Question 1

Is water testing free in Ontario?

Accepted Answer

Bacterial testing of private well water for coliform and E. coli is free through Public Health Ontario, with sample bottles and drop-off through your local public health unit. Testing for nitrates, fluoride, metals and chemicals is done by accredited labs for a fee. Elevate Service Group Plumbing's on-site testing covers hardness, iron, pH and TDS, the results that decide what treatment equipment you need.

Question 2

What should I test my well water for?

Accepted Answer

Bacteria (total coliform and E. coli) at least three times a year, in spring, summer and fall, and after any flooding or work on the well. Nitrates and fluoride once a year. Hardness, iron, manganese, sulphur, pH and TDS whenever you notice staining, odour, scale or a change in taste, and before you buy any treatment equipment. Wells near farmland or septic systems deserve the fuller panel.

Question 3

How hard is the water in Southwestern Ontario?

Accepted Answer

Hard enough that a softener is standard across most of the region. Municipalities on groundwater, including Waterloo Region and Guelph, publish hardness figures in their water quality reports that sit well above the threshold where scale forms, and rural wells across Perth, Oxford, Wellington and the surrounding counties are similar or harder. Lake-fed cities such as Toronto and Hamilton are softer but still scale over time. A test tells you your specific number, which is what a softener is sized from.

Question 4

What do hardness, iron and pH numbers mean?

Accepted Answer

Hardness is dissolved calcium and magnesium, measured in grains per gallon or milligrams per litre; the higher it is, the more scale forms. Iron above a fraction of a milligram per litre stains fixtures and laundry and fouls softeners. Low pH is acidic water that corrodes copper pipe and fittings. TDS is the total of everything dissolved, useful as a general indicator and for reverse osmosis sizing. We walk through your results line by line.

Question 5

Do you test water for businesses?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Restaurants, cafes, laundries, medical and dental offices and buildings with boilers or steam equipment all run equipment whose life scale and corrosion shorten. A water test and a treatment recommendation are usually the first step in a commercial maintenance contract, and for multi-site operators we test each location so equipment is specified per site rather than by assumption.

Question 6

Where do you test water?

Accepted Answer

Our crews are based in New Hamburg and test water across Southwestern Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area, for homes, rural wells and commercial buildings.

Water Quality Testing for Homes, Wells and Businesses in Southwestern Ontario

Know What Is in the Water Before You Treat It

Sample, Results, Plain-Language Recommendation

1. Take the sample

2. Read the results with you

3. Treat only what needs treating

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Water Testing Questions

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