Well water quality can have major impacts on plumbing systems, appliances, and even family health in Tampa area homes. Regular testing by a certified lab is the only way to truly understand what is in your well water.

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Benefits of Professional Well Water Testing

Testing well water on a yearly basis provides peace of mind by confirming safety and revealing aesthetic water quality issues before they cause problems.

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Ensuring Water Safety

Knowing your well water is free of dangerous bacteria and contaminants gives confidence that water straight from the tap protects family health rather than threatens it. Annual tests for total coliform bacteria and E. coli screen for disease-causing pathogens.

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Optimizing Water Quality

While water safety is essential, aesthetic factors like hardness, iron content, smell, and taste also determine whether water is pleasant to consume and use. Professional lab results analyze these parameters too.

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Protecting Plumbing and Appliances

Certain properties like pH and mineral levels indicate how corrosive or scale-forming water may be. Testing informs treatment decisions that prevent damage to plumbing, fixtures, and water-using appliances.

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Well Water Test Packages

We offer efficient well water testing services through certified environmental laboratories. Convenient test packages screen your well water for appropriate safety and aesthetic factors.

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Basic Raw Water Analysis

Our basic Package A checks well water for four key parameters - pH, hardness, iron, and TDS. Results help characterize safety and usability.

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Full Raw Water Screening

For a comprehensive test, Package B covers pH, 10 major minerals, bacteria, coliforms, E.coli, and nitrates. The full analysis profiles health hazards, corrosiveness, staining potential, and suitability for drinking and cooking.

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Bacteria and Coliform Analysis

Package C tests specifically for dangerous total coliform bacteria and E. coli. Ensuring your well water is free of microbiological contamination is crucial for protecting household health.

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Interpreting Common Well Water Contaminants

Understanding what substances found in well water indicate allows properly assessing results. Here we outline key parameters checked in our testing packages:

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pH - Acidity/Alkalinity

The pH level is one of the most important tests. It measures the acidity or alkalinity of the water on a scale from 0 to 14. Knowing the pH helps determine effective corrosion control methods to prevent metal components like pipes and fixtures from corroding. A pH near 7 is ideal for most uses. Extremely low or high pH levels may make the water unpleasant or even unsafe for drinking.

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Total Hardness

Testing for total hardness gives insight into the mineral content, specifically the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium. Harder water has more scaling potential, which can clog pipes and appliances. For drinking water, moderate hardness is recommended, though personal preference varies. Soft water below 60ppm may taste flat, while very hard water tends to limit soap's lathering ability.

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Iron (Fe)

Iron and manganese affect water's clarity and color at elevated levels. Iron causes orange/reddish stains. Manganese results in blackish/brown color and residue. These nuisance metals make water aesthetically unappealing for bathing, cleaning, and laundry, with increased staining potential. While not a health issue themselves, iron and manganese promote bacterial growth within distribution systems if uncontrolled.
 

Magnesium (Mg)

Magnesium Testing helps distinguish magnesium hardness from calcium as total hardness alone does not differentiate between these ions. Magnesium is an essential mineral for human health and aids absorption of calcium in water. However, magnesium impacts scale formation and taste satisfaction. Comparing calcium and magnesium proportions better predicts scaling and buffering tendencies.

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Calcium (Ca)

The amount of calcium directly influences water’s hardness level and scaling potential. Hard water is not harmful per se, but the excess calcium and magnesium do leave insoluble mineral deposits. Determining the calcium concentration monitors scale-forming risk, guiding treatment approaches to prevent limescale buildup which can clog fixtures and reduce efficiency.

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Bacteria and Coliforms

Testing for total coliform bacteria and E. coli is imperative to confirm water's safety from microbial pathogens. Coliform presence indicates surface contamination has likely occurred. E. coli's discovery specifically marks fecal contamination, meaning disease-causing viruses or bacteria may be present. Routine bacteriological testing ensures timely intervention against hazardous waterborne organisms.
 

Hydrogen Sulfide

Sulfides like hydrogen sulfide produce a rotten egg smell even at low concentrations. While not directly dangerous, high sulfide gives water an unpleasant odor and taste that discourages consumption. Sulfide forms from decaying organic matter or as a byproduct of sulfur-reducing microbes. Various shock chlorination methods help eliminate or prevent sulfide odors.

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Nitrates and Nitrites

Nitrate and nitrite originate from fertilizers, animal waste, and organic matter breakdown. While low levels are harmless, excessive nitrate/nitrite content can pose health dangers, especially for infants and pregnant women. Regular nitrogen-compound testing safeguards users against potential methemoglobinemia risks if concentrations exceed the maximum allowable guidelines. Proper nutrient management and pollution controls protect drinking water.
 

Chlorine

The chlorine test checks if enough disinfectant is present to inhibit microbial growth in the distribution system, keeping the tap water safe from harmful bacteria. Minimum residuals between 0.2 and 0.5ppm are typical standards. Too much chlorine impacts taste and odor. Proper chlorine sanitization is crucial for public health.

In summary, analyzing well water fully characterizes its properties and guards against issues affecting aesthetics, equipment, and user health. Familiarity with guideline limits allows customizing treatment plans for optimized water quality. Regular testing provides vital feedback, confirming effectiveness of infrastructure maintenance practices in delivering clean, safe water to the tap.