Testing Well Water Simpler Than Expected

Reader Contribution by Linda Holliday
Published on February 11, 2014
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Up until a toxic chemical oozed into the Elk River in Charleston, W. Va., last month, we thought most pollutants could be smelled, seen or tasted. We were wrong. West Virginians are apparently fortunate that Crude MCHM (4-methylcyclohexanemethanol) smells like licorice. Otherwise, no one may have noticed the toxic chemical seeped into the public water supply. Since Crude MCHM is stored in tanks just a mile and half upstream from the city’s water source and is commonly used locally in coal mining processes, I was shocked to learn the company supplying Charleston with water does not test for it.

My subsequent research showed me how naïve many of us are concerning water testing and purity. Those of us with private drilled wells may be the most complacent. The company responsible for the Jan. 9 spill, Freedom Industries, has since filed for bankruptcy and did not disclose until many days later than a second chemical, a compound of polyglycol ethers, also leaked into the Elk River, affecting 300,000 city water customers. Freedom Industries allegedly knew about the second contaminant, but kept silent to protect trade secrets regarding the compound. That odd licorice smell, however, prompted many folks to notify officials who ultimately solved the mystery and traced its source.

I have since learned water contaminants aren’t apparent to us. Many of the most serious problems can only be detected through lab testing.

Health Department Water Tests Limited

Curious, I visited our county health department to find out what it tests for when we submit a water sample. Surprisingly, only two things are tested for – coliform and E.coli. Both are potentially dangerous bacteria that can make folks very ill, but there are a host of other common contaminants not tested for. The test through our local health department costs just $10. Perhaps that’s why I assumed water testing is a simple process. I pictured technicians dipping in one strip of litmus paper and producing a spreadsheet of results. That is not how it’s done at all. Separate vials, reagent pads and bacterial growth powders are needed to test for additional contaminants.

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