Essential City Water Test

Recommended for basic water quality testing in any home, building, or facility served by a water utility.

This RKIN test package in collaboration with SimpleLab provides all required materials to properly collect and submit a water sample for certified laboratory testing. The results will include a detailed analysis of common water health concerns and in particular, contamination from questionable plumbing and distribution lines.

Testing includes: Heavy metals, minerals, general chemistry.

Report analysis includes: Health-risk assessment, potential plumbing and aesthetic issues (taste, odor, appearance), and comparison to any regulatory limits and/or public health guidelines.

Water Test Kits are available within the US only.

Contaminants this tests for

Alkalinity, Calcium, Chloride, Hardness, LSI, pH, SAR, Sodium, Total Dissolved Solids, and Total Hardness: Important general indicators of your water's health. These are also important when selecting treatment.

Lead: Enters your tap water while in contact with the pipes and fixtures leading up to your faucet. Lead is an extremely toxic heavy metal that should not be ingested in any amount by children or adults.

Copper: Although less toxic than lead, Copper is more commonly detected in water samples since it is is the primary material in more than 95% of US home plumbing.

Cadmium: Often leaches from deteriorating pipes and also frequently found near industrial contamination. Cadmium is known to build up in human kidneys and recent toxicological data suggests it may be as harmful as lead.

Arsenic & Chromium: Highly toxic and frequently detected in both groundwater wells and water utilities . Arsenic is arguably the most difficult and expensive problem facing small and large water utilities nationwide. The high cost of treatment means some water systems can't afford to remove these entirely.

Uranium & Strontium: Uranium and strontium are frequently detected in trace amounts in water systems and wells. When detected in larger concentrations they can be a hazard to human health.

Mercury: Monitored by the EPA, Mercury has been recognized to potentially cause brain and kidney damage from chronic exposure in drinking water. The most common sources of mercury come from human activity and industrial waste.

Nitrate: Nitrate most often appears in shallow wells and water systems near agricultural production. Nitrate has a number of harmful effects on the human body including 'blue baby syndrome'.

Barium: Associated with oil & gas operations and commonly found in wells.

Fluoride: Many customers are concerned about the fluoride water systems add to US drinking water for dental hygiene. In the right amounts it can protect our teeth, too much can be harmful. Many don't know that fluoride can also come from industrial contamination.

Iron, Nickel, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Sulfate, and Zinc: Elements found in drinking water that cause foul taste and can be problematic at high concentrations. More than 18% of Americans are allergic to nickel, many of whom don’t know it.

Aluminum, Antimony, Beryllium, Boron, Cobalt, Lithium, Molybdenum, Phosphorous, Selenium, Silver, Thallium, Titanium, Tin, Vanadium : Other contaminants that are not often found in drinking water but are easily tested together with the others above.

The easiest way to test your chlorine levels is at home. Chlorine evaporates quickly and measuring it in the lab requires expensive shipping and refrigeration. In order to provide a cost-effective measurement of your home's chlorine levels, your package includes a chlorine test strip. The strip we send you will show Total Chlorine and Free Chlorine in your water, from which the presence of Chloramine can also be derived.

How it works

This mail-in laboratory testing package includes:

• sampling vial(s)
• sampling instructions
• prepaid return shipping label
• sample information card/chain of custody document
• shipping container

Once the lab receives the sample, your personalized SimpleLab Report will arrive by email within 5 business days.

Each testing package is intended for one sample from a single location unless otherwise specified.

Informational testing

By default, this broad-based chemical and biological water quality screening package is designed to provide you with general information about your water for personal use. Each report includes analysis for specific numerical concentration levels of each contaminant and details about the potential sources and health effects associated with each parameter. We are not medical doctors and SimpleLab does not provide medical advice. For medical concerns always consult your doctor. As an informational water quality test, this package is not meant for state or federal compliance water testing. If you or your organization requires compliance with State or Federal Law, or compliance with a particular regulatory requirement then you must contact the SimpleLab support team and we will use the appropriate certified laboratory facilities to ensure your compliance testing requirements are met. For more information about SimpleLab informational testing and certification options click here.