Clear water isn’t automatically safe, and water that looks, smells, or tastes off isn’t automatically dangerous. The only way to know what’s actually in your water is to find out, and that’s usually easier than people expect.
Where you start depends on where your water comes from. If you’re on city water, your utility is required to test it and report the results to you every year. If you’re on a private well, the EPA doesn’t regulate it, so testing is up to you. The guides below walk you through both, along with what specific contaminants mean for you and how to track down the cause of a change you’ve noticed.
Start Here: Find Out What’s in Your Water
- Complete Guide: How to Find Out What’s Actually in Your Water: The big picture, from utility reports and home test kits to when to call a certified lab.
- How to Read Your Water Utility’s Consumer Confidence Report: For city water customers, what’s in your annual report and how to make sense of it.
- How Often Should I Test My Well Water?: For well owners, what to test for and how often.
- What Does a TDS Meter Actually Tell You?: What those handheld meters measure, and what they can’t.
Specific Contaminants
- Lead in Drinking Water: How lead gets into tap water on its way to your faucet, and how to test for it and remove it.
- Arsenic in Drinking Water: Health Risks & Removal Options: A contaminant with no taste, smell, or color, and a particular concern for private wells.
- What Are PFAS “Forever Chemicals,” and How Can I Filter Them?: What PFAS are, where they come from, and which filters actually reduce them.
When Your Well Water Looks Wrong
- Why Is My Well Water Brown?
- Why Is My Well Water Yellow? 9 Common Causes
- Why Is My Well Water Cloudy After Rain?
When Your Tap Water Smells or Tastes Off
- Why Does My Tap Water Smell Like Rotten Eggs?
- Why Does My Tap Water Smell Like Bleach?
- Why Does My Water Taste Salty?
Common Questions
- Is Bottled Water Safer and Healthier Than Tap Water?
- Demineralized Water vs. Distilled Water: What’s the Difference?
- What Is a Point-of-Use Water Filter?
- What Is NSF/ANSI 177? Shower Filter Certification Explained
Dealing with hard water, scale buildup, or spots on your dishes? Those topics are covered in the Water Softeners section.
Have a specific question about your water? Reach out through the Contact page — I read everything.