The everyday peace-of-mind test - the five most important drinking-water indicators. If you run one water test this year, make it this one.
Total Coliform and E. coli are the front-line indicators of fecal or biological contamination - a direct, immediate health risk that can cause gastrointestinal illness. E. coli in particular means the water is unsafe to drink until resolved.
Nitrate causes 'Blue Baby Syndrome' (methemoglobinemia) in infants and is an early warning of septic, fertilizer, or animal-waste contamination. pH flags corrosive water that can leach metals from plumbing, and hardness explains scale, appliance wear, and soap performance.
Collect the sterile bacteria bottle FIRST from a sanitized cold tap - don't touch or rinse the rim, and fill without overflowing the preservative. Then fill the chemistry bottle. Chill both on the gel pack and ship the SAME DAY you collect: bacteria have a strict holding time, which is why the kit ships with a frozen gel pack and a same-day label.
Bacteria are analyzed by the IDEXX Colilert defined-substrate method, which confirms Total Coliform and E. coli in ~24 hours. Nitrate runs by Ion Chromatography (EPA 300.0), pH by calibrated electrode, and hardness by titration. On the chain of custody this package is requested as "EST."
Independently operated, with no ties to filter or remediation companies. Every sample is analyzed by an accredited partner laboratory under EPA-referenced methods, with a documented chain of custody — and your data is yours.
Order today, collect at home, and mail it back in the prepaid pouch.
For informational & screening purposes. Not a medical diagnosis.