Your local drinking water provider should routinely monitor the water quality in accordance with State and Federal laws. On an annual basis the provider should make available its findings after conducting various tests to quantify the levels of possible contaminants in your water. If you do not get the annual water report in the mail ask for one. If you are concerned about certain elements in your drinking water, contact a local company specializing in water testing. By having your water tested you will be able to determine what contaminants, if at all, you should eliminate or at least reduce. Less expensive proposition is buying a water test kit at your local hardware store and testing the water yourself. For more detailed testing, you might need to mail a water sample to a Lab. There are many methods to take care of problems in drinking water, from carbon and mixed-bed filters to ultraviolet and reverse osmosis systems. ©