By Lori Robinson, M.S.

Do you know whether your drinking water or favorite bottled water is clean? You can determine the purity of your water by becoming aware of government regulations, contacting the local water company and performing your own test at home.

Government Criteria

The government has two sets of criteria for measuring water purity. The primary criteria, which municipalities are required to meet, includes reporting levels of contaminants such as mercury and lead. The secondary criteria involves a guideline for Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in parts per million (ppm). The government recommends a TDS no higher than 550 ppm. Municipalities, however, are not required to meet a specific TDS standard. They are only required to report the TDS annually. You, as a consumer, will receive this report once a year as a flier with your bill. You can also request a report from your local water company.

Check the Label

You can check the label of your favorite bottled water for a TDS listing. Some companies include this information. If the label says reverse osmosis, then you can expect the TDS to be very low, usually less than 20 TDS. To check your tap water, home filtration unit or the water you vend from a machine, you will need a TDS meter. For more information on TDS meters, call Water Island at 1.800.426.5847 or 767.1210.

For additional information, please contact NIFS at 317.274.3432 or visit our Web site at www.nifs.org.