Clean water is essential for life. We need water for drinking, bathing, and cleaning the house. You can test water quality at home by purchasing and using a home water test kit, using your senses, or by procuring a Water Quality Report in your area. Make sure the water does not contain harmful levels of bacteria, lead, pesticides, nitrates, chlorine and hardness and maintain the appropriate pH level to ensure the health of you and your family.
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Method 1 of 3: Using a Home Water Test Kit
Step 1. Understand what you will be testing
Water quality mainly depends on the concentration of bacteria, lead, pesticides, nitrates, chlorine, hardness and pH of the water. Chlorine levels aid in water disinfection, nitrates come from fertilizers and are harmful to babies, calcium and magnesium (“hardness”) can cause deposition in pipes, and high pH water (acidic water) can corrode fittings.
Step 2. Purchase a home water quality test kit
These devices are available in various brands, but they all have the same function. The device will have several test strips. This test strip will be wetted with the water being tested so that the basic color changes according to the mineral content in the water. You will then match the stripe color to the color chart.
- Look for test kits that have different strips for bacteria, lead, pesticides, nitrates, chlorine, hardness, and pH.
- If your device only has one type of strip, you may only be able to test the pH of the water.
Step 3. Read the product user manual
You will find a user manual or paper inside the product packaging. This guide will explain exactly how long the strips need to be moistened with water. This guide can be different for each test device so even if you have done this test many times before, you should read and follow the user guide provided.
Step 4. Wet each strip with water
Follow your test kit's guide on how to wet the test strip. Usually, you will need to fill the glass with room temperature water. After that, dip the strip into the water in a gentle up and down motion for 5 seconds.
Step 5. Take the strip out of the water
Remove the test strip from the water and shake it to remove any excess water. Wait for the strip to slowly change color, then compare the resulting color with the colors on the chart provided with the water-testing kit.
Step 6. Determine the water quality
Compare each strip to the color on the color chart to determine your water content. The color chart will show different levels of concentrations that are acceptable or harmful.
- If you get a dangerous mineral, bacteria, or pH result, get tested again to make sure it wasn't your fault.
- If the test results show dangerous levels, immediately contact your local PDAM.
Method 2 of 3: Using Senses
Step 1. Smell the smell of water
You can determine the quality of water content through your sense of smell. Even if a professional comes to your house and tests the quality of your water, they will also sniff, taste, and look at the water to check the quality. Test your water quality using your five senses, starting with the sense of smell.
- Bleach smell. This is probably due to the chlorine added by the PDAM to ensure it is safe to use. This odor disappears when the water is exposed to air for a while. Otherwise, you can purchase a home water filter to get rid of the bleach smell. Generally, the smell of bleach is harmless.
- Smell of rotten eggs. The smell of sulfur indicates the development of bacteria. First of all, fill a glass with water and take it to another room, wait a few minutes, then try to smell the water. If the water no longer smells bad, it means bacteria is growing in the drainage and needs to be cleaned. If the water still has a strong rotten egg smell (for both hot and cold water), contact your local PDAM.
- Musty or earthy smell. This odor is probably due to the decomposition of organic matter. Again, this smell could be coming from the drainage or the water itself. Although annoying, this smell is not harmful.
Step 2. Soy sauce water
Use the sense of taste to determine water quality. First of all, if the water tastes really bitter, throw it up! If the water has a metallic taste, it may be due to a low pH level or excess minerals in the water supply (possibly due to rust in the plumbing). If the water tastes like bleach, it's probably due to excess chlorine. If the water tastes salty, it may contain chloride or sulfate ions, which could result from industrial waste or irrigation drainage. If you don't like the taste of the water, contact your local PDAM.
Step 3. Check for turbidity and water particles
Look at a glass of water in the light and see any floating particles or cloudiness present. Brown, orange, or red particles can result from rust on pipes or fittings. Black particles can come from the hose the water goes through (chlorine in the water can wear out these hoses over time). White particles (or regular cloudiness) may indicate excess calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate in the water. If you notice cloudiness or excess particles in the water, contact your local PDAM.
Step 4. Check the color of the water
Start checking the water color by letting the water run for a few minutes to remove any sediment from the water stuck in the fitting. After that, a glass of water floated in the light. Discoloration to brown, dark, or otherwise can be due to several factors: new water sources in the area, pollution going upstream, or rusty sewer pipes. If the color of the water doesn't look good, contact your local PDAM.
Step 5. Check for corrosion or deposits on the pipe
If your water pipe has a lot of corrosion or mineral deposits, it means that rust or other mineral deposits have been carried away with the water. There are several ways to look for corrosion or mineral deposits around your home. If the pipe has a lot of sediment, use a professional to have it checked and contact your local PDAM.
- If the pipe is above ground, look for areas of leakage or have white or blue sediment.
- If the pipe is difficult to reach, look for rust under the toilet bowl, or bluish stains around the bottom of the toilet.
- If you're using a professional, ask him or her to look inside the pipe cut. Look for blue, white, or rust colored deposits.
Method 3 of 3: Obtaining a Water Quality Report in Your Area
Step 1. Contact PDAM
PDAMs are required to test water regularly and report the results to the community annually. This data is compiled in the “Water Quality Report.” You can test the water quality by getting a copy of this report. The trick, just contact your local PDAM.
Step 2. Visit your city government website
Sometimes, municipalities may also link the Water Quality Report on their website. Try visiting your city's website and searching for the Water Quality Report. If you find one, download the latest report and see the current water quality in your city.
Step 3. Search the National Drinking Water Database
In the US, there is an online database that compiles nearly 20 million documents obtained from every state water service. You simply enter the zip code to display the water quality report in your respective area,
Step 4. Contact the village where you live
You can try this method if you don't know how to contact the local government. The Kelurahan may be able to provide a Water Quality Report, or tell you where the report can be obtained.
Step 5. Contact your water company
If you use the services of a private water company, try contacting the company's customer service and ask about the Water Quality Report. Perhaps the company representative can provide you with the relevant report, or indicate where you can obtain it.
