Testing Water for Metals & Heavy Metals
Testing water for metals and heavy metals.
Testing your water for metals and heavy metals is an important step in safeguarding health, protecting assets, and ensuring compliance with environmental and regulatory standards. At Water Treatment Services we provide specialist laboratory analysis and in-field sampling solutions designed to identify the presence and concentration of metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic and others that can pose serious risks if left unchecked. Our expert services support private individuals, businesses and organisations across the UK, helping to ensure drinking water, trade effluent and industrial wastewater remain safe, compliant and fit for purpose.
Our comprehensive testing services cover a wide range of applications, from the analysis of potable water supplies and private sources such as wells and boreholes, through to the testing of wastewater and trade effluent discharges. We use the latest laboratory techniques and in-field monitoring equipment to deliver accurate, reliable results across metals, chemicals and microbiological parameters. Whether you need reassurance about the quality of your drinking water, independent validation of water treatment performance, or assistance meeting strict effluent discharge consent limits, our experienced teams are here to help.
Why test water for metals contamination?
There are a number of reasons why you may want to test water for metals, including some of the more common heavy metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic.
You may extract your water from a private supply and be concerned about contamination of your drinking water, or you may be a business looking to satisfy trade effluent discharge standards for your wastewater. Whatever your reasons Water Treatment Services has the expertise to help you.
Testing water for metals and heavy metals
Our specialist laboratory based water analysis and in-field sampling solutions include:
Full national UK coverage
Testing water for metals and heavy metals is a vital step in protecting health, meeting legal obligations, and maintaining the performance of water systems and treatment programmes. Whether you are concerned about a private water supply, need to confirm compliance with the Water Supply Regulations, or have to meet strict trade effluent discharge standards, accurate and reliable analysis is essential.
With offices in London serving the South and South East England, Manchester (North West), Birmingham (Midlands), Bristol (South East England and Wales), Leeds (North and North East) and Glasgow (Scotland), supported by regional teams of specially trained engineers, water treatment service specialists and technical experts we can offer professional, cost effective water testing, in-field water sampling and laboratory analysis services across the UK and Ireland.
Contact Water Treatment Services today to learn how our professional water quality analysis, in-field testing and sampling solutions can help improve your water quality, water treatment validation and regulatory compliance processes. To speak with one of our water testing experts call us on 0330 223 31 31 or simply use this button.
Understanding how metal contamination can affect water quality
Here in the UK we’re lucky to have a safe and reliable supply of clean drinking water, literally on-tap. Most homes and commercial buildings in the UK get their mains water supplied directly by one of the big water companies, who have a responsibility to check the quality of the water being supplied, and testing it to ensure it falls within strict legal limits set by the regulators.
Water supplied for drinking (often called potable water) in the UK has to be constantly monitored, and there is an independent regulatory body called the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) which monitors this. DWI inspectors regularly enter consumer properties to take water samples for independent analysis.
The quality of our drinking water is not something most of us need to worry about unless something goes wrong. However, if you’re buying or leasing a property for residential or commercial purposes which takes its water from a private water supply such as a well, borehole, spring or other water source, then it’s up to you to ensure your water meets the standards set in the Water Supply Regulations 2016. Confirming this may involve testing water for metals, chemicals, microbiological parameters and other common contaminants.
What metals are found to contaminate water?
In general, heavy metals contaminating our water supplies are less of a problem than they were in the past. With improved environmental awareness we’ve cleaned up our collective act when it comes to waste and wastewater disposal.
Changing patterns of work have also meant that we just don’t have the heavy industrial processes that previously used iron, steel, lead, mercury, arsenic and other metals. However, that doesn’t mean there is now no longer any metal contamination of our water supplies. It’s therefore important that where you suspect there may be a metal contamination issue that you test your water to make sure concentrations’ do not exceed the safe limits set by the Government.
Some of the main metals and other elements you might find in water, and which could potentially cause health problems if present at high enough concentrations include:
Drinking water metal analysis
The UK’s 2016 Water Supply Regulations set out maximum allowable limits for metals and heavy metals in drinking water. If your water is supplied from a water utility company then they are obliged to meet these standards. However, if you extract from a private water supply such as a well, borehole, spring or other water source, then it’s up to you to ensure you meet these standards. The following limits on the maximum concentration levels of metals in drinking water are taken from the Water Supply Regulations 2016.
| Metal | Maximum concentration in drinking water | Point of compliance |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminium (Al) | 200 µg/l | Consumers’ taps |
| Antimony (Sb) | 5.0 µg/l | Consumers’ taps |
| Arsenic (As) | 10 µg/l | Consumers’ taps |
| Boron (B) | 1.0 mg/l | Consumers’ taps |
| Cadmium (Cd) | 5.0 µg/l | Consumers’ taps |
| Chromium (Cr) | 50 µg/l | Consumers’ taps |
| Copper (Cu) | 2.0 µg/l | Consumers’ taps |
| Iron (Fe) | 200 µg/l | Consumers’ taps |
| Lead (Pb) | 10 µg/l | Consumers’ taps |
| Manganese (Mn) | 50 µg/l | Consumers’ taps |
| Mercury (Hg) | 1.0 µg/l | Consumers’ taps |
| Nickel (Ni) | 20 µg/l | Consumers’ taps |
| Selenium (Se) | 10 µg/l | Consumers’ taps |
| Sodium (Na) | 200 µg/l | Consumers’ taps |
Trade effluent and wastewater metals testing
If you intend to discharge trade effluent or industrial waste water in to a public sewer or watercourse such as a stream, river, lake or the sea then you will need to obtain specific consent from your local sewerage undertaker. Your consent to discharge is likely to include strict limits on the quality of the effluent including its metal content. Water Treatment Services can analyse your waste water and effluent streams for a range of common metals including the following:
- Antimony
- Arsenic
- Barium
- Cadmium
- Chromium
- Copper
- Lead
- Mercury
- Molybdenum
- Selenium
- Zinc
- Other metals
Making sure drinking water is safe from contamination
There are a number of steps you can take to make sure that your drinking water is safe, especially when you’re relying on water from a private supply or natural source rather than taking it from one of the big water utilities. The approach selected in treating your water before drinking will very much depend on what type of contamination problems exist or are suspected. Testing water for metals, chemicals, microbiological and other contaminants is therefore important. The main methods used to treat water to make it suitable for drinking are:
Expert testing for metals, heavy metals & other contaminants
At Water Treatment Services we combine specialist laboratory testing, in-field sampling and expert consultancy to give you clear, dependable results you can act on with confidence. With offices and technical teams located across the UK, we offer full national coverage and cost-effective solutions tailored to your specific needs. Contact us today to speak with one of our water testing experts and find out how our comprehensive range of water analysis services can help you safeguard quality, demonstrate compliance and protect the people, processes and environments that matter most.
Contact us today to learn how our expert analysis solutions can help you determine your water quality and the presence and concentration of any metal contamination.
You may also be interested in…
Reviews
Submit your review here