The Original Water Testing Kit for Drinking Water, Well and Tap Water, Sensitive Lead in Water Test, Bacteria, Hardness, pH, Nitrates, Easy Instructions, Lab-Accurate Results, 1 Kit

I bought this rest kit to assist in determining what type of filteration system to get for my home. So glad I did, there is bacteria and lead 😳 in our water. Thankfully we drink bottled water, but we have been cooking with it. It was easy to use. I will order another one once the filter is set up.

For 20-some-odd bucks, you can know if your well water is safe. We've wondered for a long time, and now have that peace of mind. We knew ahead of testing that we had good-tasting well water. We knew from the driller's report that we have lots of it. We knew that our pump sits in good water, down 240 feet through bedrock.We also knew that our water is hard. We have the calcium deposits to prove it, and as a result, we run a salt water softener with a microprocessor that is sophisticated enough to know how often it needs to soften the water. And we run an RO (reverse osmosis) filter under the kitchen sink that purifies our drinking (and cooking) water. But just how hard is our water? We didn't know that.We also didn't know that in terms of metal, chemical and bacterial contaminants, if our water was safe. We've been drinking it and our health is good. But still, that nagging question. What's really in the water? Now we know.This little test kit is a brilliant idea. You don't need to take a sample and send it off to a lab, paying whatever fees, and waiting weeks for results. You can do these series of tests at home, in less than an hour (except the bacterial one, which needs two days in a vial at room temp to see if the nasties are going to have a breeding party).It's pretty simple, really. You get a sample of water directly from your well (we have a tap near the wellhead, before the water is softened and filtered). I took a squeaky-clean glass jar and filled it. Most of the tests are in the form of chemically sensitive patches on strips of paper -- like litmus paper -- which are dipped in your well water, and react in the presence of heavy metals and other contaminants. (You could, of course, test your municipal tap-water as well -- it does tell you if there are unsafe levels of chlorine, which are not present in well water). And in fact, the litmus test is included -- one of the oldest ways to discover the Ph level of your water or if it is acidic, alkaline, or neutral.With this kit you can quickly reveal the presence of nitrates and nitrites (usually caused by animal waste). You will test for possibly dangerous heavy metals, including copper, lead, and iron. Iron, by the way, is present in a lot of wells -- observably as ugly orange stains in sinks and toilets. Our water did not display even a trace, which surprised us. The test for dangerous bacteria, as I mentioned, takes two days to "ripen." If the water remains purplish, you're in good shape (ours did).In fact, the good news is, our water was fine on all counts -- except "hardness." We have about 400 ppm (parts per million), which is relatively high. Of course, we already knew it was hard, and compensate for that with the salt softener.Having done all this, the question arises: what would we have done if we had found our well water was high in a contaminants? Move? But knowing is better than ignorance.The test is easy to to, at home, without the need to send away samples and wait for results. The price for peace of mind is cheap, and $10 less than one of our well equipment companies wanted for the exact same kit, same brand.Recommended.

Our town has sent numerous CYA memos on a monthly basis regarding the possibility of having lead in our water due to the year of construction of the home (circa 1975)- written in a way saying that the water they provide is safe, but the service-line coming into the house may contain lead in the pipes/solder. I used the various tests in this kit along with the positive/negative lead test which indicated there was less than 15 ppbillon lead in our water, which is negative result. Followed all the test procedures exactly as written with a stopwatch and a new water sample for each, and didn't have any issues- make sure to read each procedure first before opening! I also did not 'run the water' for extended time prior to obtaining any samples. Each of the test indicator strips are completely sealed to minimize the chance of contamination during removal prior to using it for the test procedure. It's a good pass/fail indicator test, but I may get a more involved different lead-only to corroborate the findings altogether.

Directions were easy to follow with clear results

First, these kits are easy to use. I put off doing the tests because I wasn't sure how complicated or time-consuming it would be. Once I opened the box and read the instructions, it was all really easy. Just pay attention to different timeframes on different tests.I ordered 2 kits so I could check the tap water in a temporary location and compare it to my Aquasana filter to see how well it actually works. I don't have my Berkey set up yet so I've been using an Aquasana which is quicker and easier to set up. I planned to get 2 more kits to check the Berkey once it's set up and also check the tap water in my temporary work location because we are not allowed to bring our appliances to the office. Bottom line is I planned to test 4 different waters, but started with only 2 kits. My plan quickly went awry, though, when the tap water results were not at all what I expected, so I used the 2nd test kit to check again. The tap water passed with flying colors but I'm skeptical. No chlorine in the tap water in a big city? How can that possibly be? I used the chlorine test intended for the Aquasana filtered water to check the tap water again - with the same results. If there really is NOTHING in the tap water, then I don't even need to check the filtered water. But I have serious doubts about whether the test results are accurate. Since when is city tap water so pristine? There would at least be some chlorine if nothing else. In fairness, the water hardness test showed very hard water but that was the ONLY test that showed anything.I am actually ordering more tests so I can check again and also check the water at work (which in theory should be the same city tap water but could be adversely affected by older pipes). Even with my skepticism, this is the one of the most affordable water tests I can find and as mentioned above, very simple to use. I don't know what other options I have but to check again.

Good

The lead testing is approximate. Either safe or not safe, which is an oxymoron since no lead is safe. You do not get an actual number. The material in the test tube did not fully dissolve in the water and the test results are difficult to read. I would prefer a digital model with better, easier to read and interpret tests and directions.

Very reliable and efficient kit, allows you to test different sort of components of your water, from Lead, bacteria to tds levels. Each test in a separate packaging with clear instructions for related test. I would recommend anyone to get those for their peace of mind on the qulity of the water in their home