A great number of people get the water from their individual drinking water supplies. The major part of these supplies is taken from ground water through wells, though some households get water from streams or containers.
There exist certain rules to guard the users of these wells. Households using drinking water wells are encouraged to take some preventive measures to assure the protection and upholding of their potable water supplies.
How can I check the quality of my drinking water supply ?
It is recommended to inspect individual water supplies every year for nitrate and coliform bacteria to discover pollution problems early. Inspect them oftener and for more possible pollutants like radon or pesticides, if you suppose there is a problem.
In case you use a private laboratory to fulfill the testing, it will normally cost from $10 to $20 to carry out. Inspection for other pollutants will be much more expensive. For instance, inspection for pesticides or organic chemical agents may cost from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
Almost all laboratories mail back the test results within a few days or weeks. In case a pollutant is identified, the results will contain the pollutant concentration and suggestion of whether this concentration goes beyond a potable water quality norm. In case a norm is exceeded in your test, test the water supply instantly again and call your municipal health department for help.
Certain problems may be eliminated very fast. For instance, high concentration of bacteria may be regulated by disinfecting the well. Such means as filters or other local treatments can eliminate some pollutants as well. Other troubles may have need of a new source of water or a new, deeper well. In case these problems carry on, you may require using bottled water till a new water source is found.
| 
