With more than 30 years’ experience in the residential and commercial water treatment space, Mark Nelson is a Class 1 Drinking-Water Operator and a CBWA (Canadian Bottled Water Association) Certified Plant Operator. As founder and president of Nelson Water in Ottawa, Mark focuses on dealing with challenging water treatment system designs for problem water. He also heads the largest water bottling plant in the city of Ottawa with a delivery network throughout the Valley.
Many people want to understand a water quality report for their local area. A water quality report is a test that reveals the concentration of metals, minerals, and other pollutants that may be present. But, many of us have had little to do with science since we left school, and it can be tricky to interpret the results of a water quality report. In this article, we will look at how you can obtain a water quality report, how to understand what it’s saying and what to do next to improve your water quality.
How to Locate Your Water Quality Report
The Government of Canada website hosts most of the annual drinking quality reports. It’s also possible to search for your specific municipality, count or local water authority. Some counties don’t post their water quality reports online, in this case, it will be necessary to contact your local water authority directly and ask for a copy of the water quality report in a readable pdf format.
6 Water Quality Report Elements
The exact format of a water quality report can vary in terms of design and templates and organization. But, the content of the report will always include the following six water quality elements in varying amounts of detail.
- The Water Source Overview
The water source is where the municipal water is drawn from; this could be a stream, river, lake, well or any other water collection source. This section of the water quality report will explain some of the local geographical areas, the characteristics of the soil and rock and other geographic features that may have an environmental impact on the water supply. The water source overview will usually include a brief guide on the four different pollutant classifications, they are organic chemicals, microbial contaminants, pesticides and herbicides, and radioactive materials. This section may then explain the local water treatment processes and the size of the water distribution network in your area. These two factors play a major role in your water quality, and it will give you valuable insight into how pollution and weather can affect your local water supplies.
- Special Notices or Warnings
Depending on the results of the water quality report, there could be some special notices or warnings related to the water quality in your area. This section of the report will explain any illnesses or health hazards that may occur in your water supply system. A fairly typical example of this would be a fluoride warning notice for women nursing babies and younger children because they are vulnerable to enamel fluorosis that could affect the development of their teeth. Another common example is a microbial contaminants warning caused by a runoff of pollutants that could cause an outbreak of microbial pollution in the water supply system. The Government of Canada website has a section devoted to microbial issues and how they relate to water quality reports.
- Water Treatment Plant Findings
This section of the report will include test findings for your local water treatment plant. These test results are gathered over the entire year of water testing at the plant. The data is usually presented with the lowest, highest, and then the average amount of observed contamination found. The amounts are recorded and presented as a ratio, such as parts per thousand (ppt), parts per million (ppm) and parts per billion (ppb). These ratios may seem complicated, but they are easy to understand, they mean that for every thousand, million or billion of liters of water, there is X amount of that material present. The results are usually presented in a spreadsheet or a table that gives you a breakdown on each type of contaminant.
- The Water Distribution Findings
The water distribution system will also be regularly tested for a variety of contaminants. The water means will be tested to observe the water quality after the water has passed through the water treatment facility. Then it moves into the distribution pipe network and makes its way to your home. The pollutants in the water can be introduced during the water treatment process, or there may be leaks in the water distribution system. Over time, leaks and breaks can occur at any point in the system, and this is a vector that could allow contaminants to enter the water supply. This is why a break in the main water line may be followed by a boil water advisory notice. Some of the common pollutants found in water distributions systems are chlorine, methane, and acid. These contaminants are well regulated at a water treatment plant, and there may be low observed amounts in the water.
- Lead and Copper Testing Results
This is the result of water tested from tap water in homes across your local area. The representative amount of tested homes provide samples that are then averaged to get a level of lead and copper in the water supply. A certain amount of lead and copper pollution can be caused by the presence of lead solder in a home that has an older plumbing system. So, the test results are not as accurate as they could be, but they a strong indicator for the presence of elevated levels of copper and lead.
- Unregulated Contaminants
There are certain contaminants that are not regulated at this time because they are not deemed to be harmful. For the sake of clarity, they are included in the water quality report anyway. These contaminants are often microbial, and water treatment plants use antimicrobial disinfection procedures to deal with these pollutants.
What Should You Do Next?
This is a great deal of information to absorb, and if you have any remaining concerns, it’s advisable to carry out a water test at your home. If you have a high concentration of water hardening dissolved minerals, such as magnesium and calcium, you may want to install a water softener. If you think that your water should be cleaner and safer to drink, you may wish to investigate other water treatment options.