Hopefully this is the right place to ask this question! I've got a well vs. town water and have lived here for over 25 years, but never actually tested the water. my bad, but better late than never (we're doing a new kitchen and my wife wants to put a filter under the sink but first we have to know what we're starting with!).

when i go on line to search for testing services, it seems like too many ads and not enough answers so I've come here. I live in northern new jersey, and I think I want a testing service that is certified by the state? or does that matter? what am I looking for and how do I avoid scams and have confidence in the test results? I did talk to a local service that does tests for area towns but they wanted almost $400 to do the full testing. Is that reasonable -- seemed very high vs. prices on line, yet maybe that's what I need to pay?

Just not sure here and seems like a maze -- any guidance would be much approciated! jp

 

Contact your counties Health or Environmental Services Dept. for a water test. It is rather inexpensive and the results will be impartial as they are not trying to sell you anything. Every person I have know that had a "commercial" water test done also came with a recommendation to install several thousand of dollars of filtration equipment and get a service contract.

 

gr -

Also check out the college and university agriculture departments. I get my well water tested very year by the Penn State U. Dept of Agriculture. For about $110 bucks I get ph test, lead test, bacteria test, hardness, and more, and they never try to sell me equipment.

They give you a kit with water bottles to fill and you ship the kit back to them … but they must get the samples within 24hrs after you fill the bottles (I think for the bacteria testing). So you just need to do a priority shipment (a little extra cost).

Like you I worry about the testers who also make money from equipment sales and installation.

 

this is great thank you and also for the insight -- you've confirmed what I suspected. Bottom line i want impartial and trustworthy and these suggestions should do just that.

 

like pilot dane said, go with a certified service that only does water testing, should be $100 for a basic test, more if you want all kinds of crazy stuff examined. For a basic home filtration, just get a fridge with an ice and water dispenser. THey have a reasonable filter system that you change regularly.

 

Modern refrigerator filters are about $100/yr. if changed on the manufacturers schedule. If you can put a filter inline before the refrigerator you can use a much cheaper filter arrangement.