WATER TESTING
Did you know that the water we use for various purposes—domestic, agricultural, or industrial—might not always meet appropriate quality standards? Factors like weather, climate change, and unexpected floods significantly contribute to water pollution. These events can carry pollutants such as farm chemicals, residential waste, overfilled sewage, trash, animal waste, and excess nitrogen and phosphorus into waterways. This contamination increases the risks to public health, elevates treatment costs, and demands greater attention to water quality.
With climate change exacerbating these issues, the need for reliable water testing services has never been greater. By providing accurate water testing reports, we can identify contamination early, address risks effectively, and ensure safe water usage. Maintaining water quality safeguards our health, reduces environmental harm, and supports sustainable practices across all sectors. Comprehensive water testing is essential to combat the growing challenges posed by climate change and pollution.
What Are The Different Types of Water Testing ?
There is a wide range of water quality tests used to help determine how safe, or even drinkable water is to be used in a household setting or otherwise that water test labs perform. These different types of tests help determine if specific materials of contaminants have infected a body of water, and help inform how it needs to be further treated. A few types of water testing methods are –
There is a range of potential bacterial contaminants that can plague water. One of the most common and most looked for is E. coli bacteria, which comes from fecal matter exposure and can result in serious health issues when consumed. Bacteria testing is essential in determining how safe water is to drink or expose to your skin.
A few common and important mineral tests include chlorine and chloride, nitrate and nitrite, lead, copper, iron, zinc, potassium, and sodium.
This wide range of mineral testing is essential and relevant in determining water quality, as different regions or areas of terrain may have more of a buildup of certain types of minerals, which informs what kind of mineral treatments the water actually needs in order to be purified.
What is pH?
pH is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution.
The more of these hydrogen ions there are in a solution, the more acidic that water is. Acidity effects taste of water. Drinking water that’s not neutral enough in acidity can make people sick!
There are some basic water tests that don’t have anything to do with chemical testing: conductivity, odour, sediment, and turbidity. Not relevant in all situations, these tests create a measure of the more physical traits of a water sample.
Is it clear, or clouded with sand and silt? Does it smell swampy or fresh? How well does it convey electricity—and what does that say about the mineral content?
Our water testing solutions can help a homeowner, business, contractor or research group understand the water quality that they’re dealing with. Contact us today to get started!
Wastewater and Surface Water Testing
Physical property of wastewater testing includes measuring temperature, pH, conductivity (salinity) and turbidity. Color and odour are characterized as well. For instance, a too high or too low pH in wastewater can affect the aquatic lives in receiving water as they only live in neutral or slightly basic water environment.
Aquatic animals require dissolved oxygen (DO) in water to live. Aerobic bacteria can degrade organic matters using dissolved oxygen in water and BOD measures the amount of oxygen used up by bacteria for degrading organic matter. BOD is an indicator for the amount of organic materials in the wastewater effluent. If an effluent wastewater sample has a high BOD measurement, the bacteria in the wastewater will digest the organic materials from the wastewater and use up the oxygen in the receiving surface water, negatively affecting the aquatic lives. The goal of the wastewater treatment is to reduce the BOD value in wastewater.
Wastewater from agriculture, animal feeding, storm water runoff and municipal facilities may all contribute to the blame of algal blooming due to excess amount of nutrients in surface water. The overgrowth of algae using excess amounts of nitrogen (from ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and organic nitrogen) and phosphorus in surface water causes production of neutoxins (microcystins) that may contaminate future drinking water and threaten human health. The algae further eaten up by bacteria use up the dissolved oxygen in surface water and lead to death of aquatic animals. To protect the public health, a nitrogen and phosphate test requirement has been added to some of the NPDES permits and a variety of methods can be used for nutrient analysis.
The major source of heavy metal contamination is industrial wastewater from textile, paper and pulping, semi-conductor, metal finishing and plating, and many other industrial categories. Besides the notorious top 4 heavy metals, other metals, such as chromium, nickel, and zinc are also toxic to human health.
GROUNDWATER TESTING
The quality of groundwater plays a crucial role in safeguarding our health, economy, and overall quality of life. Contamination not only poses health risks but also reduces property values, impacts community image, and hinders economic development. In many parts of the country, groundwater is the most economical water source, making its protection vital. However, once contaminated, cleaning groundwater is a costly and challenging process. Regular checks by a reliable water testing lab can help detect potential contaminants and ensure compliance with well construction standards to maintain safe water supplies.
Many dangerous contaminants in water cannot be identified by taste, smell, or color, making testing essential. Proper testing by a trusted water testing lab ensures the detection of hazardous pollutants and confirms water’s safety and purity. Adhering to rigorous sampling and analysis protocols is necessary to obtain accurate results and avoid the risks of undetected contamination. These measures protect not only human health but also agricultural and industrial activities that rely on clean water.
To safeguard groundwater from pollution, it is essential to stay vigilant against agricultural and industrial contaminants. As a leading water testing lab, we deliver precise results, fast turnaround times, and the expertise required to protect your water sources. With our advanced testing services, you can fulfill your social, legal, and commercial responsibilities while ensuring the safety and sustainability of groundwater resources.
