Drinking Water Sampling

Due Diligence – Analytical Screening

Building owners and property managers are finding that along with indoor air quality, drinking water quality is of concern to their buildings’ occupants. Healthy Buildings has developed a drinking water screening program in this regard to augment its regular proactive indoor air quality inspections. As a result, the benefits of proactive attention to the indoor environment are more comprehensively realized. These benefits include:

• Healthier and safer work environments
• Enhanced employee/tenant relations
• Third-party certification of building’s status
• Proof of due diligence for liability protection
• Marketing advantages for tenant retention

Scope

The Healthy Buildings Drinking Water Sampling and Analysis Screening Program consists of the
following:

1. Watercheck analysis of domestic main water supply – this sample of water provided by the municipality to the building is analyzed and compared to the relevant EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels for drinking water for 72 parameters (or 91, if pesticides are included). The tests include a microbiological test and a review of both the National Primary Standards (concerning health and safety) and Secondary Standards (concerning taste, appearance, odor and quality).

2. Lead content – samples from a representative number of drinking water sources are tested for their lead content and results are compared with current EPA guidelines.

3. Copper content – samples from a representative number of drinking water sources are tested for their copper content and results are compared with current EPA guidelines.

Since Healthy Buildings technicians are in the building, testing the indoor air, the labor costs of this water sampling can be waived. As a result this valuable screening program is extremely economical.

Watercheck Analysis – Elements or parameters sampled

Microbiological:

• Total coliform
• Chemicals and Other Physical Factors:
• Alkalinity (Total as CaCO3)
• Nitrite as N
• pH (Standard Units)
• Chloride
• Sulfate
• Total Dissolved Solids Fluoride
• Hardness Turbidity (Turbidity Units)
• Nitrate as N
• Organic Chemicals – Trihalomethanes (THMs)
• Bromoform
• Chloroform
• Bromodichloromethane
• Dibromochloromethane
• Total THMs (sum of all four)

Organic Chemicals – Volatiles:

• Benzene
• Dibromochloropropane
• Ethylbenzene
• Vinyl Chloride Dibromomethane
• Ethylenedibromide
• Carbon Tetrachloride
• 1,2-Dichlorobenzene
• Styrene
• 1,2-Dichloroethane
• 1,3-Dichlorobenzene
• 1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane
• Trichloroethylene
• Dichlorodifluoromethane
• 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane
• 1,4-Dichlorobenzene
• 1,1-Dichloroethane
• Tetrachloroethylene (PCE)
• 1,1-Dichloroethylene
• Trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene
• 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene
• 1,1,1-Trichloroethane
• cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene
• 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene
• Bromobenzene
• Dichloromethane
• 1,1,2-Trichloroethane
• Bromomethane
• trans-1,3-Dichloropropene
• Trichlorofluoromethane
• Chlorobenzene
• 1,3-Dichloropropene
• 1,2,3-Trichloropropane
• Chloromethane
• 2,2-Dichloropropene
• Toluene
• 2-Dichlorotoluene
• 1,1-Dichloropropene
• Xylene
• 4-Dichlorotoluene
• 1,3-Dichloropropane

Organic Chemicals – Volatiles:

• Alachlor
• Heptachlor PCB’s
• Atrazine
• Heptachlor
• Epoxide
• Pentachloronitrobenz
• Chlordane
• Hexachlorobenzene
• Silvex 2,4,5-TP
• Aldrin
• Hexachlorocyclopent
• Simazine
• Dichloran
• Lindane
• Toxaphene
• Dieldren
• Methoxychlor
• Trifluralin
• Endrin