Tap Water Contamination

Question: How can I get my tap water tested? I would like to have my tap water analyzed for health hazards. We live near some chemical plants and I've become nervous about possible contamination. I've seen my water company's water quality report but I would like an independent analysis. Does anyone know how I could find a lab to analyze a sample I send in? I live in southern Ohio.

Answer: Calling your local health department is a good start. There are laboratories all across the country that test water for just about everything you can imagine and more. I know because I work for one. Just be aware that depending on what you want tested, it could get very expensive. Any where from $10 to a $1000. The simple tests like nitrate and lead are cheap. When you want to test for pesticides and and other types of chemicals it can be more expensive. Though it is shameless I have added my own company's residential testing website below. Email me if you would like more info and I would be happy to try and help.

Question: How to detect bacteria or any contamination in the water? My brother in law uses this device that looks like a recto-thermometer and has a DTS label on it. He claims that it is able to detect any contaminants and/or bacteria in water. The device showed a reading a '0' for purified water and a slight deflect for tap water. My husband though seems skeptical with the device because according to his friend who studies microbiology, bacteria in water can only be detected through culturing and no other ways. Which is true?

Answer: Mmm, interesting. Being a microbiologist myself, my first reaction was similar to that of your husband. Bacteria can be detected and identified by culturing, molecular techniques, or immunological techniques. All of these will take hours to days to perform. So clearly that is not what this device is testing. I think it might be testing something else, and it might involve an optical sensor. For example, it could have an optical sensor and detect "turbidity" (how "cloudy" the water is). So water with bacteria will be a bit more cloudy than purified water. Alternatively, it could measure maybe organic matter, or maybe ATP, a substrate made by living organisms via some rapid chemical reaction. Anyway, it looks more like an indirect way to determine particles in water. You could maybe test it by adding e.g. flower or sugar to water and see what it measures? It might give a higher score than as well...... I tried to find this "bacteriometer" on the web, but I could not find anything like it. Anyway, I am intrigued.

Question: Do you think the tap water of your area contains bacteria or not, that you prefer to use a faucet filter? Even though the tap water quality in US is already very good compared to some other countries, there are still certain risk of bacteria contamination. Would you use a faucet filter which can filter the bacteria out?

Answer: definitely not. Theres no need to use a filter unless you have HEAPS of health problems. Bottled water really isn't much better.

Question: I've discovered roof tile cement muck in header tank. Can this cause strange taste in tap water? Does the header tank provide water to the drinking taps or is the header tank just for in our case, the power shower supply. Either way, there is roof tile cement pieces and sediment of dissolved roof tile cement lying in the bottom of the header tank. Can this harm the power shower motor valve if not removed and is it best to remove it. The bigger pieces i can pick out , how do I remove the sediment in the bottom of the header tank. Can you buy additional lids to safegaurd the water in the tank from future contamination. Any help much appreciated. Thanks

Answer: Your drinking water should be fed directly from the incoming main, and not from the tanks. As for cleaning the tanks you could turn off the main supply and then drain enough from you hot taps to empty the tank. Then clean it out thoroughly, and as you suspected it should have a cover which you can buy from a Builders Merchant. You are also right to be concerned about your power shower so take whatever measures you can to prevent sludge going down the pipe while you do the cleaning - this could just mean putting a temporary cork in the pipe. An alternative way to clean the base of the tank might be to set up a siphon with a length of hose pipe running outside. You can use this to "vacuum" the bottom of the tank while it is still full.

Question: What is the next big marketing scam after bottled water? Bottled water is more harmful than tap due to plastic leaching, it tastes the same a tap water and is not tested for viral or bacterial contamination like tap water. Whoever thought up this scam was a marketing genius and I'm curious what's next? bottled air?

Answer: If you cannot taste the huge difference between bottled and tap water, trade in your mouth for new taste buds. Tap water contains chloramine, bottled water does not. Tap water in older homes contains trace amounts of lead from old pipes and solder joints. Not to mention gasoline additives that leach local ground water systems.

Question: Is it safe,clean and better to boil Tap water for drinkingh? is it better and safer and cleaner to boil tap water and drink, or bottled water? Or boil bottled water and drink, which I heard will kill off all contaminations and germs?

Answer: Babys cant have anything but boiled water untill they are 1 so im assuming it kills more germs although tap water is perfectly safe

Question: is the boston water contamination over ? can we drink tap water and cook w/ it etc.?

Answer: Don't you believe it. They still have water in the pipes, so you better wait a few days and get the water tested before using it.

Question: How to change betta's water? Tap water may be contaminated.? I have two bettas in separate 3/4 gallon bowls. I do complete water changes about every 5 days. Use tabs to neutralize the bowls and add a little aquarium salt to help prevent bacteria and fungal growth. Yesterday would have been 5 days and was when I planned on changing their water. Unfortunately, my city has announced a possible water contamination warning citizens not to drink it. I know that bettas need clean fresh water, so I don't like that their water is getting old. But I don't want to put them into water that may be contaminated. Will the tabs & salt be enough to make the water safe? Can I buy a couple of gallons of bottled water and use that? Try boiling a few gallons and let it cool? Side note- yes, I know that a 5 gallon tank with filter and heater would be the best set up. Unfortunately, I'm a college student with no money and I move 300 miles between my school and internship every 3 months, so tanks are out of the question at this time. I had a betta that was very healthy for 3 years until we had a power outage in November and his water got too cold. So, PLEASE no rude comments. I'm not sure what is contaminating the water, but it's been advised to not drink it unless it's been boiled first.

Answer: Boiling the water will probably get rid of enough stuff to make it safe for fish. I doubt it's a chemical contamination, the city would probably shut down it's water system if it was. If it though you could buy some bottled water ( not distilled) and use that. Switching water types suddenly is bad for fish though so I'd just try boiling the water, letting it stand for another day and using your tabs. You could also do a 10-30% water change with some bottled water if you think the tank's getting way too dirty and wait till the water becomes clean again, but I don't advise it :/ Don't listen to the people who say not to do a full water change, with such a small bowl full water changes are best. Also I swear that the aquarium water is just tap water with a drop of water conditioner in it that's sat there for a week. AKA rip off water. Don't buy it, bottled water is better.

Question: does your tap water taste funny? My tap water tastes.....milky. Is it my imagination? what I'm really worried about is if the milkiness is really contamination or something.

Answer: Do you live in the city? When there is a lot of rain here the water supply can get cloudy sometimes due to the fact the river is flooded and water demands can sometimes exceed the water plants output. That's looking milky but not tasting like it. That is excess turbidity (cloudy) If you are on a well you had better get it checked. You can sometimes go to a water filtration store and they will check your water for free (wanting to sell you a filtration system) but at least you will know what it is. Switch to bottled for the time being.

Question: Hot tap water, drink, dish washes? I have been wondering about this question for a very long time. Everyone says it is not safe to drink hot tap water since it may be contaminated with lead, and the water heater may accumulate bacteria when it is not not in Use. However, everyone says again it is best to wash dishes with hot water. Isn't it self-contradictory? How can I get rid of the lead contamination when I wash dishes with hot water? And if there is a concern of bacteria, will it make my dishes even more "dirtier"? Can anyone solve my puzzles? Thanks a lot.!

Answer: I think it depends on the age of your house and the material of the pipes. most new construction uses pvc piping I believe, but I'm not a contractor. I think what happens is that all sorts of sediment (such as rust, lime etc) accumulates in the hot water heater and if you drink it, you are drinking the unknown sediments. As for the bacteria, if the hot water hasn't killed it, then the dish soap should. This is a good question and I wondered about this recently. I got this info from a contractor friend. Hope it helps!

Question: Bottled or tap water? So, now that they have discovered all of these different traces of chemicals in tap water i was wondering, what to drink, tap or bottled? I have been drinking filtered tap water but i know that filter doesn't take out everything, but bottled water also has the whole deal with the plastic contamination. does anyone know which one would have less chemicals in it?

Answer: It really depends on where you live. Tap water is processed differently depending on the specific challenges in your area. Find out from your local water company what filtering process they are using, and what residual disinfectant. Bottled water is really bad for the environment, and it is sometimes just bottled tap water in the first place, so you should try to avoid it. If you do drink bottled water, don't let the bottles heat up or get exposed to sunlight. Not to mention, bottled water is monitored by the FDA, which is notoriously lame and often lets problems slip through. Usually, tap water is much more closely regulated. I think the EPA is in charge of it.

Question: Is your tap water flammable? Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZe1AeH0Qz8&feature=player_embedded The process of hydrologic fracturing (or "fracking") used in the fossil fuel industrial has come under fire recently for leading to the contamination of drinking water supplies in ground water sources. What kind of credible evidence would you need to be persuaded that this is a dangerous practice? Or what would convince you that it is harmless? EDIT: Please answer the later questions, not just the first one. What would convince you one way or the other about the safety of fracking?

Answer: I don't know much about fracking (though I'd now like to watch that doco). I guess what would convince me one way or the other would be credible scientific evidence. Given that I don't have time to become an expert in geological engineering, then I guess I would accept the testimony of credible and independent experts (not those employed by the industry who stands to benefit from the practice).

Question: Sometimes I Have Murky Tap Water? I need some information on murky tap water- Nothing too specific, just some general info. Currently, my tap, for whatever reason, is murky white and bubbly. If I run my finger through it, it fizzles and bubbles. I live in a nice, gated neighborhood, but I don't know what sort of water we have. We have a water tower, that’s the extent of my knowledge. Sometimes, our bath water is reddish brown. What is wrong with our water? Is it safe to drink if I boil it or filter it? How does tap water become murky? What are the different types of murk or contamination?

Answer: Sometimes when the workers are working on a water main it stirs up silt and when a water main breaks, the surrounding dirt can get into the water supply. When one breaks, the news usually reports it, you should drink bottled water, lots of little microbes in the dirt that can make you sick. In older building galvanized iron pipes were used and they eventually get rust inside and that can make the water rusty looking. Too much of this is not good, not only does the water look and taste bad but microbes can grow in the corrosion. There is a process of pipe restoration you can use or the other option is to re-pipe your house. If in doubt get a small plastic container and trap some dirty tap water in it and have it tested. I would also suggest you call your water authority, different regions have different water problems, like if the water comes from a well for instance. They might have more info.

Question: What are recommended ways to properly wash vegetable to avoid bacterial contamination? My family and I eat spinach salads probably four out of seven nights. I've always just washed our veggies with cold tap water. Any suggestions? BTW. I've thrown away the bags we had in the fridge.....

Answer: I dont think washing gets rid of it, you have too cook it thoroughly.

Question: URGENT!!! will my fish be ok with this bacteria in the water? Yesterday I replaced 20% of the water in my 5gal. aquarium. However later in the day, there were news reports of fecal coliform contamination in the tap water. All of the water in the city was affected and warned not to use. I would replace the water with distilled water from the grocery store, but the grocery stores were sold out, i guess people stocked up on it. The utilities company said the water should be cleared up in a few days, but i was wondering if my neon tetras will be ok in this water, and should i change all 5 gallons, or continue 20% changes (i know this sounds like a stupid question, but ive heard that drastic changes in water cause neons to go in shock). Water description: the water is somewhat hazy, and a sort of foam is forming near where the water is disturbed by the filter waterfall.

Answer: First things first, Don't Panic. Your fish are swimming around now and you changed the water yesterday. So you're OK and so are your little friends. Do test your tank for levels of amonia, nitate, nitrite, hardness etc. get test strips at pet shop or walmart. It is always a good idea to keep a bottle of "Cycle" on hand because it is an instant help. Good luck.

Question: Are there any ways to block the effects of drugs? Im curious to know if theres any ways to block the mental effects of common recreational drugs. Mostly because of the contamination in the water supply (trace amounts of pain killers are in tap water) and I always wonder if it effects us mentally. Hope I am asking this right... I guess an example to help understand the question would be "is there anything to take to stay sober while ingesting drugs that would normally compromise your mental wellbeing (make you high)". Any input appreciated!!!! Thanks in advance!!!!

Answer: There are lots of preventative medications involved with illicit drugs. It is hard to develop them because you have no idea of the quality or brand of illicit drugs a user takes. The medications are used in a hospital when they are dealing with drug users that are doped up and dangerous to other people. they give him those medicines (or an anesthetic of some sort) and they ship him off to jail once his vitals stabilize. Those medicines aren't available to the general public. If you are concerned about narcotics contaminating your tap water, then don't worry. Whatever narcotics may travel out of your tap would not be powerful enough to trigger any type of euphoria or chemical dependence. If you need this problem dealt with, you can always look into purchasing a water filter. More information can be found at: http://www.purwater.com/clean-drinking-water-for-you.html If a water filter is out of the question, i would prevent narcotic contamination by boiling the water. The boiling process will get rid of bacteria, and it may get rid of: crack cocaine Vicodin, Percesets, or any other type of hydrocodone heroin, or any other opium derivative PCP LSD MDMA/Ecstasy Ketamine Saliva These may also be prevented with a water filter. Hope this helps.