There are different types of water tests and water quality reports available online. Unfortunately, not everything you’ll find online is accurate, and often claims can be widely misleading. We’ve compiled a quick list of things to look out for before you buy:
Most do-it-yourself or at-home test kits are neither very accurate nor comprehensive. Too many of these products exaggerate what they’re able to provide for you. (e.g. “Test for Pesticides, Test for Everything!”) If you have any concern beyond the parameters listed above, you’re much better off letting laboratory professionals perform the full analysis for you.
“Free tests” offered by a water treatment company. While some treatment companies will facilitate access to a certified testing laboratory for their customers, a staggering amount of companies will still try to give you a “free” water test in your kitchen. Picture a salesperson masquerading as a treatment expert coming to your home to perform “tests” with the same color-changing strips you can purchase for $10, with the same results, and the added downside of being pestered in your kitchen to buy a treatment system. Read more about the problems with “free” water tests.
No at-home sampling method will be fully certified for State compliance. If you manage a local water utility and need certification for compliance purposes, nothing you buy online will be enough. Any online test that claims it is completely “certified” is trying to dupe you. The only way to obtain a fully Certified Sample is if a trained operator, authorized by your state, performs the sample collection and transports it for you ($250-$400). Otherwise, it will be an informational result report and should not be sent to a state government office.
Keep an eye on shipping costs. Many labs will exclude the expensive cost of return shipping when they sell a testing service. Sending a heavy, water-filled package to a lab quickly (especially for testing bacteria) can cost you as much as $100+. Look out for testing services that don’t include disposal fees or shipping fees.
More contaminants does not mean better testing. Some companies will try to sell you on kits that list a huge number of detectable (but irrelevant) contaminants. This is nothing more than a marketing spin. Any lab can readily perform certain testing methods that will concurrently analyze water for hundreds of superfluous chemicals. More often than not, these chemicals have no realistic chance of appearing in your drinking water.