Three MAJOR factors impact the types and levels of drinking water testing that Know Your H2O will recommend. 

These are:

1. Water System Type (Private Well -or- Public Water) - the type is often governed by the number of users of the system.

2. The activities that are happening surrounding the location of the Water System. This even applies to Public Water systems which often take for granted that water arrives safely from their Public source.

3. Is the source drinking water system regulated?

The diagnosis for testing needs often happens like this:

Know Your H2O Question 1:

Do you have an individual private water source, such as an on-site well, cistern, or spring?  (Well Water, Spring Water, Cistern) that is not regulated by the EPA or a state agency, If no, go to Question 2.

If your answer is YES, then it is your responsibility to ensure the quality of your drinking water and we strongly recommend starting by ordering a Neighborhood Hazard Report.  Are you aware of any specific aesthetic or use problems with the drinking water, such as:  nuisance odors, films, staining, coatings, taste problems or a problem or concern about a given contaminant, such as: bacterial quality, metals, nitrates, volatile organics, herbicides, pesticides, or forever chemicals ?   You may want to try our Drinking Water Expert Diagnostic Tool. 

For on-site private water systems, the water quality contaminants are primarily related to the surrounding land-use and geology of your area.

For rural areas that are forested without a history of agricultural (farm) land-use and industrialization and when you are experiencing an issue or concern about bacterial quality, corrosion, staining issues, and taste issues that do not include a chemical taste or smell.  We recommend the following tests:

Well Water Basic with Bacterial Package

Or

Corrosion Check for Your Drinking Water with Bacterial Package

For the same area as above with a history of agricultural areas or if there is a history of herbicide and pesticide usage and/or petrochemical usage such as: gasoline or fuel stations with surface or subsurface fuel storage, without past industrialization, we recommend the following:

Well Water Standard Water Test with Bacterial Package

This area has a history of or current activities that include landfills, industrialization, land application of biosolids, and chemical storage and manufacturing, we recommend the following:

Well Water Deluxe Water Test with Bacterial Package and foaming agents

Note: If you are in an area with high level of airborne radon or your concerned about radiological contaminants, concerned about pfos or pfoa or other “forever chemicals”, we recommend that your water testing assessment include the following:

Ultra Well Water Test

If you are not sure if airborne radon is high in your state or county, please use our free search tool to get the reported historic level of radon in households in your state and county.

Know Your H2O Question 2:

Does your water come from a regulated or unregulated water source? If your water comes from a shared well or Homeowners Association - it may be either regulated or unregulated based on the number of users of the source and regulations in your area, but it is more likely to be unregulated. If your water comes from a City or Municipal drinking water system it is more likely to be regulated. If your water comes from a known regulated system go to Question 3. 

If your answer is that your water comes from a water source that is not regulated, then it is your individual responsibility and the responsibility of the other owners of this system (i.e. Homeowners Association) to get your drinking water tested and to monitor your drinking water quality.  In this situation we recommend getting a Neighborhood Hazard Report periodically and getting the individual water source(s) tested as well as testing water samples from a number of other homes that share the source water quality tested.

For rural areas that are forested without a history of agricultural land-use and industrialization and when you are experiencing an issue or concern about bacterial quality, corrosion, staining issues, and taste issues that do not include a chemical taste or smell.  We recommend the following:

For this situation, we recommend that the raw water source be tested for the basic water testing kit and then each home on the system (or as many as possible) get tested for the screening testing kit that includes first flush and flush testing of the water.

Standard Well Water Test with Bacterial Screening with foaming agents  (Source water - includes the well, stream, cistern, etc. that is either owned by one or many owners as is the case in a shared Homeowner's Association style well)

and then this test:

Corrosion Check with Bacterial Screening (For each user of the water source - includes each individual home owner, business, etc. within a Homeowners Association or Land Association)

For the same area as above with a history of agricultural areas or if there is a history of herbicide and pesticide usage and/or petrochemical usage such as: gasoline or fuel stations with surface or subsurface fuel storage, without past industrialization, we recommend the following:

For this situation, we recommend that the raw water source be tested for the advanced water testing kit and then each home on the system or as many as possible get tested for the screening testing kit that includes first flush and flush testing of the water.

Deluxe Well Water Test with Bacterial Screening and foaming agents  (Source water - includes the well, stream, cistern, etc. that is either owned by one or many owners as is the case in a shared Homeowner's Association style well)

and then this test:

Corrosion Check with Bacterial Screening (For each user of the water source - includes each individual home owner, business, etc. within a Homeowners Association or Land Association)

This area has a history of or current activities that include landfills, industrialization, land application of biosolids, and chemical storage and manufacturing, we recommend the following:

For this situation, we recommend that the raw water source be tested for the comprehensive water testing kit and then each home on the system or as many as possible get tested for the screening testing kit that includes first flush and flush testing of the water.

Deluxe Well Water Test with Bacterial Screening, Foaming Agents with PFOA/PFOS Screening Test  (Source water - includes the well, stream, cistern, etc. that is either owned by one or many owners as is the case in a shared Homeowner's Association style well)

and then this test:

Corrosion Check with Bacterial Screening -OR- the Problem Check Kit with a Bacterial Screening (For each user of the water source - includes each individual home owner, business, etc. within a Homeowners Association or Land Association)

Note: If your community is within an area with high level of airborne radon, we recommend that your raw untreated water testing include the following:

Ultra Well Water Testing Package

If you are not sure if airborne radon is high in your state or county, please use our free search tool to get the reported historic level of radon in households in your state and county.

Know Your H2O Question 3:

Based on the answers to Questions 1 and 2 above it appears you are being serviced by a regulated public water supply system, it is important you obtain a copy of the Consumer Confidence Report for your system and review the findings.  

“Every year from 1982 to 2015, between 9 million and 45 million Americans got their drinking water from a source that violated the standards of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)” (Source).

The most common problems or concerns with this type of service include:

Aesthetic Problems with the Drinking Water associated with Corrosion this test kit:
Corrosion Check Water Test Kit

Taste and Odor Problems related to Biofilms or the water source this test kit:
Problem Check Water Test Kit

Taste Issues Related to Chlorine Taste and Disinfection By-Products this test kit:

City Water Check Basic with Bacterial Test (for those West of the Mississippi River)
Or this test kit
City Water Check Standard with Bacterial Test (for those East of the Mississippi River)

New Issue That Applies to ALL Water Systems – Forever Chemicals (PFOA, PFOS)

“Of tap water samples from 44 places in 31 states and the District of Columbia, only one location had no detectable PFAS, and only two other locations had PFAS below the level that independent studies show pose risks to human health”.  Some of the highest levels are found in North Carolina, Iowa, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), Kentucky, Louisiana, and South Carolina.

Use this test:

PFOA / PFOS

or even more comprehensively:
18 PFOA and PFOS Contaminants

Get in touch with Know Your H2O Team here.

We want to know: What concerns you most about your drinking water? 

Credits: Main blog image from 123rf.com