Well, it all depends.
Your water is changing all the time. A number of factors influence its purity, such as source, pollutants in your area, the age of your pipes and if you have a water purification system installed. The needs of your family may be changing too. If you’ve moved into a new home, are welcoming a new baby or have a newly diagnosed disease, you may want to take extra precautions to make sure your water stays pure.
Here’s a quick guide for how often to test your home’s water.
If you have well water…
If your home’s water comes from a private well and does not go through a whole-home water purification system, it’s wise to have your water tested every year. Well water comes from the groundwater underneath your home, so environmental contaminants can influence your water’s purity. Well water is not regulated by any governing body, so you are responsible for making sure it is safe for your family to drink. Initial testing can help you establish if there are any bacteria, nitrates or other contaminants that may be harming your family’s health. Repeated annual testing will help you ensure that no new contaminants were introduced during the previous year. In addition, establishing a record of clean well water every year can come in handy if your groundwater becomes contaminated by someone else’s pollution, such as a runoff from a nearby manufacturing plant.
If you have municipal water…
If you have municipal water, you may not need to check it as often. Municipalities are required to perform routine checks on your water’s quality and alert you if there are any dangerous levels of contaminants. You should receive an annual water quality report from your provider that lists out if any contaminants were present and at what levels. Unless your region is undergoing a crisis, such as a flood or natural disaster, it’s unlikely that your municipal water source will become contaminated to an unsafe level.
That being said, municipal water can still include low levels of certain contaminants that may affect hardness, freshness, and taste. So if you want to have fresher water in your home and are considering installing a whole home water purification system, it’s a good idea to run a test prior to installation.
If you move into a new home …
Performing a water test in your new home will help you identify any issues before they become a burden to your family. You may not know much about the state of the home’s internal plumbing or what new environmental factors may influence water purity.
If something seems off …
If you notice that your water smells or tastes bad, you have extra mineral buildup on your fixtures, or you notice strange staining on your clothes, it’s time to get your water tested. Identifying potential issues early will help you avoid both headaches and costly fixes.
Additionally, watch your local news sources for reports of heavy flooding in your area, extreme weather events, or known water contamination as this can impact the quality of groundwater.
If you have a whole home water system…
A water quality test is the first step in our process at Wolverine Water. Our in-home tests take about 20 minutes and give us a comprehensive view of exactly which contaminants are impacting your water. From there, we will recommend a customized system that will help address the specific contaminants affecting your home. After installation, we’ll run the test again so you can see the difference.
Once you have a Wolverine Water system installed, you shouldn’t need to worry about running additional water quality tests, unless you notice a drastic change in your water’s taste or smell.
Ready to get started? Schedule your free in-home water test today.
