Landlord or tenant responsible for testing water ? (Read Description)

[Jack Steen]

I am the tenant in this scenario. I am finishing up my last semester at Iowa State University. Came back to my apartment after Winter break and noticed some cups I had left with water in them had evaporated and left behind an oily/heavy metal looking residue. Looks pretty sketchy to be honest. I also let some more evaporate recently and noticed the same residue. Anyone have any advice on how to proceed? 

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Jack Steen:

I am the tenant in this scenario. I am finishing up my last semester at Iowa State University. Came back to my apartment after Winter break and noticed some cups I had left with water in them had evaporated and left behind an oily/heavy metal looking residue. Looks pretty sketchy to be honest. I also let some more evaporate recently and noticed the same residue. Anyone have any advice on how to proceed? 

If it's a public water system, then you just contact the provider and they can share the test results with you. Public water systems have to be tested and monitored constantly (except in Flint, Michigan).

If it is on a private well, then you can look for a company that tests water and ask them to run a test for around $100. They'll send you the collection kit and mailer, then get you the results pretty quick. 

I don't think the Landlord has any obligation to test the water, even if on a private well. It's not unusual for water to have minerals like sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, and sulfate. These can all exist at safe levels and make water taste better. And it's not uncommon for water to leave residue behind, which is why dishwashers have special chemicals designed to remove the water residue.