Local water utilities are required to test their systems for contamination and to release annual reports demonstrating water safety (usually enclosed with a summer bill). But since the 2014 crisis in Flint, Michigan 맥스카지노� when water laden with lead and other harmful substances flowed freely through the city맥스카지노�s water supply 맥스카지노� homeowners are turning to at-home testing kits to analyze the contents of their tap water for common contaminants, like bacteria, lead, mercury and aluminum.The Environmental Protection Agency recommends doing a test if your water appears cloudy or smells and tastes off, your soaps don맥스카지노�t lather, your plumbing fixtures or laundry gets stained or if you experience consistent gastrointestinal illnesses. But the number of kits on the market is staggering, so here맥스카지노�s what to keep in mind before you splurge on a kit.Test stripsThe claim: Chemically treated strips or those made from materials that react to contaminants show the presence or absence of substances according to the color the strips turn when they are submerged in water. Users consult a corresponding color chart to discover what맥스카지노�s in their water.The evidence: Although many of these kits claim to test to EPA standards, the EPA neither evaluates nor recommends them. The strips don맥스카지노�t indicate the exact amounts of contaminants; moreover, the tests맥스카지노� accuracy is uncertain because people often judge shades of colors differently, says Lloyd Wilson, a research scientist and director of the New York Bureau of Water Supply Protection. 맥스카지노�If you give a strip to five different people,맥스카지노� he says, 맥스카지노�you might get five different results.맥스카지노�The upshot: Test strips can serve as an initial screening tool, providing info on water pH and hardness, but they don맥스카지노�t offer a clear picture of the level of contamination. Prices range from $10 to $30 on average.Digital testersThe claim: Most digital testers use an electronic probe to measure water properties that change according to the presence and quantity of different contaminants. For example, testers will track hydrogen ion activity to determine a sample맥스카지노�s pH level or measure total dissolved solids such as calcium, magnesium, chlorides and sulfates.The evidence: Results are quantified and displayed as numbers, eliminating the subjectivity of the test strips맥스카지노� color chart. However, 맥스카지노�Consumers should be careful that they are actually using the tester for its intended purpose,맥스카지노� says Eric Yeggy, director of technical affairs at the Water Quality Association. 맥스카지노�For example, a TDS tester is no substitute for a lead or microbial test.맥스카지노�The upshot: These types of testers reliably detect water quality indicators that affect taste but can be less accurate on other measures, experts say. Prices range from $10 to several hundred dollars, depending on for what they're meant to test.Best choice: Send-to-lab testsThe claim: These tests provide instructions, vials and packaging for a consumer to mail water samples to a lab for testing. Results indicate the presence of many types of chemicals, bacteria and parasites.The evidence: This approach doesn맥스카지노�t provide instant results. It can ensure that the sample is accurately tested, but only if you choose a water-testing kit that uses a state-certified lab, which follows EPA-approved methods of separating, identifying and measuring water contaminants.The upshot: Water quality experts agree: Send-to-lab tests are the most trustworthy. 맥스카지노�Using a certified lab ensures that tests are done with appropriate detection limits,맥스카지노� says Roger Sokol, director of the division of environmental health protection at the New York State Department of Health. 맥스카지노�This means they맥스카지노�ll measure harmful contaminants at the levels of concern.맥스카지노� Find a certified lab here. Test kits cost $25 to several hundred dollars, depending on what you맥스카지노�d like tested.