If you want to have confirmation of the fact that your tap water is safe to drink, you can easily test it yourself. An illness or other health problems like diarrhoea or gastrointestinal problems caused by drinking tap water are a clear indication that something might be wrong with your drinking water. Likewise, changes in the taste, colour, appearance or odour of tap water also indicate the presence of contaminants. These factors may be a sign that you need to test your tap water to determine the contaminants that may be lurking in it, and which may have adverse health effects.
While some contaminants can make their presence felt through odours (e.g. chlorine, hydrogen sulphide), other contaminants cannot be perceived through smells or tastes (e.g. heavy metals or bacteria). So how can you test your water for contaminants at home?