We all know the importance of drinking enough water each day—but not all water is created equal. When 60% of the human body is made of water, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. There are a number of risks and hazards that can be present in our tap water.

We here at Aqua Vue Testing are aiming to keep you informed on the latest independent tap water resources to help keep you safe. Let’s take a look at why testing your tap water is so important, and what risks or hazards you might encounter if you don’t!

The Hazards of Unsafe Tap Water

Unfortunately, our tap water isn’t always as clean as we would like it to be. In addition to the presence of bacteria and viruses, there are also a number of harmful chemicals that can be found in our drinking water. This includes lead, arsenic, nitrates, and other heavy metals that can cause serious health problems if ingested over time.

There may also be a number of non-heavy metals, which may be harmless in small quantities. However, if these are present in large enough numbers, they can accumulate and cause health problems over time. In some cases, this contamination can even come from the pipes themselves if they are made out of old or corroded materials.

What’s an example of that?

Well, in the UK and pretty much the rest of Europe as well, lead piping was commonly used up until about the 1960s. Up until then, lead piping was common practice. The UK-wide ban came into force in the 1970s, so all houses built after that should not have any lead pipes. However, the majority of the current housing stock was actually built before.

But guess what?

The existing lead pipes were never changed!

Over the last 50 years, however, the water companies did start changing the lead piping that came into their jurisdiction. But… this completely excluded any piping inside your home!

It’s also important to note that natural disasters can contaminate local water supplies as well. Flooding or hurricanes can cause sewage systems to overflow into rivers or lakes—which can then end up in our taps. Even in more rural areas, wells contaminated by livestock waste or pesticides from nearby farms can make their way into drinking water supplies. All these hazards should encourage us to take regular steps toward testing our tap water for safety!

Importance of Regular Testing

So what should you do? Well, the only thing we can do, and that is to get your tap water tested regularly! While most urban and rural potable water/ drinking supplies are closely monitored and regulated by the government, it’s still important to keep an eye on them yourself.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) conducts regular water testing and publishes regular reports. One of the reports from 2022 for example showed complete failure of appropriate testing in some of the drinking water supplies across various parts of the UK.

Here is an excerpt from the January – March 2022 report showing invalid water testing performed by several water companies. This is exactly why the best way to test is to test the tap water yourself.

Extract from Jan-Mar 2022 DWI report showing inaccurate testing in use at multiple water facilities in England.

Fortunately, we have a variety of independent UKAS labs that are available to test your own tap water sample. We test for a large number of chemicals, metals, and other non-organics.

Our turnaround time is 5-7 days and we provide you with an actionable report and independent recommendations. We do not promote any affiliate offers or gain in any way from our recommendations – we are a completely independent water testing company.

By testing your own tap regularly (at least every 6 months) you can ensure that the liquid coming out of your faucet is safe for consumption —and spot any potential issues early on before they become more serious problems down the road.

Keeping an eye on your own drinking supply is essential if you want to make sure it’s safe for use—and regular testing is the key! Whether you live in an urban center or a rural area, there are always potential hazards lurking beneath the surface when it comes to our taps.

Remember not to rely on the testing performed by the water companies, as this can be unreliable (as shown above). Make sure you stay informed about any risks present in your local area –and don’t forget to routinely test your own tap water for safety!