You may wonder why water needs to be tested at all after it has been run through your municipal water treatment system or if you have a well filled with clear, sparkling water, but if you don't want to succumb to waterborne diseases, you need to understand how important testing is. There is no other way to be sure that the water you and your family are using is free of toxins other than to do an analysis. Fortunately, in most towns, the water treatment facility is required to file a public report regarding the quality of the H2O you are getting. With rural water sources, however, there is no way to really know unless you have testing done yourself.
For many generations, people believed that our water resources were pure and safe for drinking and other use. They looked at the liquid, and if it was clear and didn't smell bad, then they considered it clean. We now know that thousands of tiny pathogens can be hiding in water that otherwise looks safe. With new technologies that enable scientists to see the particulates in water samples, we know that any number of substances can actually be present. These include bacteria, protozoa, viruses, metals, and chemicals.
One test that should be made on every water system is for Legionella. This is a bacteria that is not only partially resistant to disinfection using chlorine, but it can also exist even when oxygen levels are low. It feeds on various organic materials and plastics which means that the type of plumbing parts we use today give it a good environment in which to quickly grow. Some of the bacteria's favorite habitats include your water heater, humidifier, and cooling tower. Industrial facilities make particularly good breeding grounds for Legionella, the bacteria which causes Legionnaire's Disease, the mysterious illness that was first discovered when it killed 34 conventioneers and sickened many others in 1976.
Just this one example should be enough to convince you that you need to be sure about the water your family is drinking. Testing kits are available so that you can test for contaminants yourself; however, make sure to buy one that is guaranteed to give you the results you need, and keep in mind that home kits aren't going to give you the same results you'd get from professional testing equipment. You can also call in certified water testers who will conduct the testing that is necessary and provide you with accurate results as well as advice about what to do if problems are found. Don't you owe it to yourself and to your family members to ensure that the water you use in your home is really as clean and safe as it looks?