WATER TESTING & WATER QUALITY

Understand What's in Your Water.

Water can look, taste and smell perfectly normal while still containing substances that can only be identified through testing. At other times, staining, odour, sediment or changes in water quality can provide clues that something has changed.

Air & Water helps homeowners, businesses and facilities investigate water-quality concerns, understand laboratory results and determine what should happen next.

Gloved hands rinse a translucent bottle under a chrome pull-down faucet over a double kitchen sink.

START WITH INFORMATION

Testing Tells Us What's in the Water. Treatment Decisions Come Afterwards.

Water testing can help establish what is actually present in the water and at what concentration. That information can then be considered alongside the water source, how the water is being used and what the customer is trying to accomplish.

water_drop

You're Experiencing a Water Problem

Staining, odour, colour, sediment, scale or other changes may warrant further investigation.

local_drink

You're Concerned About Drinking Water

Some water-quality concerns cannot be identified by sight, taste or smell.

science

A Bacterial Test Is Needed

Microbiological testing can help determine whether indicator bacteria are present in the water.

settings

You're Planning Treatment

Water chemistry can be important when determining whether treatment is required and which approaches may be appropriate.

fact_check

You Already Have Treatment

Raw and treated water samples can help determine whether existing equipment is performing as expected.

autorenew

Your Water Has Changed

Changes in the well, source water, season, plumbing or treatment system can sometimes affect water quality.

WHAT SHOULD YOU TEST FOR?

Not Every Water Problem Requires the Same Test.

The appropriate testing depends on the water source, the symptoms being experienced and what you need to know. Rather than testing for everything—or testing only the most obvious parameter—we can help identify which information may be useful for evaluating the water from a treatment perspective.

Where laboratory analysis is required, samples can be submitted to an appropriate laboratory.

water_drop

Hardness

Scale, soap performance and treatment sizing.

format_color_fill

Iron and manganese

Staining and discolouration. Elevated manganese can also be a health concern.

science

pH

Acidity or alkalinity, which can affect plumbing and treatment.

grain

Turbidity and colour

Suspended material and visible water-quality concerns.

water

Total dissolved solids

A general measure of dissolved substances in the water.

radar

Arsenic and other metals

Some chemical contaminants cannot be detected by appearance, taste or smell.

science

Nitrate

May be present without obvious signs and can be a health concern at elevated concentrations.

palette

Organics and tannins

Can contribute to colour, taste and odour and may affect treatment.

coronavirus

Microbiological parameters

Bacteriological testing looks for indicators of microbial contamination.

more_horiz

Other parameters

Appropriate to the water source or concern.

POTABILITY

What Does a Potability Assessment Include?

A bacteriological test and a chemical water analysis answer different questions.

Bacteriological testing looks for indicators of microbial contamination.

Chemical testing can evaluate parameters such as arsenic, nitrate, manganese and other substances appropriate to the water source.

A satisfactory bacteriological result does not mean the water has been assessed for chemical contaminants. Likewise, a chemical analysis does not establish that the water is free from bacterial contamination.

For a broader assessment of drinking-water potability, both bacteriological and appropriate chemical testing may be needed.

coronavirus

Microbiological testing

Indicators of bacterial contamination.

science

Chemical testing

Parameters such as arsenic, nitrate, manganese and other substances appropriate to the water source and concern.

FROM RESULTS TO NEXT STEPS

A Laboratory Report Is Only the Beginning.

A laboratory report can tell you what was detected and at what concentration. The next question is what those results mean for your particular water system.

Air & Water can review water-quality results from a water-treatment perspective and help explain:

Treatment should not be selected from a single number without considering the rest of the water chemistry and the application.

check
Which results may be significant
check
Which results may relate to the problem you're experiencing
check
Whether additional information may be useful
check
Whether treatment appears necessary
check
Whether treatment should be considered for the whole building or only drinking water
check
Which types of treatment may warrant further consideration

Infographic showing five water-treatment factors pointing toward a central filtration system.

BACTERIA IN WATER

A Positive Result Deserves Investigation.

Bacteriological testing looks for indicators of microbial contamination in a water sample. If a result is unsatisfactory, the next step may include looking at the well, plumbing, storage or recent work that could have contributed to the result.

Depending on the circumstances, sanitization and follow-up testing may be appropriate. In other situations, ongoing disinfection treatment may be considered.

A bacteriological result reflects the sample collected at that time and should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future water quality.

check
Reviewing the sample and sampling conditions
check
Inspecting the water system
check
Sanitization or chlorination
check
Flushing
check
Follow-up sampling
check
Investigating potential contamination pathways
check
Considering ongoing treatment where appropriate

Contact Air & Water

Six labeled sample bottles sit on a wet laboratory counter beside a sink and faucet.

TREATMENT PERFORMANCE

Test the Water Before and After the Equipment.

Water testing can also be used to help evaluate how a treatment system is performing. Comparing samples collected before and after treatment can show how the targeted water-quality parameters changed under the conditions present when the samples were collected.

This can be useful when commissioning new equipment, troubleshooting an existing system or monitoring treatment performance over time.

check
Hard water after a softener
check
Iron or manganese staining returning
check
Changes in taste, odour or colour
check
Filter performance
check
Reverse osmosis performance
check
Concerns about an existing treatment system
check
Changes in water quality over time

Request Service

Water-treatment process diagram showing raw water, filtration equipment, treated water, and a house.

AREA WATER QUALITY

What's Been Found in Your Area?

Air & Water has accumulated water-quality results from wells throughout the region. Our Area Water Quality tool provides a general picture of what has been found in your area.

Well water can vary significantly between properties, including neighbouring properties. Area results are a useful starting point—not a substitute for testing your individual water source.

Check Your Area's Water (Coming soon)

Satellite map of central British Columbia showing forests, roads, lakes, rivers, and labeled communities.

WATER CHANGES OVER TIME

One Sample Is a Snapshot.

Water quality can change over time. Seasonal conditions, changes in the well or water source, pumping conditions, plumbing and other factors can affect test results.

A laboratory result describes the sample collected at that time. It should not be interpreted as a permanent indication of what the water will always be.

arrow_forward
Season
arrow_forward
Rainfall & runoff
arrow_forward
Drought
arrow_forward
Water use
arrow_forward
Treatment equipment

Infographic showing seasons, rainfall, drought, a groundwater well, and water-use categories.

UNDERSTAND THE WATER. THEN TREAT IT.

Our Approach to Water Testing

We start by understanding why you want the water tested. Testing for staining, hardness or treatment performance may involve different parameters than testing intended to investigate drinking-water potability.

Once the results are available, we can help explain what they mean in the context of your water and determine whether any next step is appropriate.

1. Identify the Concern

What are you experiencing or trying to determine?

fact_check

2. Gather the Right Information

What testing or system information is actually useful?

monitor

3. Understand the Results

What do the results mean when considered together?

flag

4. Determine the Next Step

Is treatment necessary? Does an existing system need attention? Is more investigation required?

Not Sure What to Test For?

Tell us about your water source, what you're experiencing and what you want to understand. We can help determine what type of testing may be appropriate.