The majority of us take our water supply for granted. It is piped into our home from the local water company and we use it for lots of different tasks throughout the household. We use it to clean, cook, wash and drink. It is very important that the liquid we get is pure, or at least extremely safe.

Nevertheless, sometimes your supply can become contaminated. This results in some people becoming very ill, and of course we do not want that to happen to members of our family. It is important that we can reassure ourselves that the liquid that we get out of the faucet is fit for consumption. By using a drinking water test kit we are able to monitor the state of our supply.

If we get our supply from the local authority we would naturally assume that they test to make sure that their customers stay safe. When it leaves their filtration system it is as pure as they can make it, but before it reaches your home it goes through miles of pipework, and then to your shower heads and faucets. All of these can be contaminated, and whereas the pipework may be the responsibility of the local utility company, they are not responsible for what is inside your home.

If any part of the system that it passes through has not been well maintained there is a good possibility that corrosion has set in. Pollutants such as agricultural fertiliser, harmful chemicals, and lead could easily have got into the supply. All of these can be tested for impurities to make sure that your family is kept safe.

Some people find it hard to believe that it can cause a whole host of diseases, some fatal, to a family. These can include such things as legionnaires disease, lead poisoning, and heart problems. It only takes a small investment on your part to have a means of testing your own personal water supply.

Now you will find it simpler to test for contamination than it was in the past. Until these kits were devised you would have to send samples to your local laboratory for testing. This process could take time, and also be very expensive. After you have tested the water yourself, you may feel that you need a second opinion from an independent laboratory, but they are no longer the first port of call.

A lot of the bacteria and viruses that can cause problems to humans and animals do not actually smell or affect the taste of the liquid, so this is where the concerned person must carry out tests. It is important that you understand the results, or you could get extremely worried. There will always be some pollutants in the water, but they have to reach certain levels before they can cause any harm.

Unless you are highly qualified chemist, you should pass on any doubts to a specialist. If any member of the household is pregnant, or under 12 months old, these precautions are vital. It is far better to lean on the side of safety in cases like this, and nobody will feel that you are wasting their time doing so.