Under ‘Unsafe Water Alert,’ L.A. Residents Reach for Testing Kits to Monitor Water Quality at Home
· Rolling StoneThe recent wildfires in Los Angeles have unleashed new concerns over air quality and now, water quality too, with the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) issuing an “Unsafe Water Alert” on Friday.
The LADWP bulletin advises residents in the 90272 zip code and adjacent communities to not drink or cook with tap water until further notice. The zip code incorporates the heavily-destroyed Pacific Palisades area and surrounding neighborhoods that could include Malibu, Santa Monica and Brentwood.
Per the LADWP, potential “fire-related contaminants, including benzene and other volatile organic compounds (VOC) may have entered the water system.” There are also fears that deposits of ash and soot from the wildfire smoke could be polluting the water supply, not to mention chemical contamination from melted plastic and structures.
One way to see if your water is safe: picking up a water test kit, to determine whether the water in your house (or any water for that matter) is safe to drink.
These tests — often found in the form of color-coded strips — help detect contaminants in your water, while also testing for pH levels, chlorine, lead and even e. coli. Simply dip the test strips into water and then remove to see your results (you’ll want to make sure the strip is completely submerged for a few seconds to ensure accuracy). A color change on the strip indicates the presence of some contamination.
You can now buy drinking water test strips online, from sites like Amazon. Here are three solid options to consider right now.
Bestprod 20-in 1-Drinking Water Testing Kit (120 Strips)
$24.99
This drinking water testing kit is Amazon’s current bestseller, with more than 7,000 units sold in the last month alone, per the site.
We’ve used these water test strips before (particularly to test water quality when camping) and the results are easy to read and understand. Reviewers agree, giving this kit a 4.5-star rating (out of five) from thousands of verified shoppers.
Varify 17-in-1 Complete Drinking Water Test Kit + 2 Bacteria Tester Kits
$26.97 $32.99 18% off
This water test kit includes 100 testing strips for alkaline, lead, copper and more, plus two bacteria tests for more dangerous contaminants.
What we like: the test strips come in five separate sealed packages, ensuring that the strips stay clean and fresh for use. The bacteria test, meantime, is easy to do at home, with results in less than 48 hours.
TESTPERT Water Testing Kits for Drinking Water
$17.99 $18.99 5% off
This drinking water test kit is currently on sale at Amazon, and is an easy pickup if you’re worried about water quality at home.
The set gets you 125 water test strips, with an easy-to-identify color-coded chart for analysis. Simply submerge your strip into a glass of water for 2-3 seconds, then remove to read the results.
What we like: Amazon says TESTPERT has offset the carbon emissions and footprint from the production of these testing strips.
Officials recommend using a water testing strip for drinking water at least twice a week, to ensure that your water is safe for you and your family to use. Aside from being useful during wildfires, we’ve taken these water strips on camping trips and vacations to test well water, hotel water and lake water as well.
Officials have advised people to not try to treat tap water themselves, adding that even using a traditional water filter (like a Brita system) will not make the water safe.
Here are some other tips on water use from the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power during wildfire season:
- Do not use tap water
- Limit use of hot water
- Limit shower time/bathing, and do not take hot baths (use lukewarm water and
ventilate area) - If using a dishwasher to wash dishes use the air-dry setting
- Wash clothing in cold water
- If the clothes dryer does not vent outside, avoid using it (dry laundry outdoors)
- Do not use hot tubs or swimming pools
- Use proper ventilation when using hot water indoors