Drinking water test: who's responsible?
The responsibility to test drinking in homes rests on the home owners. The quality of the water you drink may be altered once it enters the pipes in your homes. Reasons to test your drinking water for possible contaminants may include:
- Your family health needs. Some people are more susceptible to pathogenic or other water borne diseases than others. People with severe illness could be at risk than healthy individuals.
- Environment where your water supply is located could affect the quality of your drinking water and a water test could be important. For example, proximity to wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent discharges, inadequate combined sewer overflows (CSO) abatement program, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) and sanitary sewer overflows (SSO) problems.
- Age of your house plumbing system could result in metals leaching into home drinking water. Lead in old house plumbing can leach into the drinking water. According to the medical experts, a brief or prolonged body exposure to lead can cause serous health issues. Test result will help determine the treatment options.
- Taste and odor of your drinking water from possible chlorine residual could also result in a need to conduct a water quality testing. Also, if you are simply considering a home water treatment system, testing your water will allow you to make the best selection of a water filter or a purifier.
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A test of your drinking water could:
- Give you the understanding of its quality.
- Confirm whether or not your drinking water is free of pathogenic, bacteria, lead, arsenic, iron, and other harmful chemicals.
- Give your water a clean bill of health or a direction to do something.
- Save you money because it will help you spend your money on the right water filter or softener. Perhaps you don't need one; you will not be buying one because your neighbor has one.
Public water authorities or suppliers in the United States are required to follow the US Environmental Protection (EPA) guidelines when it comes to testing water prior to distribution. Additionally, they are required to send an annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) to their customers. This report will show information about test results the water supplier has performed; the concentration level of each chemical detected; health effects of these contaminants; and where source water is taken from.
The CCR should list the parameters that the water authority or the water company generally tests for. Examples are coliform bacteria, inorganic contaminants, lead, copper, nitrates, volatile organic contaminants (VOCs), trihalomethanes (THMs), synthetic organic contaminants, radiological contaminants, and most recently, some states have began to test for pharmaceuticals or drugs in drinking water.
Some states also require annual source water assessment to determine if there are any possible threats to drinking water supply source. This type of assessment might include a susceptibility rating, based on the risk posed by each potential contamination source. It also includes a rating on how easily contaminants can get into the drinking water. Some water source could be exposed to CSOs, CAFOs, SSOs, untreated wastewater discharges, and more. You may contact your water supply authority if this information is available.
Majority of water suppliers will not deceive their customers, but recent news events about water treatment plant operators who manipulated test results offer no confidence in some reports. In this case, and for well water owners, a test will determine whether or not harmful contaminants are present in your drinking water.
For private well water owners, proximity to agricultural environments can influence the need to test what's in the drinking water. Runoffs from animal feeding operations can leak into groundwater which can contaminate well water supply. Possible contaminants from these operations are heavy metals, nitrates, pesticides, and sulfates.
Untreated wastewater that discharges to water supply source and failed septic systems can result in well water contamination. Treatment options for well water contaminations could be the use of a filter system. Testing will reveal what's in the water and what type of water treatment is needed. |
| State |
Addresses and Phone Numbers |
| Alabama |
Water Supply Branch
Dept. of Environmental Management
P.O. Box 301463
1400 Coliseum Blvd.
Montgomery, AL 36130-1463
Phone: 334-271-7773 |
| Alaska |
Drinking Water and Wastewater Program
Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Division of Environmental Health
555 Cordova Street
Anchorage, AK 99501
907-269-7500 |
| Arizona |
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
ADEQ Drinking Water Section
1110 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85007 |
| Arkansas |
Division of Engineering
Dept. of Health
4815 West Markham Street
Mail Slot 37
Little Rock, AR 72205-3867
501-661-2623 |
| California |
Division of Drinking Water and Environmental Management
California Dept. of Health Services
P.O. Box 942732-MS216
Sacramento, CA 94234-4320
916-323-6111 |
| Colorado |
Drinking Water Program
Dept. of Public Health & Environment
WQCD-DW-B2
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, CO 80246-1530
303-692-3500 |
| Connecticut |
Drinking Water Division
Dept. of Public Health
MS-51WAT
P.O. Box 340308
Hartford, CT 06134-0308
860-509-7333 |
| Delaware |
Division of Public Health
Delaware Health and Social Services
Blue Hen Corporate Center, Suite 203
655 Bay Road
Dover, DE 19901
Phone: 302-739-5410 |
| Florida |
Drinking Water Section
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Twin Towers Office Building
2600 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee, FL 32399-2400
850-487-1762 |
| Georgia |
Water Resources Branch
Environmental Protection Division
Dept. of Natural Resources
Floyd Towers East, Room 1362
205 Butler Street, SE
Atlanta, GA 30334
404-656-5660 |
| Guam |
Guam Environmental
Protection Agency
Government of Guam
P.O. Box 22439 GMF
Barrigada, GU 96921
671-475-1658 |
| Hawaii |
Environmental Management Division
Hawaii Dept. of Health
919 Ala Moana Blvd.
Room 300
Honolulu, HI 96814-4920
808-586-4258 |
| Idaho |
Division of Environmental Quality
Dept. of Health and Welfare
1410 North Hilton
Boise, ID 83706
208-373-0502 |
| Illinois |
Division of Public Water Supplies
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
P.O. Box 19276
Springfield, IL 62794-9276
217-785-8653 |
| Indiana |
Drinking Water Branch
Office of Water Management
Dept. of Environmental Management
P.O. Box 6015
Indianapolis, IN 46206-6015
317-308-3281 |
| Iowa |
Water Supply Section
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
401 SW 7th ST
Suite M
Des Moines, IA 50309-4611
515-725-0282 |
| Kansas |
Public Water Supply Section
Bureau of Water
Kansas Dept. of Health &Environment
Curtis State Office Building
1000 SW Jackson St. Suite 420
Topeka, KS 66612-1367 |
| Kentucky |
Drinking Water Branch
Division of Water
Dept. for Environmental Protection
14 Reilly Road
Frankfort Office Park
Frankfort, KY 40601
502-564-3410 |
| Louisiana |
Division of Environmental & Health Services
Louisiana Dept. of Health & Hospitals
Office of Public Health
6867 Blue Bonnet Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70810
225-568-5100 |
| Maryland |
Water Supply Program
Maryland Department of the Environment
1800 Washington Boulevard, Suite 450
Baltimore MD 21230
410-537-3706 |
| Massachussett |
Drinking Water Program
Dept. of Environmental Protection
One Winter Street, 6th Floor
Boston, MA 02108
617-292-5770 |
| Michigan |
Drinking Water & Radiological Protection Div.
Michigan DEQ
Box 30630
Lansing, MI 48909-8130
517-335-9216 |
| Minnesota |
Drinking Water Protection Section
Dept. of Health
121 East Seventh Place
P.O. Box 64975
St. Paul, MN 55164-0975
612-215-0770 |
| Missisippi |
Division of Water Supply
Dept. of Health
P.O. Box 1700
2423 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39215-1700
601-576-7518 |
| Missouri |
Public Drinking Water Program
Water Protection and Soil and Water Conservation Division
Dept. of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 176
Jefferson City, MO 65101
800-361-4827 |
| Nebraska |
Nebraska Dept. of HHS Regulation & Licensure
301 Centennial Mall South
P.O. Box 95007, 3rd Floor
Lincoln, NE 68509-5007
402-471-2541 |
| Nevada |
Bureau of Health Protection Services
Dept. of Human Resources
1179 Fairview Drive
Suite 101
Carson City, NV 89710-5405
775-687-4750 |
| New Hampshire |
Water Supply Engineering Bureau
Dept. of Environmental Services
P.O. Box 95
6 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03302-0095
603-271-3139 |
| New Jersey |
Bureau of Safe Drinking Water
Environmental Regulation
Dept. of Environmental Protection
P.O. Box CN-426
Trenton, NJ 08625
609-292-5550 |
| New Mexico |
Drinking Water Bureau
New Mexico Environment Department
525 Camino De Los Marquez
Suite 4
Santa Fe, NM 87501
505-827-7536 |
| New York |
Bureau of Public Water Supply Protection
Department of Health
547 River Street
Troy, NY 12180-2216
518-402-7650 |
| North Carolina |
Public Water Supply Section
Dept. of Env. and Natural Resources
1634 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1634
919-733-2321 |
| North Dakota |
North Dakota Dept. of Health
1200 Missouri Avenue
Room 203
P.O. Box 5520
Bismarck, ND 58506-5520
701-328-5211 |
| Ohio |
Division of Drinking & Ground Water
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Lazarus Government Center
P.O. Box 1049
Columbus, OH 43216-1049
614-644-2769 |
| Oklahoma |
Water Quality Division
Department of Environmental Quality
P. O. Box 1677
707 N. Robinson
Oklahoma City, OK 73101-1677
405-702-5100 |
| Oregon |
Drinking Water Program
Dept. of Human Resources
P.O. Box 14450
Portland, OR 97293-0450
503-731-4317 |
Pennsylvania |
Bureau of Water Supply Management
Dept. of Environmental Protection
P.O. Box 8467
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8467
717-787-5017 |
| Puerto Rico (Spanish) |
Departamento de Salud (Department of Health)
P.O. Box 70184
San Juan, PR 00936
787-754-6010 |
| Puerto Rico (English) |
Departamento de Salud (Department of Health)
P.O. Box 70184
San Juan, PR 00936
787-754-6010 |
| Rhode Island |
Office of Drinking Water Quality
Dept. of Health
3 Capitol Hill
Room 209
Providence, RI 02911
401-222-6867 |
| South Carolina |
Bureau of Water
Dept. of Health & Environmental Control
2600 Bull Street
Columbia, SC 29201
803-734-5300 |
| South Dakota |
Drinking Water Program
Division of Environmental Regulation
Dept. of Environment & Natural Resources
523 East Capital Avenue
Joe Foss Building
Pierre, SD 57501
605-773-3754 |
| Tennessee |
Division of Water Supply
Dept. of Environment & Conservation
401 Church Street
L & C Tower, 6th Floor
Nashville, TN 37243-1549
615-532-0191 |
| Texas |
Water Supply Division (MC-155)
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
P.O. Box 13087
Austin, TX 78711-3087
512-239-4691 |
| Utah |
Division of Drinking Water
Dept. of Environmental Quality
P.O. Box 144830
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-4830
801-536-4200 |
| Vermont |
Water Supply Division
Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Old Pantry Building
103 South Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05671-0403
802-241-3400 |
| Virgin Islands |
Division of Environmental Protection
Dept. of Planning & Natural Resources
Wheatley Center 2
St. Thomas, VI 00802
340-774-3320 |
| Virginia |
Division of Water Supply Engineering
Dept. of Health
Room 109-31
1500 East Main Street
Richmond, VA 23219
804-786-5566 |
| Washington |
Drinking Water Division
Dept. of Health
Washington Airdustrial Center
Building 3
P.O. Box 47822
Olympia, WA 98504-7822
360-236-3100
800-521-0323 |
| Washington, DC |
Environmental Health Administration
Water Quality Division
51 N Street, NE, 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 535-2190 |
| West Virginia |
Environmental Engineering Division
Office of Environmental Health Services
Bureau for Public Health
815 Quarrier Street, Suite 401
Charleston, WV 25301
304-558-2981 |
| Wyoming |
Wyoming Drinking Water Program
EPA Region VIII
999 18th Street, Suite 500
8P2-W
Denver, CO 80202-2466
303-312-6312 |
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