Bringing you, your family, and your loved ones the cleanest, healthiest water possible is our goal at Traut Companies. Our qualified, experienced, water analysis technician can come to you and recommend any necessary water treatment.
Water Analysis Lab Flyer (Printable PDF)
Testing Your Water
Water Sample Collection Instructions
Our Minnesota Department of Health, Certified Water Analysis Lab performs tests for daycare facilities, foster care homes, municipal and commercial projects, for real estate transactions… and for your home. Need us to pick up your water sample? Let us know the best time and place, and who to ask for. Call us at (320) 251-5090, or use our toll-free number, 1(800) 728-5091.
Once we’ve tested your sample, we can recommend the best treatment option for you. Potentially harmful contaminants we test for in our laboratory under the Safe Drinking Water Program include:
- Nitrate
- Nitrogen
- Total Coliform Bacteria
- E. Coli Bacteria
- Fluoride
- Hardness
- Iron
- Low pH
- Manganese
- Lead
- Sulfates
- Chlorine
- Tannins
- Copper
- Arsenic
Our lab is not limited to just the tests named above. If you need a test not listed above, please contact us.
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What You Should Know About Water Treatment & Testing
The Minnesota Department of Health recommends testing every year for the presence of nitrates and coliform bacteria. If your well is new, we advise you test for nitrates and coliform before you drink the water.
If you are in the process of buying a home, remember that water testing is often required when buying real estate, whether the loan is conventional, FHA, or VA. Generally, coliform bacteria and nitrates are tests that are required, but testing for lead may also be needed. Your realtor, title company, or lending institution professional will be able to tell you which tests you’ll need. Usually, a third party, such as a laboratory technician, and not the buyer or seller, collects the sample. Allow plenty of time before your closing date, since some tests will require more time to complete, while others may need retesting.
As a licensing requirement, daycare businesses that have private wells must also have annual water tests performed. Bacteria can cause abdominal cramping or diarrhea in humans when water isn’t clean and bacteria-free. Nitrites can be responsible for “blue-baby syndrome” and lead can cause other health problems, too. We strongly suggest that if you’re pregnant or if you have small children at home you regularly test for these substances – to be on the safe, healthy side.
Testing Drinking Water
- Coliform Bacteria: Coliform bacteria live everywhere – on the surface of the ground and often in the first few feet of soil. Generally, coliform bacteria do not cause disease but they are known as “indicator bacteria” and for a good reason: they can survive under the same conditions as the more harmful bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella, and other disease-causing organisms. If testing shows coliform is present in your well water, it indicates that soil surface contamination has worked its way into your well, where the disease organisms may also be present. Coliform bacteria serve as a reliable “indicator” because it takes about the same amount of disinfectant to get rid of them as it takes to get rid of disease-causing organisms.
- Nitrate (NO3): Nitrate (NO3) occurs naturally – in the air, soil, water, and in plants. This nitrogen and oxygen chemical can seep into and contaminate your well water where fertilizers, failing septic systems, or animal wastes are most concentrated. You may have heard of “blue baby syndrome.” It’s a condition that can affect infants six months and younger. They're at risk because the bacterium in their digestive system converts nitrates into nitrites, a chemical that can interfere with the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. The condition is called methemoglobinemia, or “blue baby syndrome.” In the most serious cases, the baby‘s skin, particularly around the eyes and mouth, will become bluish.
- Lead: This common metal was once used in countless consumer goods. Though its use has been reduced due to the severe health risks it poses, lead can still be found in lead-based paint and in plumbing in older homes. Lead can live everywhere, exposing us to trace amounts daily, usually without adverse health effects. Despite not typically being found in well water, lead easily dissolves in water. That’s why it’s problematic for household pipes, faucets, valves, and/or fittings. When water stands for long periods, dissolved metals can make it harmful to drink. If the faucets you use for drinking or cooking have not been used for 6 hours or longer, turn the cold water tap on first and allow the water to run for one or two minutes. If you do this regularly you’ll greatly reduce your lead exposure. Learn more about Water Treatment.
- Fluoride: Fluoride occurs naturally in some underground formations, so it’s a good idea to test fluoride levels in your well. At levels between 0.9 and 1.2 mg/L, fluoride can be very beneficial. At levels higher than 4 mg/L, fluoride can cause spotting on teeth and bones and they can become brittle. Water supplies with more-than-desired levels of fluoride can be fitted with home treatment systems that will reduce fluoride presence. Learn more about Water Treatment.
Chlorinating & Disinfecting Your Well
Eliminating or reducing bacteria can be very beneficial for your well, and will reduce those “funny” tastes and odors you may be noticing in your water. It’s possible to disinfect and chlorinate your residential well yourself, and our #1 tip to get started is to contact us!
We’ll give you instructions on what to do and how to go about these processes. Or, contact the Minnesota Department of Health and ask for their help. Remember, we know water from the bottom to the tap.
Reach out to Kelsey, in our Water Analysis Lab at (320) 251-5090 or (800) 728-5091 or via email kelseyk@trautcompanies.com.