Water Bacteria Testing
Why test your water
Coliform and E. coli are invisible and odorless — the only way to know whether they’re in your water is to have a certified lab look. I test on any property where the source is private or the quality is in question, and I build the screening to fit the home in front of me.
Private wells and shared wells — water no utility is monitoring for you.
Older homes, where the plumbing itself — lead solder, galvanized pipe — can change what comes out of the tap.
Rural and agricultural land, where nitrate from fields or a nearby septic system can work its way into groundwater.
Testing matched to the property
The standard test is for bacteria — total coliform and E. coli — analyzed by a certified laboratory. When a property calls for a closer look, I can build a comprehensive, custom panel.
Standard: total coliform and E. coli — the front-line indicators labs use to flag bacterial contamination.
Comprehensive and custom: lead, nitrate, nitrite and turbidity, plus iron, manganese and pH — the metals, nutrients and water-quality markers that can affect health, plumbing, appliances and taste.
You get the lab’s results and my plain-English summary — safe, needs attention, or unsafe. Anyone can drop off a bottle, but the value is drawing the sample correctly, keeping a clean chain of custody, and telling you what the numbers actually mean.
