Drinking Water
Public water systems, private well owners, school districts, and those concerned with the monitoring of drinking water can benefit from our analytical services and expertise. Now UCMR2 ready!
Public Water Systems
Detailed information on EPA Standardized Monitoring Framework is available for download (PDF).
EPA's List of Regulated Contaminants
Inorganic Contaminants
- Antimony
- Asbestos
- Barium
- Beryllium
- Cadmium
- Chromium
- Copper
- Cyanide
- Mercury
- Nitrate
- Nitrite
- Selenium
- Thallium
- Arsenic
- Fluoride
- Lead
- Turbidity
Volatile Organic Contaminants
- Benzene
- Carbon Tetrachloride
- Chlorobenzene
- o-Dichlorobenzene
- p-Dichlorobenzene
- 1,1-Dichloroethylene
- cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene
- trans-1,2-Dicholoroethylene
- Dichloromethane
- 1,2-Dichloroethane
- 1,2-Dichloropropane
- Ethylbenzene
- Styrene
- Tetrachloroethylene
- 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene
- 1,1,1,-Trichloroethane
- 1,1,2-Trichloroethane
- Trichloroethylene
- Toluene
- Vinyl Chloride
- Xylenes
Synthetic Organic
Contaminants, including
pesticides & herbicides
- 2,4-D
- 2,4,5-TP (Silvex)
- Acrylamide
- Alachlor
- Atrazine
- Benzoapyrene
- Carbofuran
- Chlordane
- Dalapon
- Di 2-ethylhexyl adipate
- Di 2-ethylhexyl phthalate
- Dibromochloropropane
- Dinoseb
- Dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD)
- Diquat
- Endothall
- Endrin
- Epichlorohydrin
- Ethylene dibromide
- Glyphosate
- Heptachlor
- Heptachlor epoxide
- Hexachlorobenzene
- Hexachlorocyclopentadiene
- Lindane
- Methoxychlor
- Oxamyl [Vydate]
- PCBs [Polychlorinated biphenyls]
- Pentachlorophenol
- Picloram
- Simazine
- Toxaphene
Microbiology
- Coliform bacteria
- Fecal Coliform and E coli
Radionuclides
- Alpha emitters.
- Beta/photon emitters.
- Combined Radium 226/228.
- Radon gas
Disinfectants
Many water suppliers add a disinfectant to drinking water to kill germs such
as giardia and e coli. Especially after heavy rainstorms, your water system
may add more disinfectant to guarantee that these germs are killed.
- Chlorine
- Chloramine
- Chlorine Dioxide
- Ozone
Disinfection Byproducts
Disinfection byproducts form when disinfectants added to drinking water to
kill germs react with naturally-occuring organic matter in water.
- Total Trihalomethanes
- Haloacetic Acids
- Bromate
- Chlorite
For more information on EPA contaminants, sources, and MCL's, click here
Private Wells
The EPA recommends that well water be tested every year.* for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH levels. If you suspect other contaminants, test for those. Here is a list to help identify potential problems.
*Testing more than once a year may be warranted in special situations:
- someone in your household is pregnant or nursing
- there are unexplained illnesses in the family
- your neighbors find a dangerous contaminant in their water
- you note a change in water taste, odor, color or clarity
- there is a spill of chemicals or fuels into or near your well
- when you replace or repair any part of your well system
| Conditions or Nearby Activities | Test For |
|---|---|
| Recurring gastro-intestinal illness | Coliform bacteria |
| Household plumbing contains lead | pH, lead, copper |
| Radon in indoor air or region is radon rich | Radon |
| Corrosion of pipes, plumbing | Corrosion, pH, lead |
| Nearby areas of intensive agriculture | Nitrate, pesticides, coliform bacteria |
| Coal or other mining operations nearby | Metals, pH, corrosion |
| Gas drilling operations nearby | Chloride, sodium, barium, strontium |
| Dump, junkyard, landfill, factory, gas station, or dry-cleaning operation nearby | Volatile organic compounds, total dissolved solids, pH, sulfate, chloride, metals |
| Odor of gasoline or fuel oil, and near gas station or buried fuel tanks | Volatile organic compounds |
| Objectionable taste or smell | Hydrogen sulfide, corrosion, metals |
| Stained plumbing fixtures, laundry | Iron, copper, manganese |
| Salty taste and seawater, or a heavily salted roadway nearby | Chloride, total dissolved solids, sodium |
| Scaly residues, soaps don't lather | Hardness |
| Rapid wear of water treatment equipment | pH, corrosion |
| Water softener needed to treat hardness | Manganese & Iron, Calcium & Iron, Silica |
| Water appears cloudy, frothy, or colored | Color, detergents |