This is a realistic sample Essentials water report (personal details redacted). Every kit comes back the same way — each result compared to the EPA limit, flagged in plain language, and signed off by an accredited lab.
Results vs. EPA limits
| Analyte | Your result | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Total Coliform BacteriaIndicator of contamination | Absent | ✓ Below limit |
| E. coliFecal contamination marker | Absent | ✓ Below limit |
| Nitrateas Nitrogen | 11.4 mg/L | ⚠ Over limit |
| Chloride | 38 mg/L | ✓ Below limit |
| Fluoride | 0.7 mg/L | ✓ Below limit |
| pH | 7.3 | ✓ Within range |
| Total Hardnessas CaCO₃ | 128 mg/L | Hard — no health limit |
* Secondary (SMCL) — an aesthetic/taste guideline, not a health-based limit. MCL = EPA Maximum Contaminant Level.
One result needs attention. Your nitrate came back at 11.4 mg/L, just above the EPA limit of 10 mg/L. Elevated nitrate usually points to fertilizer runoff, a nearby septic system, or animal waste reaching the water. It matters most for infants under six months and pregnant women. A recommended next step is to retest, consider a certified nitrate-removal system (reverse osmosis or ion exchange), and avoid using this tap for infant formula until it's resolved.
Everything else looks good. No bacteria or E. coli were detected, and chloride, fluoride, and pH are all within safe, normal ranges. Your water is on the harder side, which is a taste/scale issue — not a health one.
Sample document for illustration. Values are representative, not from a real client. For informational & screening purposes — not a medical diagnosis.
The exact amount the lab measured in your water — a real number, not a color guess.
The federal Maximum Contaminant Level — the health-based threshold your result is measured against. A “secondary” (SMCL) limit is about taste or appearance, not health.
Below limit no action needed · Over limit worth attention · No health limit informational. Every over-limit result comes with plain-language next steps.
No science degree required. The report tells you what was found, whether it’s a problem, and what to do next — in plain English. Want the deeper version? Read Understanding your results.
A drugstore strip can tell you a color changed. It can’t tell you how much is there, or catch the contaminants that actually matter.
| Drugstore test strip | Sacred Sampling lab kit | |
|---|---|---|
| How you read it | Match a color by eye — subjective | Exact numbers from lab instruments |
| What it can find | A few basics (pH, hardness, maybe nitrate) | Metals, bacteria, nitrate, PFAS, VOCs & more |
| Sensitivity | Misses low but harmful levels | Parts per billion / trillion (ICP-MS, LC-MS/MS) |
| PFAS & VOCs | ✗ Can’t detect | ✓ Measured to EPA limits |
| Bacteria / E. coli | ✗ Not reliable | ✓ Cultured & confirmed |
| Documentation | None | Signed, chain-of-custody report |
| Usable for a sale, dispute or lender? | ✗ No | ✓ Yes — accredited-lab result |
A certified lab tells you exactly what’s in your water, how it compares to federal limits, and hands you a document you can act on — or give to a buyer, landlord, or attorney. That’s the difference between a guess and an answer.