WaterSafe Well Water Test Kit

If your water comes from a well, it's a good idea to have one of these well water test kits on hand and test your water at least twice per year. The inexpensive WaterSafe Well Water Test kit allows you, in a few simple steps, to determine if your water contains harmful or undesirable levels of bacteria, lead, copper, iron, pesticide, chlorine, nitrate, nitrite, pH and hardness. It is important to remember that your water may contain low levels of some substances, but it is only considered harmful above levels set by the EPA.

The WaterSafe Well Water kit contains:

• One bacteria test vial
• One lead/pesticide test strip
• One nitrate/nitrite test strip
• One pH/hardness/chlorine test strip
• One copper test strip
• One iron test strip
• Color comparison charts for bacterial test vials and test strips
• Complete instructions for testing

The kit includes complete instructions on how to perform the testing as well as how to assess whether your water contains unsafe or undesirable levels of the 10 contaminants.

Each of the 6 tests within the kit take different amounts of time to complete. For instance, bacterial levels in the water are assessed 48 hours after initial testing, lead after 10 minutes, nitrate/nitrite after 1 minute and pH/hardness/chlorine after 15 seconds.

Reasons to test your well water:

• Strains of E. coli bacteria can cause serious illness or even death
• Copper can cause liver and kidney damage in infants
• Lead can cause developmental harm and neurological and kidney damage
• Iron causes staining of laundry, dishes, bathtubs and sinks. It can clog pipes and gives off an offensive odor
• Nitrates from fertlizers and animal waste can cause developmental problems
• Pesticides from agricultural uses have been linked to increased cancer rates
• Chlorine can increase cancer risk
• Abnormal pH levels can cause heavy metal (lead) leaching and plumbing damage
• Water hardness causes lime scale and requires higher detergent use

Considerations before you begin:

• The contents of the test kit should be kept out of reach of children and pets. Do not ingest anything in the test kit and do not drink water that has been used for testing.
• Store and use the kit at room temperature.
• Do not open any packets or vials in the kit until you are ready to perform the test.
• Do not test hot water or water with any bleach detergents.
• Do not re-use any part of the test kit.
• Be sure to read and follow all instructions carefully.