How to Test Water Quality

The quality of the water you drink can have important implications for both your health and the taste of the water. The presence of certain salts and minerals can lend the water an unpleasant taste, as well as affecting its ability to lather well for cleaning. While most municipalities have stringent regulations governing the quality of their water, you may still want to check the quality of your water at home. Learning how to test water quality is a matter of following a few steps.

Steps:

1

Understand what you will be testing for. The quality of water depends primarily on the concentration of the following compounds: chlorine, nitrates, iron, calcium, magnesium, and copper. Chlorine aids in disinfecting; nitrates leached from fertilizers are harmful to infants; iron can cause a bitter taste and discolor fixtures; calcium and magnesium can cause scale buildup in pipes; and copper is linked to jaundice and anemia. The pH level of the water is also of concern, as acidic water can corrode fixtures.

2

Purchase a home water quality test kit. There are many manufacturers of these kits, but they all function similarly. They will contain test strips that you will expose to water, causing them to change color based on the water's mineral content. You will then match the strip's color to a color chart. Look for a test kit that contains different strips for each of the minerals described above. If a kit contains only a single kind of strip, it will likely be for testing pH only.

3

Expose the strip to water as per the package's directions. Usually, you will start by filling a glass with room-temperature water. Dip the strip into the water and keep it submerged for about 5 seconds, moving it back and forth gently. If the directions included with your test kit specify a deviation from this procedure, perform the process as directed.

4

Remove the strip from the water. Pull the strip out of the glass and shake off any excess water. Wait for the strip to slowly change color as you compare it to the color chart included with the testing kit.

5

Determine the mineral content of your water. Compare the strip's color to the color chart to determine the level of each mineral in your water. The color chart should designate different concentration levels as either acceptable or hazardous. If you register a hazardous result for any mineral (or for pH), perform the test again to make sure that the result is not due to human error.