Water Quality Testing

Retrieving water samples

Self-collection with sterile containers or sample bottles with instructions are available at CWS, located at 123 West Spencer Street in Culpeper, VA.

We can collect samples at the site for a nominal fee.

Instructions for all sampling are offered through CWS or by going directly to ESS.

Results

All testing and results are completed using parameters set by the EPA or the state’s standard method. Water quality is individualized. Each household water source may have a unique parameter as well as each user. Several factors are determined before a particular water quality test is administered or suggested. How your water looks, smells, stains, tastes, changes in color, and the location of the source all become reasonable factors.

As a division of ESS, we take the action that water quality should be analyzed on a regular basis. This helps create and build a database to compare future results to.

CWS and ESS together offer an unlimited variety of water quality testing. If we can be of assistance or if you have further questions on water testing, please contact us today.

Primary maximum contaminant level

A primary maximum contaminate level is a health-related issue that is a legally enforceable national standard set by the EPA to protect the public from exposure to water contamination hazards.

Standards only apply to public drinking water systems, but they serve as a guide for individual water supplies. ESS laboratories can test all primary maximum contaminants.

Copper

The EPA drinking water standard for copper is 1.3 mg/l or parts per million. Levels above this may cause acute gastrointestinal illness or nervous disorders. Lower levels of dissolved copper may give water a bitter or metallic taste and produce blue-green stains on plumbing fixtures.

The copper content of the source water is generally quite low or non-existent, rather, it typically comes from the plumbing materials of the house. The leaching of copper from copper and brass materials is generally accelerated when the water is acidic or has a low pH value.

Any excessive amounts of copper from the water source itself may indicate contamination from industrial wastes or landfills.

Fecal coliform bacteria

A test for fecal coliform is necessary when a total coliform bacteria is present. This is typically waste of humans and / or other warm-blooded animals (mammals and birds).

A positive result reported as "present" indicates that waste from a septic system or animal may be contaminating the water supply and should be treated as a major health concern.

Total coliform bacteria

Microbiological contamination of drinking water may cause short-term gastrointestinal disorders, resulting in cramps and diarrhea that may be mild to severe. Other diseases of concern are viral hepatitis A, salmonella infections, dysentery, typhoid fever, and cholera.

Coliform bacteria are always present in the digestive systems of humans and animals and do not themselves cause disease. However, when present in drinking water, they indicate the possible presence of disease bacteria.

Soil or decaying vegetation may also be a source for coliform contamination of water supplies. Analysis for total coliform bacteria is the EPA standard test for microbiological contamination of a water supply. A positive test result reported as “present” indicates the presence of coliform bacteria.

Lead

The primary source of lead in drinking water is leaching from lead faucets and lead solders used in plumbing, especially if the water is acidic. Lead is also found naturally in some areas in groundwater.

In 1986, the federal Safe Drinking Water Act banned the use of lead on public drinking water systems and limited to 8% the amount of lead permissible in brass fixtures. Children and fetuses are especially sensitive to lead poisoning, and the EPA maximum contaminant level is 15 µg/l, or parts per billion.

Nitrate

Nitrates occur naturally in water, but the major sources of nitrate include commercial fertilizers, the wastes from grazing land and feedlots, and septic systems. Although the EPA has set a maximum contaminant level for nitrate at 10 mg/l, it is recommended that water with levels greater than 1 mg/l be used with caution for feeding infants.

High levels of nitrate may cause methemoglobinemia (“blue-baby” syndrome) in infants.

Secondary maximum contaminant level

Secondary maximum contaminant levels refer to the maximum allowable amount of non-health related contaminants in a sample. These standards are useful as guidelines but are not enforced by regulatory agencies. ESS laboratories can test for all the secondary maximum contaminants.

Alkalinity

Alkalinity represents the sum total of the bases in the water and thus is the acid-neutralizing capacity of the water. It is due largely to the presence of calcium, magnesium and sodium carbonates and bicarbonates. Most natural drinking water has alkalinity in the range of 10-500 mg/l. Alkalinity testing is used in combination with other tests for sizing the proper equipment.

Fluoride

Fluoride is a naturally-occurring mineral that helps protect teeth from tooth decay. Well water contains some naturally-occurring fluoride, but the levels are usually too low to prevent tooth decay. Many public water systems add fluoride to the water to an optimum level of 0.7 mg/l.

Children may develop fluorosis if they take in too much fluoride while their teeth are still developing under the gums. Fluorosis develops over time and white spots may appear on the surface of the teeth.

Hardness

Hardness is essentially a measure of the calcium and magnesium in water. Hard water is not a health risk; however, it keeps soap from lathering, decreases cleaning action of soaps and detergents, leaves soap “scum” on plumbing fixtures, and leaves scale deposits on water pipes and hot water heaters, possibly shortening the life of the heater.

Softening treatment is recommended for very hard water (above 120 mg/l). Water with a hardness of about 80 mg/l or less does not need softening. Water hardness may also be reported in units of grains per gallon, or gpg (1 gpg = 17.1 mg/l hardness).

Iron

Iron in water generally does not present a health risk. However, it can be objectionable if present in amounts greater than 0.3 mg/l. Excessive iron can leave brown-orange stains on plumbing fixtures and laundry. It may discolor the water and beverages made with the water, and give them a bitter metallic taste.

Manganese

The presence of manganese in amounts greater than 0.05 mg/l may give water a bitter taste and produce black stains on laundry, cooking utensils, and plumbing fixtures. It generally does not present a health risk.

pH

The pH of water indicates whether it is acidic or basic (alkaline). Acidic water can corrode pipes and may dissolve toxic metals such as copper and lead from the plumbing system, allowing them to enter the water. Water with a pH below 6.5 is acidic enough to consider treatment.

Alkaline water with a pH above 8.5 is seldom found naturally and may indicate contamination by alkaline industrial wastes. The EPA suggests a range of 6.8 to 7.2 for the pH of drinking water. Outside levels of pH may cause greenish-blue staining.

Sulfide

Hydrogen sulfide is a gas that can be problematic in groundwater, resulting in the characteristic “rotten egg” odor. The gas is commonly generated by the action of bacteria in the decay of organic matter, but its presence does not necessarily indicate bacterial contamination of the water.

Water containing this gas may also corrode iron and other metals in the water system, or stain plumbing fixtures and cooking utensils. It can be difficult to quantify the level of hydrogen sulfide in water due to its escape as a gas.

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)

TDS represents the sum total of all of the substances that are in solution in the water. High concentrations of dissolved solids may cause adverse taste in water and may deteriorate household plumbing and appliances. The EPA has set a secondary maximum contaminant level of 500 mg/l for this parameter.