The Importance of Water Quality Monitoring

Importance of Water Quality Monitoring

Water is at the core of everything. The earth is 70-percent water. Your body is made up of 60-percent water. Even the fruits and vegetables you consume are mostly water. Water is life. But, when water is contaminated, or contains more minerals than it is supposed to, it can spell disaster.

Clean water is a privilege to so many people around the globe. They have to walk miles, carrying their water carefully, to be sure they are keeping their families safe. They know their water is clean, because they went out of the way to get it. Yet, here in the U.S., we are so used to turning on a tap and having water flow at our command, that the idea it may not be safe never occurs to us. There are many reasons to seek out water test laboratories and find out what is in your water.

Type of Water Source

City living versus country living, both offer water on tap, but the source may be different. Well water is a source on-site, drilled for the main purpose of supplying water to your home. It is completely natural and chemical free.

Town water is piped to you, and hundreds of others, through a system whose origin is a massive tank where the water is constantly treated to keep it safe to drink. Towns are responsible for testing through their water and publishing reports annually, but even still, you may find your water highly chlorinated or containing mineral quantities beyond the daily dose suggestions.

Location

Lakes, ponds, and rivers have a higher insecticide and pesticide level if they are located near large, commercial agricultural operations. Although farmers do their best to limit the chemicals to their fields, most are applied by air and no one can predict wind patterns. Fertilizers pose another threat to bodies of water. If you live near a body of water that is farm adjacent and plan to use it for recreational activities, ask if it’s been tested.

Heavy Metals

Heavy metals and minerals in small quantities are harmless to your water source and to your body. It’s when the percentage of these items elevates, and you are consuming it daily, that you may notice a problem. Regardless of where you live, have water quality test labs check for:

• Nickel
• Zinc
• Cadmium
• Iron
• Manganese
• Copper
• Mercury

Your body is made up of sixty-percent water. Everyday you should be drinking half your body weight in ounces. Be sure your drinking and bathing water is safe by using quality water test labs.