Suppose you have ever gone to a water treatment facility to obtain clean, potable water. In that case, you may have asked what the various requirements for water quality are before it is considered "safe." While water treated at a treatment facility is generally regarded as safe under these circumstances, there are several indications that water supplied by public treatment facilities may not be as safe as some realize. While the Environmental Protection Agency makes general recommendations for the quality of water provided by public treatment facilities, the reality is that the extent of those recommendations may vary from one region to the next. So, when considering whether or not you should consume or use tap water, you need to ask: what are the test requirements for water quality in my area?

The Environmental Protection Agency has specific guidelines and requirements for water quality testing. For instance, the guidelines stress the need for water samples to be collected regularly to be performed to confirm the existence and absence of contaminants. Additionally, the guidelines call for the water samples to be held for a minimum of 30 days to allow for the growth and development of testing results.

The question "what are the tests required for water quality?" can be addressed by asking whether your water source complies with EPA's "drink first" rule. The "drink first" rule is designed to protect children, senior citizens, and persons with specific disabilities from the harmful effects of drinking contaminated water. According to the law, a person who drinks from a container that has been tested and deemed clean can take that container wherever it is safely disposed of - so long as the container has not been consumed.

Another indication of whether or not you need to test your tap water comes from the presence of chlorination. In most areas, the "safe" amount of chlorine in tap water is less than 0.3 milligrams per one gallon. If the chlorination levels are more significant than the safe level, you may need to test your water for what is called a "cyst."

The third test that you will likely need to determine the test required for water quality is testing your soil. A lack of minerals in the ground, especially potassium, can affect the overall health of your plants. Potassium is essential for growing healthy plants, so if you are lacking, your plants will suffer. Your vegetables and fruits will lack flavor, and your garden will not produce as well.

So, "what are the test required for water quality?" is an easy question to answer. You must have access to a water source that provides clean water to answer this question adequately. With the additional information from the previous questions, you should be able to answer "which one is better for me?" with relative ease.