
Mold and Fungus Water Test
$ 175Test for many types of mold that can travel in your water.
Get comprehensive water testing for all bacteria, mold, fungi, algae, slimes and more. We offer fast laboratory home testing kits for groundwater, surface water, private wells, and public water system analysis, nationwide.
Test for many types of mold that can travel in your water.
Analyze specific strains of bacteria in your water.
Test for total coliform and E. coli.
Test for heterotrophic bacteria in water.
Test for this dangerous bacteria with the best methods available.
Test your water for several varieties of giardia and cryptosporidium.
Test microbiological elements in your water with a cutting-edge method.
Test for the 5 most prevalent bacterial genera in a drinking water sample.
All Packages Include: free shipping both ways, comprehensive reporting, dedicated support, unbiased treatment recommendations, 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Yes, nearly all groundwater and surface water samples are likely to contain various species of naturally occurring microorganisms. Fortunately, most such bacteria (and other microorganisms) are non-pathogenic (meaning, they don’t make you sick). However, some bacteria in water can make you very sick. Laboratory testing focuses on these species and genera in particular: Coliform, E. coli, legionella, H. pylori and cryptosporidium, for example.
Heterotrophic bacteria are commonly found in soil and therefore very common in well water. Most heterotrophs, fortunately, are part of earth’s natural biota and are non-pathogenic.
While it can be very expensive to test for ALL bacteria, a subset of bacteria, called Coliform bacteria are good indicators of sanitary water safety. Coliform bacteria are good indicators of overall bacteria water safety because they don’t normally live deep underground (preferring instead the top layers of the soil). If coliform bacteria do show up in a water test, this indicates some surface contamination and that pathogenic (or disease-causing) microorganisms may also be present.
Laboratory testing is by far the most reliable and effective way to test for chemistry and bacterial contamination. Test strips can be very unreliable. Because it is expensive and impractical to lab test your water for all pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms, it’s recommended that you consider testing for one or a few of the packages on this page. Common tests include Coliform & E. coli , Legionella, HPC, Iron-related bacteria, slime forming bacteria and Total Microbiology tests.
There are many laboratory methods for testing bacteria. The most common quantitative methodologies include: Most Probable Number (MPN) and Membrane Filtration (MF). However, the US EPA and most other regulatory bodies rely on Presence / Absence methods (or P/A) because they are generally more accurate, faster and lower cost. Colilert and Colitag are the two most popular such tests.
Colilert and Colitag are the two most popular lab tests for coliform and E. coli in water.
Because all E. coli are coliform bacteria, an E. coli test is run after a coliform test produces a detection. Similar to total coliform testing, E. coli analysis is often performed by Colilert or Colitag.
The US EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) for coliform in drinking water is zero (no coliform) in a 100ml sample.
The US EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) for E. coli in drinking water is zero. After treatment there should be no E. coli in a tested water sample.
For most types of bacteria, chlorine, UV, and other specially designed water treatment systems can disinfect water and kill 99%+ of the microorganisms–including coliform and E. coli bacteria. Other microorganisms like viruses and protozoa (i.e. cryptosporidium) are more chlorine-resistant and may need more specialized treatment.
(1) Use boiled or bottled water from a safe alternative source for cooking and drinking until you can fix the issue. Note that if you have other chemical issues with your water (like arsenic, lead or nitrates) then boiling your water can unfortunately increase these concentrations and cause health problems. (2) Perform a chlorine disinfection or chlorine “shock” to kill the coliform bacteria in your well. You can do this yourself or contact a licensed well contractor.
Even though most coliform bacteria are non-pathogenic, it is not safe to drink water with coliform bacteria contamination. Presence of coliform bacteria means that there is a likelihood of pathogenic microorganisms in the water, as well.
Disease-causing microorganisms can cause diarrhea, cramping, nausea, vomiting, headache, fever, fatigue and even death. Young children and elderly populations, as well as those with weakened immune systems are more likely to get sick from microorganisms in water.