How to test water quality in your Routt County home?
- Caitlyn McKenzie
- May 6
- 3 min read
How to test water in your home?
The quality of your water might not be as good as you expect it to be. Just last year, the Steamboat School District discovered LEAD in the drinking water of 5 out of 14 fixtures at our Middle School. Lead is a toxic heavy metal that can wreak havoc on almost every organ in our bodies, especially our nervous system.
Whether it’s a malfunctioning water treatment plant or the use of fertilizer near your water pipes or the existence of forever plastic chemicals in our environment, it’s important to check the water quality at your home. But, how do you test the quality of your water at home? Here are a few simple ways you can do so.
Use Your Senses
Often all you need to test the quality of water is to use your senses. Start by smelling a glass of tap water. Do you smell bleach? Water treatment plants often use chlorine, but an excess of disinfectant could be of concern. Smell rotten eggs? There might be sulfur bacteria and hydrogen sulfide gas in your pipes which could be a sign of water contamination.
Check the color of your water through a clear glass. A brown or cloudy appearance could mean that there’s rust in your pipes. An excess of particles should be reported to your local municipality or call for an expanded water sample and test.
Tasting the water can also help determine if there’s anything wrong with your water. A metallic taste could mean rust, while a bleach taste could signify an excess of chlorine.
Laboratory Tests for the Water
Tests available at the Routt County Courthouse
In Routt County, we work with the Routt County CSU Extension Office or Environmental Health for a variety of water testing. They are both located in the County Courthouse on 5th Street x Lincoln Avenue. It is important to use a certified testing laboratory that produce reliable results. Important Note: The EPA and State of Colorado recommend annual microbiology testing for well water systems.
Call Pristine Living Co. for a Water Test and Processing
At Pristine Living Co. we can help you test your water thru state certified laboratory for reliable results that review basic contaminants or an expanded list of elements. Together, we will gain a better understanding of your specific water quality data and devise a customized plan for improvement.
Obtain A Water Quality Report For Your Neighborhood
Every water supplier is required to offer a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) annually to provide information about the quality of the water in your area. Check the website of your city’s water provider to see the report. This report will provide a basic report following national guidelines to report average concentrations of different chemicals and minerals in your area’s water.
Our Steamboat municipal water comes from either the City of Steamboat Springs Water District or Mt. Werner Water supply. These districts provide a CCR report offered at the following links.
Other water districts in Routt County have their own CCR. Reach out to Pristine Living Co staff to obtain copies of these reports or learn more about how to interpret the data. This is helpful if you are on municipal water systems, for well water, the homeowner is in charge of annual testing and monitoring their water quality.
What Do I Do To Improve The Quality Of Water In My Home?
An under-sink filtration system should help improve the taste in your water while also removing impurities for your health. If you wish to remove hard or tough minerals to further improve the quality of your home’s water, a whole house filtration or treatment system provides the benefits of cleaner and softer water at all locations as well as more efficient mechanical systems for home health.
At Pristine Living Co., we work with a design team to specify a water system custom to your home, location, water quality and needs. We provide installation support and continue to provide valuable resources through the life of the equipment with maintenance and filter replacement.
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