Water Test Kits
Test your water before you buy a filter, because the right system depends on what is actually in it. City water customers can start with the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report. Well owners and anyone worried about lead, PFAS or bacteria should use a certified laboratory test, since home strips only screen.
Which test do you need?
- Private well: EPA and CDC recommend testing at least yearly for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, TDS and pH.
- Lead: use a certified lab test, especially in homes built before 1986.
- Hardness: test strips are fine for sizing a softener.
- TDS: a meter checks reverse osmosis performance, not overall safety.
- PFAS: requires a lab test that reports parts per trillion.
- Certified labs: your state can list accredited drinking water labs.
Shop Well Water Test Kits, Lead Water Test Kits and TDS Meters.
FAQs
How do I test my home water quality?
If you are on city water, read your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report first. For specific concerns such as lead or a private well, use a certified laboratory test; many mail-in kits include lab analysis. Home test strips and TDS meters are useful screening tools but less precise.
Are home water test strips accurate?
Test strips give approximate readings for hardness, chlorine, pH, iron, nitrates and some other parameters. They are good for screening and sizing a softener, but are not precise enough for health decisions about lead, bacteria or PFAS. Use a certified lab for those.
How much does a water test cost?
Basic test strips cost a few dollars per test. Mail-in laboratory kits range from roughly $30 for a single contaminant such as lead to several hundred dollars for comprehensive well panels. Some states and local health departments offer low-cost or free well testing.