Water testing, especially if you have a well, is something that should be conducted regularly. Contaminants like iron and sulfur are easy to pick up. Iron leaves the water a rusty brown color. Sulfur makes it smell bad.

Unfortunately, these are not the only potential contaminants to worry about. Contaminants like lead and arsenic, for example, are only detectable through testing. Other contaminants, such as calcium and magnesium, while they pose no health risks to us, these minerals unfortunately can be quite a nuisance by “hardening” your water, resulting in difficulty with cleaning laundry and with soaps and shampoos failing to lather up.

Finally, water testing is essential in case of dangerous pathogens in your water, making it unsafe to drink. Your water may be completely clear today. However, these contaminants can be introduced to the water table in the runoff from agricultural processes. They could also be present in the soil. Pollution from factories and other commercial operations could also add to this issue.

All it takes is for one small storm to drive inorganic material into your water supply that subsequently decomposes, making for perfect conditions for bacterial growth.