Every adult should drink at least one and a half liters of water a day. This is the norm that will allow your body to work like a clock. But not always the water that comes from the tap will meet the desired quality. It is in this case that you should check all the characteristics in order to protect your he alth.
Why should water quality be tested?
Water is consumed daily. It is very difficult sometimes to identify all the flaws, because they may not have a pronounced smell or taste. The main distinguishing features are as follows:
- Changing characteristics. If you notice some differences in color, smell or taste, then you need to immediately conduct an examination. This does not mean that the water has become polluted and dangerous. But to avoid subsequent problems, it is best to play it safe.
- Construction of an industrial plant. If near your houseany industrial facility is being built, in most cases the water is polluted.
- A man-made accident near the house. In such a situation, you need to immediately check whether toxic waste has seeped into the soil and whether it has infected the water.
- Water treatment. If you install filters, then you need to know the composition of your water.
- Purchase of land. If you purchase a site, and there is a well on it, then you first need to check the condition of the water from it. You should stock up on knowledge on how to test the quality of well water.
What are the regulations?
If you do not know how to check the quality of water at home, then first you need to determine its type. For each species, there are some specific characteristics.
On the territory of Russia today, a number of regulatory documents have been developed that just regulate the drinking water quality system. The list includes the following:
- State type standards.
- Specifications.
- Hygiene standards and more.
Each of them carries some specific data.
Which water is tested for quality?
At the same time, among the main types of drinking water, the following can be noted:
- Tap water. This is the main source of incoming fluid for settlements. Mineralization, hardness, the presence of various elements and much more are set for it. All this can be found in 1000regulations.
- Bottled water. Very often it can be found from various manufacturers. And the quality is not always perfect. Therefore, water is divided into two categories: the highest and the first. The first category does not harm the body, but does not enrich it with any elements. But she meets all the requirements. Water of the highest category is usually extracted from various natural sources. When setting the quality of water of any category, the composition of s alt, gas, as well as the presence of various harmful elements is used.
- Water from natural sources. This includes wells, rivers, wells, springs and much more. When checking, first of all, the presence of various impurities of the chemical content is taken into account.
Where can I test the quality of water?
If you do not know how to check the quality, then you need to think about the enterprises specializing in this. Organizations involved in verification include the following:
- Rospotrebnadzor.
- Private laboratory.
- Laboratory from the water utility.
- Laboratory of epidemiological stations.
It is best to contact those organizations whose activities are confirmed by a license. This will allow you to get a competent check that will help you in the future.
How to check water quality at home?
Before taking water to some highly specialized organization, it is better to carry out the process at home. For this youyou need to know some properties:
- Smell. Everyone knows that water has no odor. But when any unnecessary substances appear, the smell will become grassy, swampy or whatever. If there are dissolved gases in the water, there will be an ammonia or chlorine smell. Saturation will be measured on a five-point scale.
- Taste. It will depend on how much and what organic substances are present in the water. If it has a s alty taste, it contains dissolved s alts. If the taste is metallic, then a lot of iron. A sour taste will indicate that acids are present. If there are no impurities in the water, it will taste fresh.
- Color. It indicates that there are any foreign impurities in the water. Pure water has no color. But it can be bluish or greenish. If the water contains a large amount of impurities, it may be yellow-brown.
- Haze. Cloudiness can be seen in clear water. This indicates that it has a high content of suspended particles.
- Mineralization. The concept indicates how many dissolved s alts are present in water. When checking, you need to know that good water should have data on this characteristic from 200 to 400 mg / l.
Check the quality with improvised means
How to check water quality at home? If you suspect that the water has any harmful impurities, then you can use several methods to check.
If you do not know how to check the quality of water inat home, you should use the following methods:
- Dilute the water. There is an opinion that the purer the water, the less it will weigh. To do this, take water from the cooler and from a regular water supply. Measure identical samples and then weigh.
- Making tea. To do this, you need to brew tea and pour ordinary tap water into it. If the color has turned peach, then you don’t have to worry. If the tea is cloudy, the water is undrinkable.
- Water in a bottle. This is the most elementary way. You just need to pour water into a bottle and put it in a dark place for 2 days. After that, check the contents of your bottle. If the water has turned greenish, and a plaque has appeared, then it is not suitable for consumption. If there is no change, then the water is clean.
- Boiling. Boil water in a perfectly clean container. Do this for 15 minutes. Then drain and look for suspicious scale. If there is a large amount of iron oxide in the water, the scale will be dark gray.
- Mirror or glass. In order to conduct an experiment, you need to drop water on the surface and wait a few minutes for the liquid to evaporate. If a trace remains, then the water has some impurities.
- Potassium permanganate. You can check the quality of water at home using potassium permanganate as follows: dissolve a little of the product in plain water and look at the reaction. If the water turns yellow, it should not be consumed.
- Washing hands. If the soap lathers poorly, then the water is very hard. It is better to boil it before use.
- Dip the soap in hotwater. If it dissolves completely, the water is clear.
There are other ways to check the quality of water at home - with a testometer. This device allows you to quickly set all the data and find out the necessary information.
Why should water quality be tested?
Many are accustomed to not drinking tap water. This is what my parents said when they were kids. But today this is not the case. Many houses are equipped with various appliances, and water can be drunk directly from the tap without boiling.
Very often, water in many areas becomes clogged from nearby factories or landfills. That is why it is not always necessary to drink it raw, otherwise you can catch the disease.
How can water be purified?
Many grandmothers used the silver spoon method. They simply threw such an object into the water and thought that the water would be purified. But it's not. Silver does not react well with ordinary water and does not change anything.
One of the most commonly used methods for water purification is boiling. The water heats up and most microorganisms die in it.
Besides this, water can be passed through various filters. One of them is coal. This is a rather expensive slow method. But coal allows you to purify water from almost all elements.
Several methods can be noted on how to check the quality of water at home after the filter.
Ozonation of water is a method that has recently entered the lives of many people. But he's expensive. Only forin a few seconds you can destroy all microorganisms and harmful substances from the water. In addition, you will leave only useful elements, as well as improve taste.
Conclusions
If you do not know how to check the quality of water at home with soda, then you should contact the professionals. All methods for cleaning at home give only approximate results. Therefore, if defects are found, you should immediately contact special organizations.
