Drinking Water Sampling

Summary

When drinking a glass of water we all expect to be drinking pure, fresh uncontaminated water. Concerns regarding safe drinking water or offensive drinking water are always a prevalent and in many cases have lead to the huge bottled water industry. Drinking water supplied throughout the United States by municipal water systems is monitored for many contaminants. The Environmental Protection Agency developed the Primary Drinking Water Act which established limits on the concentration of certain contaminants allowed in the public water supplies. This regulation was written to protect our health and ensure that the water we drink is of good quality. The Primary Drinking Water Act is divided into two categories: the Primary Drinking Water Standards and the Secondary Drinking Water Standards. The Primary standards regulate serious health contaminants while the Secondary standards regulate contaminants that cause offensive taste, odor, color, corrosivity, foaming or staining. The following services are offered by The heatlhAIR Group's cleanWATER Division to assist in your drinking water issues.

Services

Lead & Copper Sampling

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that drinking water can make up to 20% or more of a person's total exposure to lead. Lead is of particular concern for infants who often receive formula or juice from concentrate and tap water. Copper is a necessary part of our daily diet, but too much copper in our drinking water is harmful. In accordance with the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule and regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act "Children are especially susceptible to lead and copper exposure because their bodies absorb these metals at higher rates than the average adult. Children younger than six are most at risk due to their rapid rate of growth. Exposure to high levels of lead can cause damage to the brain, red blood cells, and kidneys. Exposure to even low levels of lead can cause low IQ, hearing impairment, reduced attention span, and poor classroom performance. Exposure to high levels of copper can cause stomach and intestinal distress, liver or kidney damage, and complications of Wilson's disease in genetically predisposed people." When water becomes too corrosive (water with a low pH level) it can leach the lead and copper from the inside of the pipes whereby it enters the drinking water. Leaching increases the longer it is in contact with the pipes, therefore water sitting dormant during times of inactivity (such as nights and weekends in commercial buildings and school buildings) may increase the levels of lead and copper in the drinking water.

Bacteria & Other Organisms in Water

There are many types of bacteria in the world but the most common bacterial concern in drinking water is called coliform. Coliform is inclusive of a group of very common and relatively harmless microorganisms that live in the intestines and assist in the digestion of food. Therefore, human and animal waste always includes the presence of coliform bacteria. The sampling for coliform is known as "total coliform" and the federal government's goal for "total coliform" is zero. Whenever "total coliform" is tested positive then further testing for "fecal coliform" or E.coli" is also required. Fecal coliform is specifically the bacteria associated with the contamination of human and animal waste while E(schericia) coli are the most common member of the fecal coliforms. Various gastrointestinal disorders and illnesses are associated with the drinking of bacterially contaminated water: gastro-enteritis, giardiasis, typhoid, dysentery, cholera, and hepatitis are some examples.

Full Drinking Water Analysis

Drinking water contamination is not inclusive of just lead, copper and bacteria. In order to exist and live in today's world it is necessary to utilize various chemicals and materials in almost every aspect of our daily lives. There are literally thousands of ways to pollute our environmental and specifically our water. Processes in manufacturing, fertilizers in agriculture and disposal of household chemicals and materials are just a FEW of these potential contaminants. The healthAIR Group can conduct full-spectrum water sampling that includes the following items:

• Metals: aluminum, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium, silver, sodium and zinc.
• Inorganic Chemicals & Physical Factors: alkalinity, chloride, fluoride, nitrate as N, nitrite as N, sulfate, hardness, pH, total dissolved solids and turbidity
• Organic Chemicals (trihalomethanes): 44 chemicals
• Organic Chemicals (pesticides, herbicides and PCB's): 20 chemicals