Water testing
Testing city water
Your utility already monitors the system and publishes results. A home test answers a different question: what happens between the meter and your tap.
When a home test makes sense on city water
- Your home's plumbing — lead solder, galvanized pipe or older fixtures can add what the utility's numbers don't show
- A taste or odor change at your taps that the utility's report doesn't explain
- A named contaminant from a notice or news story — certified treatment claims only match a measured value
- Sizing a softener — a measured hardness number for your home beats the area range
Which level answers which question
A screening strip suggests — fine for hardness or chlorine curiosity. A qualifying laboratory test establishes — required for anything involving health, a named contaminant, or a purchase decision over a few hundred dollars.
Start with what's free: your utility's own report. We'll show you what it says for your area first, so you only pay for testing that adds something.