be advised to test for other contaminants such as metals, sediment, or organic pollutants. A presence of live coliforms in your water is an indication that surface water is entering your drinking water, which means that other pollutants will likely be found in your water as well.

Another common starting test for drinking water is nitrates. A value higher than 10 ppm (mg/L) can threaten your health especially if you are pregnant or nursing, and can threaten the health of infants. A presence of nitrates in your water indicates surface water contamination of your drinking water.

How do I collect a sample?

First, call a lab near you that is certified for the test you need.

Use the appropriate container for the type of sample.

Store the sample carefully according to the instructions before taking it to the lab.

If you receive a container from the lab for a bacterial test, do not rinse it out. It has been sterilized and contains a preservative.

Some samples must be kept cool and delivered to the lab within a short period of time (often less than 24 hours) or they will not be analyzed.

Where do I get the water analyzed?

Use the button below for a list of labs in Utah that test water. NOTE: Not all certified labs test for all pollutants. Check with the lab before you collect any samples – collections methods, sample storage, and delivery directions are often important.

 

Water Testing

Health Department is committed to the protection of county groundwater resources in order to assure a safe and adequate supply of water for our citizens. Environmental Health provides a variety of water testing services for citizens who are served by well water

Radon, Uranium, and Radium

Recent news from neighboring counties has increased the awareness of these naturally occurring substances in ground water. Wake County found wells with unsafe levels of uranium, radon and radium in the water. These substances occur naturally in the rock located underground. They sent out notice to inform residents about the naturally-occurring groundwater contaminants found in the eastern area of Wake County so that well owners could decide what actions to take about water treatment.

The State Laboratory of Public Health has an Environmental Radiochemistry unit that can analyze the gross alpha, gross beta, and uranium. This office is working with the state lab to make those sample kits available to us to assist well owners in County who want this specialized sampling.

Hexavalent Chromium

Hexavalent Chromium is a carcinogen caused by the natural leaching of mostly volcanic rocks in aquifers across the Piedmont region. Contamination stems from water-rock interactions that are common across the region. This is not limited only to wells near coal ash ponds.

Testing for Hexavalent Chromium

Hexavalent Chromium and Coal Ash panel are special order kits. Hexavalent Chromium is a time sensitive kit because it contains a preservative. We only order the kit when a sample is requested. We send all of our samples to the state lab. Health Department staff have to collect the samples using the kit and ship to lab to maintain chain of custody.

 

Water Testing

If you suspect your drinking water is contaminated, the water should be tested. If your water is provided by a public system, contact the operator of the system for testing and possible disinfection. If you have an individual well, we suggest that you test your water for bacteria annually. If your water sample is unsatisfactory, you should then evaluate and disinfect the well.

Water samples must be submitted in specific sterile sample bottles that are available from Environmental Health Services. You may ask for specific instructions about collecting a water sample when you pick up your empty bottle, instructions are also on the form or from the Department of Health Coliform Sampling Procedure Brochure.

Bacteriological Testing

The test done by the County Drinking Water Lab measures the presence of coliform bacteria. These bacteria are commonly found in human and animal waste, decaying vegetation, as well as in the soil. Although coliform bacteria are not usually a cause of illness, their presence indicates a potential contamination problem. A sample which tests positive for E. coli or fecal coliform bacteria is most likely to indicate recent fecal contamination, and requires immediate attention and follow-up sampling.

The bacteriological test takes a minimum of 24 hours to complete. You will typically receive your results in the mail within a few days. If your water contains coliform bacteria, Environmental Health staff will contact you by phone immediately with the result and suggestions for disinfecting your well.

Nitrate Testing

The County Water Lab tests for the amount of nitrate in drinking water. The Nitrate test is recommended for individual wells every three years and costs $30.00. Nitrate tests are generally only run in the lab two times each month.  See schedule below for specific dates and times.

Reasons for Hiring a Professional Mold Remediation Service – What to Know

Looking to hire a professional mold remediation service company? If your home is suffering from excessive moisture, chances are mold contaminations are spreading across damp areas. The first 24 to 48 hours poses a severe concern to the homeowner’s health as it is the timeframe wherein the mold multiplies into spores to infest the area.

Its health risks are the reason you should leave the problem to the hands of a professional as they have the experience, equipment, and expertise necessary to eradicate the mold problem at its root and prevent further growth. With that in mind, below explores what a professional mold remediation service can do for you:

Benefit #1: A Professional Can Conduct Proper and Thorough Cleaning

Mold contamination is a problem that you can’t just sweep under the rug. No matter how intent you are with scrubbing off mold, doing it yourself will only increase the hazard and spread the risk for other people within the household.

Not to mention, ridding your walls of any signs of mold doesn’t mean the spores are entirely gone. A professional mold remover, on the other hand, can nip the problem at its bud. With a more thorough clean-up, you can enjoy a spick-and-span space with little to no chances of inviting more spores to infect the area.

Benefit #2: A Professional Can Reduce the Spread of Mold Spores

The cleaning process can disturb the mold, which causes the spores to spread into the air and circulate the house. That’s why doing it yourself can be dangerous as it will contribute to the escalation of the mold.

If the spores find their way into your HVAC system, the situation will worsen as it is the ideal environment for mold to grow as it has warmth, moisture, and dust as their primary food source. When you leave it up to professionals, they can contain the mold within the initial infected area and are well-versed to keep it from spreading throughout the house.

Benefit #3: A Professional Can Discover the Source of the Mold Growth

There’s no point in breaking your back to scrub off the mold yourself as it will only come back with a vengeance if you don’t eradicate its source. With that in mind, a professional mold removal services can do more than remove mold in your home.

It’s part of their responsibility to find the source of the mold and help you make the next best course of action to eradicate the mold problem. Preventive measures are crucial when it comes to handling mold, which is one of the main reasons hiring a professional mold remover is necessary.

 

Benefits of Hiring a Professional for Mold Removal

Mold is a type of fungus that is developed as a direct result of humid surroundings or any sort of water leakage or sewage backup in your buildings. It should be a cause for concern as its presence can lead to serious health ailments like hay-fever symptoms, dermatitis, and asthma, to name a few. Once it gets a foothold in your home, its growth is insidious and gets highly challenging to eradicate completely. Rather, with every failed treatment, it becomes stronger!

Experience Matters

An average individual has a little experience about mold remediation, which simply means that they are not a position to solve the problem effectively. Whereas on the other hand, with years of experience, the professional mold removal companies become experts of their subjects and have got your back to get you rid of this problem in the most efficient manner. So, it is advisable to not to get caught amidst the DIY techniques or products and reach out to your nearest mold removal expert as soon as possible.

Quality Products

If you try to shop around in the market, you will find a bundle of products claiming to remove mold formation in your building, but what you don’t realize is that mold is more than a simple surface-level growth. When you attempt to get rid of the mold on your own, you are trying to get rid of only the visible portion being unaware of its roots that remain intact and continue to spread subtly. The mold removal comes with great complications and needs to be treated with really professionalized products. By hiring a professional mold removal service, you are ensuring the usage of better chemicals and formulas that are far more effective than the market products.

Health and Safety

Mold growth is highly dangerous for health and can potentially cause serious issues like allergic reactions, asthma etc. You would obviously don’t look for risking the health and well-being of your family or yourself by taking mold formation casually and giving it a blind eye. By letting a professional handle the mold removal for you, the situations turn always around for the better. The professional mold removal experts have the right tools for the task to ensure a proper elimination of mold preventing it to spread further and preserving the health of your loved ones in the long run.

 

Why You Shouldn’t Diy | Cleanfirst Restoration

Mold Removal Services Can Locate All the Mold in Your Home

The first thing that a mold removal company will do when you call on them for help is perform a mold inspection.

You might think that you know where the mold is located in your home. For example, you may have spotted it on a bathroom wall or down in a corner of your basement.

But before performing mold removal services, professionals will complete a thorough inspection to ensure that you don’t have mold growing in other places.

The mold on your bathroom wall or in the corner of your basement might just be a sign of mold elsewhere. And unless you’re able to remove all of the mold in your home, it could continue to have detrimental effects on you and your family.

You should make sure a mold inspection gets done to find any other signs of mold in your home.

 

They Can Figure Out What Caused the Mold

In addition to getting rid of mold, mold removal services will also do some digging around to find out what caused the mold to grow in the first place.

There are so many things that can cause mold inside of a home. You might get mold if:

• You have a leaky plumbing pipe behind a wall or above a ceiling that needs to be fixed
• You have a leaky roof that is allowing water to find its way into your home
• You experienced a flood in your basement and didn’t have it cleaned up by professionals
• You have a home that’s poorly ventilated, thus allowing humidity and condensation to build up in it
• You have wet clothes or towels that are left out in your home on a regular basis

Once your mold removal company gets to the bottom of your mold problem, you’ll be able to take steps to prevent it from coming back again.

 

They Can Give Your Home a Clean Bill of Health

Before a mold removal company leaves your home, they should walk through and do a final inspection for mold.

They should also test the air in your home to make sure that you don’t have too many mold spores in it.

Mold spores are just about always in the air, so it’s going to prove to be impossible to rid your home of all of them. But the air quality of your home should be much improved by your mold removal specialists.

When they’re done with your home, they should give you a clean bill of health and tell you your home is safe again. They should also arrange to come back and test your home at some point in the future to ensure the mold problem doesn’t return.

HOW TO TEST YOUR WATER FOR HARMFUL CHEMICALS

What Are You Testing For?

You should perform a water test at least once a year. You’ll be looking for the two most common forms of water contaminants: coliform bacteria, and nitrates. However, it is also important to test for bacteria, lead, pesticides, chlorine, hardness, and pH. Keep in mind, your water will never be perfectly clean. But, there are certain levels of contaminants approved by the EPA that will not have adverse effects on your health. For example, lead is usually found in water but at such low levels that it does not pose a health risk.

Health Risks

There are many health risks associated with contaminated water. These include, rashes, stomach or liver illness, respiratory problems, neurological effects, reproductive and development problems and in severe cases cancer. The health effects are broken down into acute effects and chronic effects. Acute effects occur quickly, usually within hours after ingesting the contaminant. Usually, these don’t cause long-term issues and your body can typically fight off the infection. Chronic effects occur when the contaminant has been ingested over a prolonged period. Thus, allowing your body to be gradually weakened over time. Even if you think the water you drink is fine, it is best to test yearly to be sure.

Ask Your Water Company

The first place you should start is with your local water company. Most water companies are required to test the water for you. Water companies are required to provide Consumer Confidence Reports to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The report is an in-depth analysis of everything in your water. It includes all contaminants that may be in your water along with the health risks associated with them. This is the most straightforward and comprehensive approach since the report provided is EPA approved and touches on more than the standardized tests.

Get Your Water Professionally Tested

Many people prefer to have a professional test their water. If you’d rather get your water professionally tested, visit a local lab that specializes in water contaminants. This is a great way to test for specific contaminants. If you or someone in your household is pregnant or expecting this is a great idea. You can visit National Testing Laboratories for customized water testing services. This includes testing for residences, commercial sites, and bottled water. Visit the EPAs Safe Drinking Water Hotline to be referred to the best local water testing agency, or the Water Quality Association site for approved testing companies. There are plenty of resources available online to help you find the best professional.

Test It Yourself

If you prefer, water test kits are available online and in store. Testing yourself is a quick, easy way to determine if your water is safe. If you notice anything unusual about your water like an odd smell, discoloration, or an abnormal taste. These test kits typically come with several strips containing reactants, and change color when a contaminant is present. Kits are around $15 and are an affordable and simple way to figure out what might be hiding in your water. However, it is important to keep in mind that home kits are less reliable. Typically they test for fewer contaminants than getting it done professionally.

 

Can You Trust Home Water Test Kits?

How I Tested the Water Test Kits

The water at my house comes from a 185 foot deep drilled well. It’s cold and clear and tastes fantastic.

When my husband and I bought the house a few years ago, we were told that the water was fine. But we never had it tested ourselves. It was always in the back of my mind that I really should get it checked, just to be sure. Finally, a few weeks ago, I ordered six different water test kits from Amazon. I decided to go with kits that are well known and that are affordable for most people. Then I scheduled an appointment with a guy from the well company to come out and do some testing. He spent about an hour collecting samples and then sent them off to Nelson Analytical Lab in Manchester, New Hampshire for analysis.

How the results compare to the professional lab analysis:

Mostly it agreed where they tested the same things. However, I would not trust this for testing fluoride if that’s a concern for you. The JNW Direct test detected no fluoride in my water, but the professional test measured fluoride at 1.6 ppm. That’s a significant discrepancy. In addition, the JNW Direct test detected no iron, but the professional test detected iron at 0.062 ppm. The hardness was off a bit, too.

 

Easy ways to test your water

Check with Your City

Each year by July 1, you should receive a short consumer confidence report or drinking water quality report in the mail or online notification from your water supplier. The report tells you where your water comes from and what’s in it, and some reports include your water hardness. If yours doesn’t, you can call your local water municipality, and they should be able to tell you.

Quick In-Home Testing

Without having to go too far out of your way, one of the easiest options for a hard water test is with a clear, clean, empty bottle with a cap, pure liquid soap and water right from your tap. Fill the bottle one-third full, add a few drops of pure liquid soap and shake vigorously for a few seconds. If there is a distinct lack of fluffy bubbles and the water appears cloudy and/or milky, your water is hard. Soft water would have copious bubbles, and the resting water at the bottom of the bottle would be clear. Keep in mind that because most soaps are formulated with detergents, they lather regardless of your water type. For the best results, use a basic soap, such as Castile, which is free of dyes, perfumes and detergents.

Advanced Testing Methods

After filling a glass with cold water from your bathroom sink, insert the test strip for several seconds and then remove it. Also, it’s important to note that you should not just stick the strip under running water, as this can provide inaccurate results. As the strip changes color, compare it to the color chart included in your kit. Each color on the chart corresponds to the hardness of your water, with results measured in grains per gallon (gpg).

What’s Your Number?

With over 85% of all households experiencing some degree of hard water, knowing your “number” will let you see where your hardness stacks up. Once you’ve tested your water with a strip or kit, the next step is to use your “number” to see just how hard your water is. The average hardness in the U.S. is about 13 grains, which is considered “very hard.” Anything over 14 grains is deemed “extremely hard.” Even if you don’t live in the high hard water zones, a household starts seeing the effects of hard water at around 7 grains of hardness.

 

Ways to Find Out If Your Drinking Water Is Safe

Check With Your Water Company

You know that bill you pay every month, or every quarter, for your drinking water? It’s the first stepping-stone on your search. Every year, your water agency is required by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to supply you with a Consumer Confidence Report, which is an annual water quality report that details any and all contaminants that may be present in your water and alerts you to the health risks they pose.

Search the Environmental Working Group’s National Drinking Water Database

This watchdog agency maintains a handy-dandy (and easier to use) database of water quality reports, searchable by zip code and by water company. At first glance, the results can be scary. That’s because the EWG highlights chemicals that are found to be above what it terms the “health limit” in addition to those that exceed the legal limit for safe water. The EWG’s data also includes many chemicals that aren’t regulated—meaning chemicals for which the EPA has not set legal limits. For these chemicals, it uses zero as the baseline, so water that contains any amount of the chemicals is flagged.

Use the EPA’s Drinking Water Watch Program

Eighteen states participate in the EPA’s Drinking Water Watch program, which links to a searchable database of detailed information on water quality violations, reported health hazards, and actions taken by the state to enforce water quality or clean up pollution.

Research Specific Contaminants

Once you have your water quality data, you can go a step further and look up each chemical of concern in EWG’s chemical database or in the EPA’s list of water contaminants. The Water Quality Association (a business association for the water treatment industry) has interesting information on emerging contaminants, but don’t get too worked up—the association represents companies that make money from water testing, so it has a vested interest in making you anxious.

If Your Water Comes From a Well…

When your water supply comes from a private or a community well as opposed to a municipal agency, you’ve got to do a little extra digging, as it were. The EPA has a comprehensive state-by-state guide to private drinking-water wells across the country, but once again, it’s ridiculously inconsistent. If the link for your state doesn’t take you to a helpful page, contact your state government directly to see if it has more up-to-date information.

 

How to Interpret a Water Analysis Report

Features of a Sample Report

Once the lab has completed testing your water, you will receive a report that looks similar to Figure 1. It will contain a list of contaminants tested, the concentrations, and, in some cases, highlight any problem contaminants. An important feature of the report is the units used to measure the contaminant level in your water. Milligrams per liter (mg/l) of water are used for substances like metals and nitrates. A milligram per liter is also equal to one part per million (ppm)–that is one part contaminant to one million parts water. About 0.03 of a teaspoon of sugar dissolved in a bathtub of water is an approximation of one ppm. For extremely toxic substances like pesticides, the units used are even smaller. In these cases, parts per billion (ppb) are used. Another unit found on some test reports is that used to measure radon–picocuries per liter. Some values like pH, hardness, conductance, and turbidity are reported in units specific to the test.

In addition to the test results, a lab may make notes on any contaminants that exceeded the PA DEP drinking water standards. For example, in Figure 1 the lab noted that total coliform bacteria and iron both exceeded the standards.

Retain your copy of the report in a safe place as a record of the quality of your water supply. If polluting activities such as mining occur in your area, you may need a record of past water quality to prove that your supply has been damaged.