Drinking Water Testing

Once your water bore hole or well has been finished, and after some days when the flow has settled, a sample of the water will need to be taken for analysis.

The same rule applies to water taken from perhaps say a creek, natural shallow stream or other private source.

No mater what the water source is, It needs to be tested to ensure that the right type of fil;tration is applied to render it safe and suitable for your purpose.

For those who are accustomed to drinking city water, water provided by the municipal water company, we simply assume that the water is palatable, safe and free from harmful contaminants. Our judgement on this is general correct, though there are some concerns regarding the high levels of fluoride which all UK municipal water company suppliers include.

Your own water however is an unknown quality. You know nothing about it, and you need to know its composition to be sure that its content is not only suitable for drinking, or can be made suitable for drinking through filtration, but that its pH is neither not too high or too low and that its mineral content falls within the recommended levels for your proposed usage.

Water testing will reveal your water content and bacteria such as these faecal and e-coli may be easily rendered harmless

e-coli strain 0157:H7 as seem below, is the only e-coli variety deemed harnful to human health and is easily destroyed with ultra-violet filters. More on waterborne pathogens here.

In all, some 36 tests are carried out from a two litre sample taken from your supply to give you an accurate and clear picture of your water content. Biology, hardness, mineral content, metals,chemicals, turbidity and electrolytic conductivity of the water are just some of the tests which are performed. Download a .pdf of the test list.

All water contains micro organisms - tiny bacteria measuring microns in size, and many of these are harmless and even necessary as part of the normal digestive process in humans. Others however, such as E-Coli strain 0157:H7, and faecal coliforms are considered harmful and should not be present in your water supply.

Bore hole, ground water, or water well filtration systems can almost always render any water sample suitable for drinking. Ironically, the most harmful constituents of water, some bacteria and viruses, are the easiest to destroy - and as a matter of course we would always advise that an ultra-violet filtration
system be installed anyway.
More on filtering water is covered in our filtration pages.

Suffice is to say, that your water is going to be fine to drink, not contain any of the dubious additives which your municipal water supplier includes, will taste good, will be free from fluoride additives, and will be massively cheaper that anything you can buy from a water company.

In summary then, water testing and analysis is vital to prevent illness, as well as ensuring that the water is aesthetically pleasing (it does not have an offensive odour, and that it tastes fresh, for example).
Reasons that water may need to be tested apart from collecting from a bore or well , could be for reasons such as your bore or well's proximity to a septic tank for example, concerns about run-off from nearby areas with livestock, or concerns about chemical sprays being used in crop areas.
If the water sample turbidity (clear or cloudiness) is cloudy or discoloured, testing will be able to determine the cause and whether it is a matter for concern. Other factors might include the water's electrolictic levels, and whether the levels may cause slow damage to a building's pipework or central heating system for example.

Your water analysis report will reveal much about its character, and it is from this, that your water can then be filtered to ensure that it is right for your desired usage.

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