Testing
Home water test kits compared: strips, mail-in and labs
For lead and PFAS, use a laboratory result, either a state-certified lab or a mail-in kit processed by a certified lab. Home strips are screening tools. Check which compounds the test covers and the lowest level it reports, especially for PFAS, where EPA's limits are 4 parts per trillion.
Start with what already exists
If you are on a public utility, it already tests your water. Read its report (how to read a CCR) and its page on this site before paying for a test. Public data cannot tell you about your own plumbing, which is why lead tests still make sense (why).
The four options
| Option | Good for | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Utility data (CCR, EPA data) | System-wide results for regulated contaminants and UCMR 5 PFAS | Not your tap; not your well |
| Home test strips or color kits | A quick screen, or checking that a treatment system is still working (EPA WaterSense) | Not a laboratory analysis; do not use for a health decision |
| Mail-in laboratory kits | Lead, PFAS and a panel of other contaminants without finding a lab yourself | Check which lab processes it, which compounds it reports and the reporting limit |
| A state-certified lab, directly | Private wells, a specific concern, or when a certified lab is required | Fees and sampling rules vary; ask the lab |
EPA says to use only laboratories certified to do drinking water testing, and lists state certification contacts so you can find one.
Which contaminants to test for
- Private well, routine: EPA recommends annual testing for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH, and more often with small children, elderly adults or pregnancy in the home, or after flooding or changes near the well.
- Lead: from your tap, with first-draw instructions (guide).
- PFAS: a lab method that reports down to a low level. EPA’s UCMR 5 used Methods 533 and 537.1, and its minimum reporting levels for the 29 PFAS range from 2 to 20 ppt, so a lab whose reporting limit is much higher than 4 ppt cannot tell you whether you are under EPA’s PFOA and PFOS limits.
How to read a PFAS test
- Which compounds? Method 537.1 and Method 533 cover different lists of PFAS. HFPO-DA (GenX) is not in the 537.1 list, for example. Ask the lab.
- What reporting limit? Compare it to 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS.
- Is it a screening test? A single sample is a snapshot. EPA’s compliance for utilities uses a running annual average.
- Who ran it? Ask whether the lab is certified for drinking water analysis in your state.
Be realistic
No home test replaces your utility’s regulatory monitoring. A test tells you what was in that sample, taken at that tap, at that time. If a result worries you, talk to your utility, your state drinking water program and, for health questions, a clinician.
Sources
Not medical or legal advice. This guide summarizes public documents so you can ask better questions of your utility, your health department or a certified lab. For health concerns, talk to a clinician; for compliance questions, to your state drinking water program. Pages on this site that name products may earn a commission, as disclosed on the affiliate disclosure page.