How to Test Water for Bacteria
Public water systems are required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to monitor and test public drinking water and to provide their customers with an annual report, called the Consumer Confidence Report. However, if your drinking water comes from a dug private well, an older water system, or a spring-fed or cistern-type system, then they are very vulnerable to bacterial contamination, especially if they are not sealed properly. If your drinking water comes from a source other than a public system, then you alone are responsible for testing your water regularly for pathogenic bacteria.
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Things You'll Need
- Confidential drinking water bacterial purity test kit from a state certified water testing laboratory
Instructions
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Testing Your Water Supply
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Contact your city, county or state department of health and human services for a list of approved, state-certified water testing laboratories. You can also call the Safe Drinking Water hotline at (800) 426-4791 to find the one closest to you, or online at epa.gov/safewater/labs.
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Pick up a confidential drinking water bacterial purity test kit from the lab of your choice, or have them mail one to you.
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Follow the test kit's detailed instructions exactly on how to properly collect the water sample and avoid cross contamination.
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Fill out the information form accurately and completely with the date and time of collection and your return address. The lab must receive your sample within 30 hours (or however long the lab determines) after it's collected. If there is no time and date listed, the lab will assume it's more than 30 hours old, and will not test it. For this reason, it's best to hand-carry your sample immediately to the lab instead of mailing it. If you don't list your return address, the results won't be mailed to you. Make sure your return address is listed and is accurate.
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Buy bottled water or boil your water vigorously for one minute before drinking it or cooking with it if the lab test confirms the presence of significant amounts of bacteria or other contaminants. Boil it vigorously for three minutes if you live in an altitude more than 6,562 feet above sea level.
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Follow the site or situation-specific instructions and recommendations of your local public health department officials on what to do to eliminate the source of your water's contamination and how to disinfect your water supply.
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Tips & Warnings
If you have a new well, or have repaired or replaced the well casing, pumps or pipes, test your water every year for coliform bacteria, pH levels, nitrates and total dissolved solids. If someone in your household is in the early stages of pregnancy, test your water for nitrate. This test is best done during the spring or summer following a rain storm. Test it again before the baby is brought home and also during the first six months of its life. If a fuel or chemical spill occurred near your water supply, test your well for contaminants specific to your particular situation. Your well will need to be tested more than once a year if there is a noticeable difference in your water's taste, odor, clarity or color.
Bacteria contamination can't always be detected by smell, sight or taste. The only way to be certain is to have a qualified laboratory test it. The use of any other type of container for testing water other than the one provided in your test kit will result in your water not being tested.
