Just got a detailed water report

[ETCS]

As I get further into what has turned from a hobby to an obsession, I wrote my local water treatment plant and asked for a more detailed report than I can get on the water department website, below is what they sent me. Can anyone help me interpret this, is it complete? Do I need more or less info? Hell, I can't even tell if I have hard or soft water. I've been using bottled up to this point. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.


Inorganic Chemicals

ANTIMONY <0.001 MG/L
ARSENIC <0.001 MG/L
BARIUM 0.006 MG/L
BERYLLIUM <0.0003 MG/L
CADMIUM <0.0003 MG/L
CHROMIUM <0.001 MG/L
NICKEL <0.001 MG/L
SELENIUM <0.001 MG/L
SILVER <0.001 MG/L
SODIUM 12.4 MG/L
THALLIUM <0.001 MG/L
CYANIDE ND<.0.05 MG/L
MERCURY ND<0.0002 MG/L
CHRLORIDE 22 MG/L
FLUORIDE .98 MG/L
SULFATE 5 MG/L

Nitrate and Nitrite

NITRATE (AS N) ND<0.10 MG/L
NITRITE (AS N) ND<0.10 MG/L

Misc. Chemical Analytes

BROMIDE ND<0.10 MG/L
CARBON, TOT ORGANIC 1.81 MG/L

Secondary Contaminants

ALKALINITY 14 MG/L
ALUMINUM 0.02 MG/L
HARDNESS (AS CACO3) 33 MG/L
IRON 0.01 MG/L
MANGANESE 0.01 MG/L
ZINC <0.01 MG/L

Water Quality Parameters + Ortho/Total (WQP3)

CALCIUM 9.2 MG/L
CONDUCTIVITY 126 UMHO/CM
PHOSPHATE (AS PO4) 1.20 MG/L

Water Quality Parameters + Silica

SILICA 3.7 MG/L


Again, I realize this is a really detailed report, but I didn't know where to start.

 

[scottibones]

I can tell you that your water is soft.


Soft: 0–60 mg/L
Moderately hard: 61–120 mg/L
Hard: 121–180 mg/L
Very hard: &#8805;181 mg/L

 

[ajdelange]

Well, the report shows there's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium but all at low levels ([ame]www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG7omXSrjac[/ame])

The water is quite soft and, more significantly, low in alkalinity and sulfate. Thus you are one of the fortunate few who can pretty much brew anything you like simply by adding some salts to the water (in most cases). There are some starting guidelines in the Primer in the Stickies and/or one or more of the spreadsheets will get you on your way.

 

[mabrungard]

Don't worry about the trace elements that were tested for, but were below the detection limits of the testing methods. You now have the comfort of knowing that those trace elements are actually low. Most water testing does not test for those elements (or report them) and that does not mean that they are not there. Quite actually, if the elements are NOT shown, then they could be high. You just don't know about it.

 

[ETCS]

Don't worry about the trace elements that were tested for, but were below the detection limits of the testing methods. You now have the comfort of knowing that those trace elements are actually low. Most water testing does not test for those elements (or report them) and that does not mean that they are not there. Quite actually, if the elements are NOT shown, then they could be high. You just don't know about it.

Thanks for all of your help and your spreadsheet, it's just what I've been looking for. I did have one question about it, your spreadsheet has me list Hardness as HCO3, but my water report only list CACO3, is there a way to convert it. Again, thanks for the help.

Jeff

 

[ETCS]

Thanks for all of your help and your spreadsheet, it's just what I've been looking for. I did have one question about it, your spreadsheet has me list Hardness as HCO3, but my water report only list CACO3, is there a way to convert it. Again, thanks for the help.

Jeff

Never mind, just had to keep reading the spread sheet.