WATER TEST KIT RECOMMENDATIONS

Every municipal water systems is required to post online results of their mandatory water testing.  Simply type in the name of your community, town or city along with the phrase, “water quality report”.

For additional information about your municipal water supply, go to: EWG’s Tap Water Database

Your best bet for getting an accurate assessment of your water quality is to have a professional water lab perform the test.  Check out TAPSCORE.

Do-it-yourself water test kits continue to improve and since writing this article, I have changed my recommendations regarding water test kits numerous times.  Amazon has lots of choices for Do-it-Yourself test kits: Safe Home Water Test Kits  

1. This kit will test municipal drinking water:

Watersafe WS425B Drinking Water Test Kit

Product Description – Do it yourself test kit

This WaterSafe kit identifies harmful levels of bacteria and lead in your water. Watersafe test kits are easy-to-use and produce results on the spot. Tests bring the accuracy of laboratory procedures into any home or business. Contains one-step water testing kits: Lead kit can detect dissolved lead at levels below the EPA Action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb); bacteria kit can detect the presence of Coliform Bacteria in your water. Get results in only 10 minutes with easy to follow directions and no mixing or measuring.

The All-In-One Home Drinking Water Test

• EPA Standards
• Results in Ten Minutes
• No Mixing or Measuring

Find out if your water has harmful levels of these common contaminants:

• Pesticides: From Agricultural Uses. Linked to Increased Cancer Rates.
• Chlorine: By-products Can Increase Cancer Risk; Bad Taste and Smell.
• Nitrates/Nitrites: From Fertilizers and Animal Waste. Causes Development Problems.
• Pb: Lead. Causes Developmental Harm, Neurological and Kidney Damage.
• pH: Can Cause Heavy Metal (lead) Leaching, Plumbing Damage.
• Hardness: Causes Lime Scale and Higher Detergent Use.

EPA Standards

• Complies with the US Environmental Protection Agency’s strict standards
• Test your water monthly

Why Watersafe:

• Safe & convenient
• Results in minutes
• No mixing or measuring
• Individual packages
• One-step
• Disposable

Another option is the 14 in 1 Drinking Water Test Strips available from Amazon

Well Water Testing

If you live in an agricultural area, you should definitely test your water for the presence of farm chemicals some of which are difficult to remove and require special filtration media.

2. This kit is will test well water:

Watersafe WS425W Well Water Test Kit

Product Description – Do it yourself test kit

Features include:
•Fast, accurate, easy to use; compare results with EPA recommendations
•Detects 10 contaminants including copper, iron, and lead
•Detects dangerous levels of nitrates/nitrites
•Test for potentially harmful bacteria and the presence of toxins from pesticides or fertilizers
•Identify unsafe levels of chlorine in your water

Watersafe Well Water Test Kit was specifically designed to help you test quickly and easily for the most common contaminants found in private well water, including: iron, copper, lead, bacteria, pesticides, nitrates, nitrites, chlorine, pH and hardness. If your home draws from private well water, regular testing (recommended yearly or more) is the only way to ensure the purity of your water and safeguard the health of your family. From the experts at Watersafe, comes an affordable, easy-to-use and accurate test to determine the safety of your well water! Our new product is an essential addition to every home drawing from private water wells, giving you lab-quality results right in your own home. The EPA recommends testing your private well water at least once a year, so don’t wait! Put your mind at ease and help secure your family’s health with a Watersafe Well Water Test Kit.

3. This kit will test municiple or well water:

The PurTest Home Water Analysis Kit

Product Description – Do it yourself test kit

The Home Water Analysis kit is a comprehensive EPA-based test kit that allows you to quickly and easily test your drinking water right-at-home for various contaminants and conditions. Safe water is critical to everyone’s health. PurTest will help you know what’s in your water and what problems need to be solved. Tests included: 1 test each for bacteria, lead, & pesticide. Two (2) tests each for iron, alkalinity, pH, hardness, chlorine, copper, nitrate & nitrite. Also included is a Free Basic Water Knowledge Handbook and water test results sheet! Consumer friendly and environmentally conscious, there is nothing toxic in PurTest. No mailing or lab fees; everything you need is included. PurTest is fast, easy, accurate, reliable and convenient. Instructions in English and Spanish. Quickly and easily test right at home, No mailing or lab fees, everything you need is included, fast, easy, accurate, reliable, convenient, test for 11 different drinking water contaminants, Lab certified.

4.  A lab will test water samples you send to them.

Essentials Indicators Water Test

Product Description – Send in for lab tested results

Have your drinking water tested in our professional lab for over 170 contaminants including Volatile Organic Compounds, Essential Elements, Heavy Metals and Inorganic Chemicals + a self-test for 8 pathogenic bacteria including E-coli and Total Coliform. We have been testing drinking water for nearly 30 years. We have the equipment and professional staff to get you accurate results. You simply fill the bottles with your tap water and return them to our lab using the same box you received with the test kit. Within about 6 business days you will receive an email containing the results of your water test along and recommended treatment suggestions. You test for pathogenic bacteria, which, if present, can cause infectious diseases. That’s because bacteria are sensitive to temperature and time in transit. We include a very accurate self-test kit that was originally designed for poor tropical regions of the world where nearby labs are not present. There isn’t any way a homeowner can ship bacteria samples back to a lab, even using an overnight delivery service, in a way that can control the temperature during transit. The self-test kit is the best way to get accurate results. All of the other testing is performed in our lab using EPA testing methodology. This assures you are getting the most accurate test results possible. We have performed over 65,000 drinking water tests. This has enabled us to determine which parameters have the greatest probability of showing up in drinking water. This is called indicator testing and is used by regulators to specify which parameters labs should test for. If you have a problem with one of these indicator parameters and you treat for it, you are also treating for other related contaminants that are not explicitly being tested for. This saves you money while still providing you with the vital information you need. See the current full list: drinkingwaterspecialists.com/bfb-test/