Nitrates and Nitrites in Well Water Guest post by Christopher Roemmele, PhD If you own a farm and grow different types of crops such as wheat, corn, or soybeans, or if you are a homeowner and want to keep your lawn and garden lush and green, you might add fertilizer…

What is pH in Well Water and How to Check It Guest post by Christopher Roemmele, PhD When we hear the word “acid” or “acidic,” we might think of heartburn or a sour stomach. We might reach for the Tums, Rolaids, or Pepto Bismol to soothe us, and in time the discomfort…

Reason for 100mL Samples In Water Quality Testing The water that residential and commercial properties receive from a regulated public water system (PWS) is analyzed for safety according to U.S. federal regulations. Routine testing mandates for bacteria according to…

Relationship Between Groundwater and Aquifers Guest post by Christopher Roemmele, PhD Water is essential for all living things. It continuously cycles through the atmosphere, over land, and through the ground.  Groundwater is an important source of freshwater on…

How Well Water Can Become Contaminated If you rely on a well for drinking water, it’s important to understand potential ways water can become contaminated. It’s important because private well owners are responsible for protecting their drinking water, as well water is…

Difference Between Water Quantity and Quality When most Americans think about drinking water challenges, our minds typically travel overseas, particularly to low- and middle-income countries. We might picture women and girls having to walk for miles in remote areas…

Greatest Bacterial Waterborne Risk to Health There are many different ways humans can become sick. Among them is coming into contact with bacteria (tiny organism with only one cell not visible to the naked eye) and viruses (tiny organism that lives inside a protective…

Difference Between Coliform and E. coli Bacteria Well owners can shop online or in big box home improvement stores for well water tests to assess their water quality (characteristics of a water sample that determine how safe it is for drinking, swimming, or the…

How Public Water Systems Test for Bacteria in Water A public water system (PWS) provides water for human consumption through pipes or other constructed methods of moving water. Water must be transported to at least 15 service connections or serves an average of at…

Do Well Owners Have to Send Water Samples to Labs? The U.S EPA’s rules that protect public drinking water systems (PWS) do not apply to privately owned wells. Federal, state and county government agencies do not regulate, monitor or treat tap water from private wells….

Presence/Absence Test Results for Water Samples In the world of water quality testing, there are different methods and ways to test water samples. Some methods involve different products that contain different parts and supplies to carry out testing. Some methods can…

How Often Should You Test Well Water? Why should well owners test their own well water? There is a big reason, which is the U.S EPA’s rules that protect public drinking water systems (PWS) do not apply to privately owned wells. Federal, state and county government…