Water Testing
Water Quality & Potability Testing in Red Deer, Alberta from Carson Dunlop
The Miller Team Proudly Serves Red Deer, Rocky Mountain House, Sylvan Lake, Blackfalds, Olds, Innisfail, & Surrounding Communities
Access to clean, safe drinking water is essential for every home. But water that looks, smells, and tastes clean can still contain bacteria, metals, minerals, or other contaminants that aren’t detectable without laboratory testing.
Whether your home’s water comes from a municipal system or a private well, water quality testing can provide valuable information about what’s in your water. Carson Dunlop offers several water testing options to help homeowners and homebuyers better understand their water supply and identify potential concerns.
What Does Water Quality Testing Reveal?
Water quality can be affected by naturally occurring minerals, environmental conditions, aging plumbing, nearby land use, and other factors. Depending on the type of testing performed, laboratory analysis can identify bacteria, chemical and physical characteristics, trace elements, heavy metals, and other indicators that may affect the safety, taste, odour, colour, or overall quality of your water.
Carson Dunlop offers several types of water testing to address different concerns:
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Potable Water Test (Bacteria)
A potable water bacteria test checks for indicator bacteria, including total coliforms and E. coli. The presence of these bacteria can indicate that a water supply may have been affected by sewage, surface water, animal waste, or other sources of contamination. Bacteria testing can be particularly important for homes that rely on private wells. -
Potable Water Chemical Test
Potable Water Chemical Test A chemical water test measures a range of chemical, physical, and biological parameters to provide a broader picture of drinking water quality. Depending on the testing package, analysis may include characteristics and substances that affect the water's quality, suitability for consumption, taste, odour, or appearance. -
Water Metals Test
A metals test measures the concentration of trace elements and heavy metals within the water supply. This testing can help identify elevated concentrations of metals that may occur naturally in groundwater or enter drinking water through plumbing materials, environmental contamination, or other sources. -
Iron-Reducing Bacteria (IRB) Test
Iron-related bacteria can contribute to staining, unpleasant tastes or odours, discoloured water, and slime buildup in plumbing and water treatment equipment. An IRB test can determine whether these bacteria are present in the water supply. -
Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria (SRB) Test
Sulfate-reducing bacteria can produce hydrogen sulfide, which is commonly associated with a "rotten egg" smell in water. Testing can help determine whether SRB may be contributing to odour or other water-quality concerns.
What Can Cause Water Supply Contamination?
Water quality can change over time, particularly in homes supplied by private wells. Even seemingly clear water can contain contaminants or have characteristics that affect its quality. Potential sources of water-quality concerns include:
- Aging, damaged, or corroded plumbing and water service lines
- Naturally occurring minerals and metals in soil and bedrock
- Agricultural activity, fertilizers, manure, and livestock operations
- Septic systems and wastewater
- Nearby industrial or commercial activity
- Flooding, heavy rainfall, and surface-water runoff
- Changes in groundwater conditions
- Construction or land development near a well
- Improperly maintained or damaged private wells
Testing may be especially valuable when purchasing a home with a private well, after flooding or repairs to a well system, when there is an unexplained change in the water’s taste, smell, or appearance, or when there are concerns about nearby sources of contamination.
Which Water Test Do I Need?
The right test depends on the property, its water source, and the concerns you want to investigate. A bacteria test may be appropriate when evaluating the potability of well water, while chemical and metals testing can provide a more comprehensive picture of water quality. IRB and SRB testing can help investigate specific issues such as staining, slime buildup, discolouration, or unpleasant odours.
Your local Carson Dunlop inspector can help you understand the available testing options and arrange the appropriate water samples for laboratory analysis.
Get More Information About Your Home's Water
You can’t determine water quality by appearance alone. Professional water sampling and laboratory testing can provide objective information about your home’s water supply so you can make informed decisions about additional testing, treatment, maintenance, or repairs when necessary.
Contact your local Carson Dunlop inspector to learn more about available water quality testing services.
