Water Quality Testing in Rhode Island & Massachusetts

Why Does Water Quality Matter?

Water quality in your home or business affects drinking, bathing, cooking, cleaning, brushing teeth and washing clothes. GEM Plumbing offers complete Water Testing, Filtration, and Softening solutions for safe and healthy water. 

The Environmental Protection Agency regulates municipal tap water and sets legal limits on certain contaminants. Most water utilities generally stay within these limits but many advocacy groups believe that the legal limits may be too loose. This means that many public water supplies contain contaminants that may be harmful to our health over time. 

Because we know how important clean and safe water is, GEM offers a number of Water Testing, Filtration, and Softening solutions. 

Should I Have My Water Tested?

Water quality concerns your health and the health of your family. There are several reasons why you might want to have your water tested. In addition to illness, a variety of less serious problems such as taste, color, odor, and staining of clothes or fixtures are signs of possible water quality problems. Other things to think about include how close your water source is to septic systems, and the composition of your home’s plumbing materials. 

Most water systems test for lead as a regular part of water monitoring. These tests do not reflect conditions at a specific household faucet. If you want to know if your home’s drinking water contains unsafe levels of lead, have your water tested. Testing is the only way to confirm if lead is present or absent. 

GEM offers free Water Quality testing with many of our plumbing services. You can also request a copy of your local water utility’s annual water quality report to find out which concerning contaminants may be in your local water. These reports are provided through the Environmental Protection Agency.

Water Filtration Solutions

Water filtration can provide better tasting and better smelling drinking water by removing chlorine, chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals and bacterial contaminants. Drinking pure water is especially important for children, whose immune systems are still developing. Filtration captures contaminants, particulates, sediments, bacteria, and salt to provide your home or business with clean water. 

GEM specializes in two types of water filtration systems – activated carbon filters and reverse osmosis filters. Activated carbon filters use a bed of activated carbon (similar to the charcoal you’d use to barbecue!) to remove contaminants and impurities. Each little speck of carbon provides a lot of surface area with small pores that suck up contaminants while letting the water pass through. Reverse osmosis filters use pressure to push water through a filter (a “semi-permeable membrane”) that allows the water molecules through while trapping the contaminants on the far side. 

Ready to install a water filter? Call GEM Plumbing today at (833) 222-2953. We can install whole-house filters or filters just at specific faucets.

Water Softener Solutions

In places like New England, we have what’s called “hard water”. Water often contains a lot of hard minerals, which can create buildup. This causes damage to our pipes and plumbing fixtures over time. Water softeners soften the water by removing hard minerals such as calcium and magnesium. They are replaced with softer minerals like sodium or potassium. Soft water can also make your hair and skin look and feel healthier as it causes less dryness than hard water. 

Water softeners also work to eliminate hard water scales inside pipes and appliances by reducing hard calcium and magnesium that can results in clogs and corrosion. Soft water can also eliminate “soap scum” left behind when cleaning with hard water. 

If you’d like to repair, replace, or install a water softener in your home, GEM Plumbing is here to help. Call us at (833) 222-2953.