Homeowners can take a few precautions before the next freeze that may save your home from the devastating effects of frozen and broken water pipes. If you live in a place like Minnesota, you will need to prepare the plumbing prior to the first snow. It’s quite common to encounter plumbing problems when the temperature drops at freezing point.

Below are winter plumbing tips that you can use if you want to ensure that the water will flow properly. You should be observant enough to identify if there are any frozen pipes. Have you checked on the water flow? Is it restricted? If it is, then you have to identify where the frozen pipe is located.

Avoid Plumbing Problems This Winter

When the temperature is very low, you should open the faucet just a little to ensure that the water is flowing. As the water moves, it can prevent freezing. If you are making use of a garden hose, you will have to remove it. You have to do these things before the freezing temperature sets in. All outdoor pipes should be drained as well to prevent potential damage.

An insulated jacket should be placed on the exterior when you take out the hose. This is very important to protect the connection inside your home. Some homes are equipped with shut-off valves. This is what you will use to drain the water in the pipes found in the outdoors. At times, this is located inside the home or near the meter.

Temperature inside the house should be maintained at 55º so that pipes will not freeze. You also need to open the cabinet doors under the sinks so that warm air can circulate. Garage doors and space vents should be closed because the cold temperature can crawl in.

The water drainage should also be checked carefully. You have to make sure that the discharge line is working properly. In Minnesota, we get our share of cold weather. During the holidays, people tend to eat fatty or greasy foods. This can easily clog drains. You must make sure that you don’t pour these things into the drain. You can use a quality drain cleaner every week and mix it with baking soda, salt, and tartar. At this time, the heating costs will surely soar as the temperature plummets down.

The faucets found inside the house are subject to the harsh weather. If you have insulating foam, you can use it to protect the faucets. Even interior pipes need to be protected when the temperature is freezing. Utility spaces like the basement or attic tend to have pipes as well. You have to make sure that the pipes in the area are insulated properly.

Prevention is always better than cure. When fall starts, you have to consult the best professionals in your area. It’s hard to keep the pipes insulated, whether it’s inside or in the outdoors. Talk to a  Minnesota Professional Plumber for other ways avoid plumbing problems this winter.

As we become more and more aware that we may be using water at an unsustainable pace, the idea of water footprints-the amount of water an individual uses-is becoming more common. Remember that water is a valuable resource that shouldn’t be wasted. Your water is clean, safe and convenient but you have to pay for its treatment and the system to deliver it to you. By conserving water in your home, you also save energy needed to heat it or run appliances.

Water and Sewer bills can be as high as $500 for the average household.  According to the EPA, you can save up to $170 per year and conserve resources by making just a few small changes in your water usage.  From replacing old and inefficient appliances to making small changes in your home, you have the potential to realize savings.

Small Water Savings Can Have A Big Impact

Bathrooms

Be aware of toilet leaks. Two thirds of the water used in an average home is used in the bathroom, and a lot of it goes into the sewer. From 2-7 gallons of water are used every time a toilet is flushed.  That’s a lot of water over the course of a year.  It is estimated that 20% of all toilets leak, and some so slowly that a leak can go undetected for years. Do not use the toilet to flush items that can go in a wastebasket or garbage can.

You may have been advised to take showers rather than baths to conserve water. If you take a long shower, however, you may use more water than if you took a bath. Long, hot showers not only waste water but also energy to heat the water. Consider using reduced-flow devices for showerheads.

Don’t leave the water running while you shave or brush your teeth. You are just running clean water down the drain.

Kitchens

Did you know that a faucet in the kitchen, dripping one drip per second can add up to 3000 gallons of wasted water per year.  A drip may seem like a small deal but it can cost you a bunch in the long run.  Faucet drips can typically be fixed by replacing the seals.  Seal kits are inexpensive and fairly simple to install.

Be sure the dishwasher is fully loaded before running it. There is no need to rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.

If you wash dishes by hand, do not let the water run while washing or rinsing. Don’t let the water run while cleaning vegetables or other foods, either. Use a large pan or dish for rinsing.

Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting it run until it’s cold.

Laundry

Be sure to have full loads, or use the automatic controls for smaller loads. Use cold water for rinsing.

Outdoors

Of course we all want to have a nice green lawn.  Keeping your lawn and garden green can account for at least 30% of your household water usage. Don’t water on a fixed schedule or if rain is forecast — water grass or plants only if they show signs of needing it. Water during the coolest part of the day to avoid excess evaporation and let the water sink in slowly. Water applied too fast runs off into storm sewers.

When washing the car, use a bucket of water for washing and run the hose only for rinsing.

Plumbing

Install shutoff valves for appliances and fixtures in case a pipe blows out. Most importantly, check for a main shutoff valve that turns off water to the whole house, and make sure that it works.

How can I tell if I have any water leaks?

Newer types of water meters have a leak indicator on the face of the dial. It is a triangular or diamond-shaped indicator that revolves 354 times for every gallon of water that passes through the meter. Note: You may see what looks like water on the face of the dial. It is oil that prevents corrosion and increases the life of the dial mechanism. It does not enter the water supply and does not affect the quality of the water delivered to the customer.

To check for leaks, look at the indicator when no one is drawing water. It should not be moving. If it is moving, check every plumbing fixture at the property, i.e., toilet, sink, outside sprinkler, washer, etc. Shut off the valves that supply each fixture, one by one, and check the indicator after each shutoff. When closing a valve stops the indicator from moving, or slows its movement, you have found the location of a leak. There may be more than one leak!

Be sure to check toilets at the property! Toilet leaks are the most common and are hard to see or hear. Put food coloring or laundry bluing in the toilet tank and wait 10 minutes. Do not flush the toilet during this time. If the coloring appears in the toilet bowl, there is a toilet leak. Also, if you hear the toilet refilling and no one has used it, there is a leak. A major toilet leak can waste 800 cubic feet of water a day — which would cost over $24.00 for water and over $23.00 for sewer each day. That adds up to over $1,400.00 a month!

Look for leaky faucets, too. A fast drip from a faucet wastes about 265 gallons a day — which would cost about $1.08 for water and $1.05 for sewer per day. That’s almost $65 a month! Repair leaky faucets and toilets promptly — do it yourself or call a Minnesota plumber because these leaks cost money. Once the leak is repaired, check the leak indicator again and make sure all leaks are repaired.

By keeping your eye on a few of the potential water wasting areas of your home, you can help to conserve a precious natural resource and save yourself utility costs.

Some information provided by the City of Minneapolis

Learn what hard water is, where it comes from, and why it’s costing you money.

The benefits of softened water in people’s daily lives are significant. Studies have shown how consumers can save money and energy by softening their water.  The results show that softened water might not only save consumers money but could also be environmentally friendly. They can reduce reliance on polluting fuels because of energy savings and help cut back on harmful detergents going into water streams.

Researchers used varying levels of hardness and several different name brand detergents in washing machines and dishwashers. It was found that significant savings was noted for all levels of hardness, even hardness as low as 5 grains per gallon. The fact that softened water combined with the least amount of detergent and lowest temperature provides the highest degree of whiteness compared to increased hardness with the highest level of detergent and temperature is a noteworthy finding.

Understanding Hard Water & Water Softening | Why You Need a Water Softener

• The right water softener will leave your clothes cleaner after washing and will provide you with a bath or shower that you never dreamed could be so refreshing and stimulating.
• A water purification system will turn your tap water into a desirable drink and save you thousands of dollars and untold inconvenience in buying and hauling bottled water home.
• An iron or water filtration system will pay for itself in no time by removing minerals and sediment that shorten the life and efficiency of your water heater and eventually clog and corrode pipes, joints and valves leaving you with horrible problems and costly repairs.

Get your water tested.  You might be astounded at how “hard” your water is and how much you might benefit from simple forms of water treatment.

First Things First – What is hard water?

How Water Softeners Work - Softening Cycle

How Water Softeners Work - Regeneration Cycle

Typical Water Softener

Water Softeners Remove Other Contaminates Nearly any positively charged cation can be captured by a typical water softener using standard cation exchange resin, i.e. Iron, Manganese, Lead, Aluminum, Barium, Cadmium, Copper, Potassium, Radium, Silver, Strontium, Uranium (depending on valence). This is not a comprehensive list, and specific water chemistry may affect removal rates.

The Bottom Line - Water softeners work, and the bad rap they have received in recent years in unjustified! They work significantly better than any of the so called “no salt” softener/anti-scale devices. All while saving energy and protecting the environment.

“Old reliable” churns away in your basement or utility room day after day, month after month, year after year like a farm mule in days of yore.  Except this one doesn’t eat as much – nor do you have those ugly, malodorous piles laying all around the place!

Except every once in awhile, like a cantankerous old mule, the modern water heater doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do.  That’s when you call a Minnesota plumbing contractor saying “no hot water.”

This is the top reason why people call a plumbing or heating contractor, according to a survey taken a few years ago by the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Information Bureau in Chicago. A related problem, a leaking water heater, came in at number 5 of the top 10.

Looking over the list, you can see all the waste of time and money these emergency service calls represent. Most people don’t pay much attention to their household “mule team” – the mechanical systems that provide so much comfort and convenience in our modern lives.  We take for granted our water heaters, toilets, faucets, furnaces and air conditioners, until they stop working.  Then comes the panicked call to the service company, and a repair job that always ends up costing more than we expect.

Regular care and maintenance can forestall most of these breakdowns at a fraction of the cost of repairs. Have your plumbing, heating and air conditioning inspected cleaned and checked at least once a year.  Most service companies offer service agreements in which they automatically come out to take care of these things for a modest annual fee.

Homeowners also should consider replacing ancient water heaters, toilets, furnaces, boiler and other appliances with new high-efficiency or water-saving models.  Most of us are in the habit of squeezing  out every last day of service out of such equipment.  Yet any unit more than 12-15 years old probably can pay for itself within a few years through reduced energy or water usage.

Here are the rest of the top 10 household repairs identified by the PHCIB

#2 – Clogged drains. Many of these calls could be avoided by taking greater care in what you put down drains – especially the kitchen sink drain, the most used and most clogged drain in the house.  I also recommend regular treatment with Bio-Clean, a biological drain cleaner sold only though plumbing contractors.

#3 – Dripping faucets. This is an annoyance that most homeowners have to deal with from time to time as the washers in the faucets wear out with use.  You can extend the life of your faucet washers by not turning them off with too much force. You may also consider replacing your older faucets with those that feature washerless cartridges instead of rubber washers.  Since the valve mechanism is contained in one cartridge, these faucets are easier to repair and replace.  In addition, cartridges are generally more durable and do not leak because they do not deteriorate with friction or age as washers do.

#4 – Leaking pipes. In extreme cases, these can cause expensive damage to floors and belonging. To stop a small leak from turning into a big one, take a look at your pipes periodically to check for rust or white lime deposits that may indicate a leak is starting.

#5 – Leaking water heaters. Most often when you have a leaker, it’s time to get rid of the water heater.  Usually leaks indicate rusting through at the bottom of the storage tank, for which there is no good repair.  By the time this happens, the water heater is usually so old you’d benefit from replacing it with a more energy-efficient model.

#6 – No heat. When your furnace or boiler stops operating, it can make for a long, cold winter night.  An ounce of prevention here is worth a ton of cure.  It’s important to make sure your heating system is functioning properly before the first cold snap hits.  Have a competent contractor do a thorough examination and cleaning in late summer or early fall every year.

#7-8 – Running & Leaking toilets. This in not only an annoyance, but a waste of water and money.  Leaky toilets can cost you upwards of $100 a year on your water bills.  If you hear a low humming noise, or if the toilet continues to run into the bowl after the toilet is flushed, it indicates that some part of the mechanism is out of order.  Sometimes a little jiggling of the ballcock or flush valve mechanism solves the problem with no cost.  Otherwise you may need to replace the entire mechanism.

#9 – New faucet installation. Many homeowners replace faucets not only when they break down, but for decorative reasons as well.  This is the ninth most common reason for a service call, according to the PHCIB.  A few people buy a faucet from a home center and then call a plumbing company to do the install.  This is okay, but be aware that in doing so, the plumbing company will only warrant the install, not the faucet itself.

#10 – Garbage disposal jammed or broken. This can be a messy headache for homeowners.  Here are several tips to keep your unit in good working order.  First, always run cold water when grinding to move the waste all the way down the drain lines.  Fats and grease congeal and harden in cold water and can be flushed through the system.  Hot water should not be used because it can dissolve fats and grease, which may then accumulate in the drain line.

Do not use your garbage disposal to grind clam or oyster shells, corn husks or other material with a high fiber content.  Never put glass, plastic or metal non-food materials through a disposer.  This includes bottle caps, tin covers or aluminum foil, which are some of the items service technicians commonly find in clogged or broken garbage disposals.

Maintenance is easy.  Grinding small bones and egg shells actually helps clean the disposer by scraping away stubborn deposits or citric acid and pulp.  Grinding a little ice is another way to clean deposits and get rid of odors.  For the most part, disposers are self-cleaning.

Call a Minnesota Plumber offering plumbing services to Minneapolis, St. Paul, Maple Grove,  Minnetonka, Edina, Plymouth, St. Louis Park, and the surrounding Twin Cities.

Water quality can no longer be taken for granted.? The truth is that many municipal and rural water supplies contain chemicals, minerals, and metals that are hazardous to your health. Fortunately, if you’re concerned about safe drinking water there are a number of water purification options out there for you to choose from that can significantly reduce the level of chemicals, metals, minerals, and other particulates in your drinking water.

Do You Have Safe Drinking Water?

Test It to Be Sure! Many Minnesota homeowners have questions about the safety and content of the water that comes out of their kitchen faucet, and for good reason. Mine tailings, agricultural runoff, livestock waste, sewage, and industrial wastes are just a few of the possible sources that can quickly pollute an entire water supply.

If you live in an urban or suburban area, the EPA requires that every municipal water district print out an annual CCR (Consumer Confidence Report) that provides you with information regarding the levels of chemicals, bacterial contaminants, heavy metals, and other pollutants that exist in your municipal water supply.

Many independent organizations suggest that you test your water annually just to be safe, even if it’s tested safe in the past.  If you live in the suburbs of Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Plymouth, St. Louis Park and Edina you draw your water primarily from the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer and might be astounded at how “hard” your water is and how much you might benefit from simple forms of water treatment.

Safe Drinking Water Solutions

Just because your drinking water meets the minimum standards established by the Safe Drinking Water Act does not means that it is safe for you and your family! If your tests come back showing that you don’t have safe drinking water, there are ways to treat your water to make it safe. The appropriate solution depends on the nature of your contaminants, since there are a variety of water purification systems, each of which addresses different water quality problems.

Here’s a short list of the most common purification systems, and what they’re used for:

• Carbon Filters are available in both granulated and solid block varieties. They are effective at removing foul tastes and odors from water, as well as fuel products and pesticides. If you have problems with lead, VOC’s, asbestos, cysts, and coliforms, there are specially made, certified carbon filters that can help.
• Reverse Osmosis Filters use water pressure to force water through a permeable membrane that filters contaminating particulates out of water. Because the membrane’s pores are so fine (measured by microns), almost nothing but water gets through. This is the type of filtration used by many bottled water companies because it does such a thorough job and is one of few filters that is effective at removing metals and nitrates from your water.
• Water Softening Systems solve hard water problems by removing the minerals, especially calcium and magnesium, in your water. Hard water and its high mineral content generally aren’t linked to many safe drinking water concerns, but at high enough levels they can be an issue. More often homeowners get a water softening system to reduce mineral buildup in pipes, on fixtures, as well as to make water more pleasant for bathing and washing (bathing in hard water can leave a soap scum layer that traps bacteria and can cause skin irritation). If you’ve got hard water, having a water softening system installed is an excellent investment.

Safe drinking water is a vital aspect of good health, making poor water quality a serious problem. If you suspect your water isn’t safe to drink, or have already tested it and found water quality to be a problem, talk to a specialist in water purification systems about choosing and installing the right system to make your water safe again.

Benefits of water treatment go beyond cleaner, odorless, better-tasting water. You also may notice a change elsewhere. After softening hard water, your skin may feel softer. Your hair may feel silkier. You’ll notice that soap suds last longer and your clothes may feel softer. All with a reduced need for detergents and cleansers. Appliances like water heaters, dishwashers and washing machines will not only perform more efficiently but also last longer. Pipes and other appliances will also benefit from the reduction of calcium and magnesium buildup. And don’t forget the impact on the environment — fewer bottles heading to the landfill.

Minneapolis MN Annual Water Quality Reports (PDF) 2011

Looking for a water treatment device, but confused about how to ensure you are selecting the right one?

The way you choose to improve your water quality will depend upon which contaminants, if any, are found during testing and whether or not the source of these contaminants can be identified and eliminated. There are many water quality improvement methods. They include removing the source of contaminants, repairing or drilling a new well, connecting to a municipal or rural water supply, using bottled water, or installing a water treatment system.

Here are some tips to help make the process of selecting a home water treatment system easier.

Determine Your Water Treatment Needs

Identify your main water quality concerns. Does the water taste funny or have an unusual odor? Is the water discolored or leaving scale deposits? Or, did a water test or community water quality report indicate the water contained high amounts of any contaminants?

Determine Which Products Can Treat Your Concerns

Listed here are five common technologies and their potential uses:

Filter medias – May reduce chemicals, some metals, parasites and, sediment.

Cation exchange softener – Help reduce hard water; some also reduce barium and radium.

Distillers – Help reduce heavy metals, minerals, and non-volatile chemicals.

Reverse osmosis – May reduce some metals, minerals, and parasites; post-filter may also reduce some chemicals.

Ultraviolet disinfection – Help protect against bacteria and viruses.

Select the Product Style That Best Suits Your Needs

Pour through – Water drips via gravity through a filter. Pros: no installation required. Cons: frequent filter changes.

Faucet mount – Mounts on kitchen faucet. Uses diverter to direct water through filter. Pros: easy to install. Cons: frequent filter changes.

Counter-top connected to sink faucet – Filter connects to existing sink faucet via a hose/tubing. Pros: easy to install and longer filter life. Cons: uses up counter space.

Plumbed-in to separate tap – Installs under a sink; filtered water is usually dispensed through an auxiliary faucet. Pros: longer filter life. Cons: may require professional installation.

Point of entry – Installs where the water line enters home. Pros: treats all water entering the home. Cons: may require professional installation.

How you choose to improve your water quality depends upon your specific water conditions, health-related and nonhealth-related, and your household needs. Contact a Minnesota plumber to test your water to make certain it is not only safe for you and your family to drink. Having your water tested is inexpensive and will not only provide you with peace of mind concerning your family’s drinking water, but it could very well offer you a higher quality of life in regard to your water use.

Water hardness is demonstrated by scale in water heaters or on plumbing fixtures, by soap deposits on dishes and fabrics, and by soap scum in sinks and bathtubs.

Water can become “hard” as water passes through the atmosphere in the form of rain, snow, sleet, hail, dew, or fog, it picks up minerals along with gaseous and bacterial impurities. And, because water is the universal solvent, it picks up even more impurities in ponds, lakes, and rivers, as it percolates into the underground water table. Water hardness is measured in grains per gallon (gpg). Your water utility company will tell you the hardness of your water supply, or your water quality improvement professional can perform a simple test for that information.

Water can be softened with detergents, chemicals or other compounds that can be very expensive. The most commonly used method is ion exchange softening which is relatively inexpensive and provides the luxury of using more natural types of cleaning products for household chores and personal care.

It is to YOUR benefit, as a consumer, that all your water-using appliances are operating as efficiently as possible. Discuss ways to increase your water efficiency with your water quality improvement professional.

Water Treatments

• The right water softener will leave your clothes cleaner after washing and will provide you with a bath or shower that you never dreamed could be so refreshing and stimulating.
• A water purification system will turn your tap water into a desirable drink and save you thousands of dollars and untold inconvenience in buying and hauling bottled water home.
• An iron or water filtration system will pay for itself in no time by removing minerals and sediment that shorten the life and efficiency of your water heater and eventually clog and corrode pipes, joints and valves leaving you with horrible problems and costly repairs.

If you live in the suburbs of Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Plymouth, St. Louis Park and Edina you draw your water primarily from the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer and might be astounded at how “hard” your water is and how much you might benefit from simple forms of water treatment.

The test is inexpensive and will not only provide you with peace of mind concerning your family’s drinking water, but it could very well offer you a higher quality of life in regard to your water use.

Many consumers have difficulty determining whether they actually need a water treatment system or they are not sure what type of system would be best for them. The choice regarding whether or not to install and use a water treatment system is up to you. If you have identified a specific contaminant whose presence in your water is causing you concern, you can use the drinking water treatment units online product database to try to locate products that have been certified to reduce that specific contaminant.

Consumers are encouraged to educate themselves about the quality of their current drinking water supply. By attempting to identify the contaminants that are present in your water supply, you can then ensure that you are selecting a water treatment system that will be capable of treating those specific contaminants.

It is important to keep in mind that all home water treatment devices need regular maintenance to operate effectively. Please read the operating manual that comes with your water treatment system to ensure you are operating your system in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions. Filter cartridges should be changed on a regular basis as recommended by the manufacturer.

Drinking Water Treatment Technologies

The products on the market today utilize many different technologies. NSF currently evaluates residential water treatment products that utilize one of the technologies listed below. The applicable NSF/ANSI standard that applies to each technology is shown in parentheses.

Styles of Water Treatment Devices

There are several styles of water treatment devices available on the market today. The most common styles are listed below, along with a brief description of each.

Point-of-Entry (POE) System
These systems typically treat most of the water entering a residence. Point-of-entry systems, or whole-house systems, are usually installed after the water meter. (Water meters are usually located in the basement of a house. In warm weather climates, the water meter may be in the garage or outside of the house.) A water softener is an example of a POE system.

Point-of-Use (POU) System
These systems typically treat water in batches and deliver water to a single tap, such as a kitchen sink faucet or an auxiliary faucet mounted next to the kitchen sink. The following information contains a brief explanation of different POU systems and points to consider when determining which style of a system will best suit your needs. The list is ordered from easiest installation/operation to more difficult or complex installation/operation and should not be construed as any type of recommendation.

Water Purification Systems MN

If your water is not as pure as bottled water, the water treatment and filtration experts at All Ways Plumbing, Inc. could suggestion a simple and inexpensive water purification system that would bring it to that level of purity, thus relieving you of the bottled water expense and inconvenience.

Are you getting the highest level of quality out of your water?

When it comes to your water, you should expect spot-free dishes, brighter and softer clothes and a shower stall minus the water spots.  Water softening systems or conditioners reduce the dissolved minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and to some degree manganese and ferrous iron ion concentration in hard water. Hard water is characterized by a high mineral content and a recharging cycle is required to minimize the minerals. Build up of these minerals will affect the taste of your water, contribute to clogged drains and have adverse efficiency of water heaters.

All Ways Plumbing Inc. is a leader and an expert in water treatment and we would be more than happy to test your water to make certain it is not only safe for you and your family to drink, but we would also like to present you with a plan for making it more acceptable and useful for your other needs as well.

Different Types of Water Treatments

• The right water softener will leave your clothes cleaner after washing and will provide you with a bath or shower that you never dreamed could be so refreshing and stimulating.

• A water purification system will turn your tap water into a desirable drink and save you thousands of dollars and untold inconvenience in buying and hauling bottled water home.

• An iron or water filtration system will pay for itself in no time by removing minerals and sediment that shorten the life and efficiency of your water heater and eventually clog and corrode pipes, joints and valves leaving you with horrible problems and costly repairs.

If you live in the suburbs of Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Plymouth, St. Louis Park and Edina you draw your water primarily from the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer and might be astounded at how “hard” your water is and how much you might benefit from simple forms of water treatment.

The test is inexpensive and will not only provide you with peace of mind concerning your family’s drinking water, but it could very well offer you a higher quality of life in regard to your water use.

The answer to this question depends on several factors. It concerns your health and the health of your family, so you need to know some basic facts. In addition to illness, a variety of less serious problems such as taste, color, odor and staining of clothes or fixtures are signs of possible water quality problems. Other things to think about include the nearness of your water well to septic systems and the composition of your home’s plumbing materials.

Public Water Systems

When you turn on the tap, where does the water come from? If you pay a water bill, you are purchasing water from a public water system, where your water is monitored, tested and the results reported to the federal, state or tribal drinking water agencies responsible for making sure it meets the National Primary Drinking Water Standards. Your water company must notify you when contaminants are in the water they provide that may cause illness or other problems. Most people in the United States receive water from a community water system that provides its customers with an annual water quality report, also known as a Consumer Confidence Report. Normally, you will receive it with your water bill once a year in July. The report contains information on contaminants found, possible health effects, and the water’s source. If you do not receive a report, contact your water company for this information.

Private Water Supplies

If your drinking water does not come from a public water from a household well, you alone are responsible for assuring that it is safe. For this reason, routine testing for a few of the most common contaminants is highly recommended. Even if you currently have a safe, pure water supply, regular testing can be valuable because it establishes a record of water quality. This record is helpful in solving any future problems and in obtaining compensation if someone damages your water supply.

Are You Considering a Home Water Treatment Unit?

Find out what is in your water and what you might want to remove.  Be informed so you can make the right decisions.  The following items will help you determine when to test your private drinking water supply.

How frequently should I test?

Test water every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH levels, especially if you have a new well, or have replaced or repaired pipes, pumps or the well casing.

Do you expect to have a new baby in the household?
Test for nitrate in the early months of a pregnancy, before bringing an infant home, and again during
the fi rst six months of the baby’s life. It is best to test for nitrate during the spring or summer following a rainy period.

Do you have taste, odor and staining issues?
Test for sulfate, chloride, iron, manganese, hardness and corrosion, and every three years. If you suspect other contaminants, test for these also.

Have you had a chemical or fuel spill or leak near your water supply?
Test your well for chemical contaminants, such as volatile organic compounds. Tests can be
expensive; limit them to possible problems specific to your situation. Local experts can tell you about
possible impurities in your area.

Is someone in your household pregnant or nursing an infant? Are there unexplained illnesses in your family?
Do you notice a change in water taste, odor, color or clarity? You may need to test more than once a year.

When To Test Your Water

Do you know who can test your water?
Often county health departments will help you test for bacteria or nitrates. If not, you can have
your water tested by All Ways Plumbing, a Minnesota plumber, would be more than happy to test your water to make certain it is not only safe for you and your family to drink. The test is inexpensive and will not only provide you with peace of mind concerning your family’s drinking water, but it could very well offer you a higher quality of life in regard to your water use.

Some Helpful Info: Drinking Water Treatments

Do you suspect lead may be in some of your household plumbing materials and water service lines? Most water systems test for lead as a regular part of water monitoring. These tests give a system-wide picture, but do not reflect conditions at a specific household faucet. If you want to know if your home’s drinking water contains unsafe levels of lead, have your water tested. Testing is the only way to confirm if lead is present or absent. Some faucet and pitcher filters can remove lead from drinking water. If you use a filter to remove lead, be sure you get one that is certified to remove lead by NSF International.