How To Take A Water Sample

  1. For a treated water sample – take this sample first. Continue to step 3.
  2. For a RAW (untreated) water sample: If using an untreated outside lawn tap – run the outside lawn tap water for 5 minutes and continue to step 3. If using an inside faucet – make sure any and all water treatment systems are off completely. Not just unplugged or non-functional. It must be bypassed through the plumbing (most water treatment systems have a bypass installed).
  3. Have a clean plastic bottle available. We need at least 12 ounces. An Aquafina water bottle, for example, works fine.
  4. Run the water for at least 5 minutes if sampling softened water. Run the water for 1 minute if sampling reverse osmosis water.
  5. If you are sampling hot water, take your sample as soon as water gets hot.
  6. Slow down the flow of water so to minimize air into the sample.
  7. Rinse sample bottles at least twice with the water to be tested.
  8. Fill the bottle all the way to the top. As you are closing the lid on the bottle, squeeze the bottle so that air is purged as you are sealing the bottle. Air and time degrade this water sample.
  9. VERY IMPORTANT: Place an address label or fill out a label tag and attach to the bottle. We get water samples in all the time – so without identification we do not perform the water test. Please note the condition of the sample (discolored, smelly, etc.) and the date collected.
  10. Bring in or send the sample to the address listed below as soon as you can. Old samples are simply dumped. We will not send your container back but we will recycle it.