The quality of water in the UK is generally reasonable. The waterworks treat the water to meet the strict requirements of the UK Drinking Water Ordinance.
Access to safe and clean drinking water is a basic human right. However, the quality of drinking water can be compromised by various factors, including pollution and contamination. Therefore, it is essential to regularly test the quality of drinking water to ensure that it meets the required standards. By doing so, we can safeguard the health and well-being of individuals and communities by providing them with safe, clean, and healthy drinking water.
You may find out why you should still test the water quality and how that works in this article.
The differences in supplied water
Through leaching and dissolution, magnesium and calcium ions from the soil reach the deeper groundwater layers. The respective geological subsoil determines the distribution of the hardness constituents. For this reason, the concentration can vary significantly from region to region. Areas with limestone or gypsum-bearing strata supply harder water. So-called acid rain and lime fertilisation are further causes of the increase in the hardness range of groundwater. Rainwater, by the way, has a value in the zero sector and is thus very soft.
The controls end at the property boundary
The public utilities can only guarantee that the limit values as far as your house connection are complied with. From there, the landlord or house owner is responsible.
For whom is a water test crucial?
Babies:
In principle, ensure that your water quality is impeccable. Parents of babies and expectant mothers are advised to have their tap water tested. In the early growth phase, children react very sensitively to external influences. The intake of substances that are hazardous to health can cause severe disturbances in mental development and may even be life-threatening.
People with weak immune systems:
If the immune system is weakened, the body is much more susceptible to infections and reacts more sensitively to harmful substances. Contaminated drinking water increases the risk of disease much more than in healthy people.
Well owners:
Well-owners are not connected to the central drinking water distribution system compared to ordinary consumers. They thus cannot rely on the continuous quality of their water. Therefore, there is a legal obligation to test. Especially in rural areas, nitrate can significantly pollute drinking water. Toxic heavy metals and aluminium in groundwater are also problematic.
What are the most common contaminants?
Experience shows that the limit values for lead and copper are often exceeded. The source of this is the pipes of the domestic installation as well as the water tap fittings.
Although the installation of lead pipes has been banned since 1999, old lead pipes and lead connectors can still be found in old buildings. In the meantime, many water pipes are made of copper. Here, the copper can dissolve and get into the tap water. There is, therefore, a higher risk of copper contamination in new buildings.
But other heavy metals, light metals, pharmaceutical residues, bacteria, pesticides, and other environmental toxins can also lurk in your drinking water.
What parameters does a water analysis include?
Depending on your personal needs, you can choose a test that best suits your requirements.
IVARIO’s Water Test Kit Plus tests 36 values, including various heavy metals, microbes, bacteria, minerals, and nitrogen compounds, such as nitrate, water hardness, and pH.