Sample Report · Demonstration Data
Drinking Water Quality Analysis
Environmental Laboratory Services · Boise, Idaho
The headline finding
Your water is chemically clean — every regulated contaminant we screened for, from metals to solvents to pesticides, came back below the EPA limit. The two items worth your attention are biological, not chemical: a positive result for total coliform bacteria and a turbidity reading just over the action level. Reassuringly, E. coli was absent, and both findings respond well to straightforward treatment.
— Dr. Mark L. Arvin, Chief Science Officer
The full panel, by category
| Contaminant | Result | EPA Standard | MDL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Coliform Present | Present | Absent · P/A | — | |
| E. coli | Absent | Absent · P/A | — |
| Contaminant | Result (mg/L) | EPA Standard | MDL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum | ND | 0.2 · Secondary | 0.1 | |
| Arsenic | ND | 0.010 · Primary | 0.005 | |
| Barium | ND | 2 · Primary | 0.30 | |
| Cadmium | ND | 0.005 · Primary | 0.002 | |
| Calcium | 29.2 | — · No limit | 2.0 | |
| Chromium | ND | 0.1 · Primary | 0.010 | |
| Copper | ND | 1.3 · Action Lvl | 0.004 | |
| Iron | ND | 0.3 · Secondary | 0.020 | |
| Lead | ND | 0.010 · Action Lvl | 0.002 | |
| Lithium | 0.021 | — · No limit | 0.001 | |
| Magnesium | 1.36 | — · No limit | 0.10 | |
| Manganese | ND | 0.05 · Secondary | 0.005 | |
| Sodium | 12.4 | — · No limit | 1.0 | |
| Zinc | ND | 5 · Secondary | 0.02 |
| Parameter | Result | EPA Standard | MDL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 7.6 units | 6.5–8.5 · Secondary | — | |
| Total Dissolved Solids | 160 mg/L | 500 · Secondary | 20 | |
| Turbidity Attention | 1.1 NTU | 1.0 · Action Lvl | 0.1 | |
| Hardness Moderately hard | 78 mg/L | — · No limit | — |
| Contaminant | Result (mg/L) | EPA Standard | MDL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chloride | ND | 250 · Secondary | 5.0 | |
| Fluoride | 0.4 | 4.0 · Primary | 0.5 | |
| Nitrate as N | 1.2 | 10 · Primary | 0.5 | |
| Nitrite as N | ND | 1 · Primary | 0.5 | |
| Sulfate | 7.7 | 250 · Secondary | 5.0 |
| Contaminant | Result (mg/L) | EPA Standard | MDL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bromodichloromethane | ND | TTHM 0.080 · Primary | 0.0005 | |
| Bromoform | ND | TTHM 0.080 · Primary | 0.0005 | |
| Chloroform | ND | TTHM 0.080 · Primary | 0.0005 | |
| Dibromochloromethane | ND | TTHM 0.080 · Primary | 0.0005 |
Analyzed by EPA Method 524.2; every VOC fell below its reporting limit. Representative compounds in this panel:
- Benzene
- Toluene
- Ethylbenzene
- Xylenes (total)
- Vinyl Chloride
- Trichloroethene
- Tetrachloroethene
- 1,2-Dichloroethane
- 1,1-Dichloroethene
- cis-1,2-Dichloroethene
- Carbon Tetrachloride
- Methylene Chloride
- 1,1,1-Trichloroethane
- Styrene
- Chlorobenzene
- 1,4-Dichlorobenzene
- Dichloromethane
- MTBE
Analyzed by EPA Methods 505 / 508 / 515; every pesticide and PCB fell below its reporting limit. Representative compounds in this panel:
- 2,4-D
- Alachlor
- Atrazine
- Aldrin
- Toxaphene
- Trifluralin
- Simazine
- Lindane
- Chlordane
- Heptachlor
- Methoxychlor
- Endrin
- Dieldrin
- Hexachlorobenzene
- PCBs (Aroclors)
What this means for your home
Two findings warrant your attention, and I want to put both in context before we get to next steps.
Coliforms are an indicator group — they are common in soil and the environment and are not necessarily harmful in themselves. What their presence tells us is that a pathway may exist for other organisms to enter the water. Importantly, E. coli was absent, which substantially lowers the likelihood of recent fecal contamination. We treat this as a signal to disinfect and confirm, not as cause for alarm.
At 1.1 NTU, turbidity sits just over the 1.0 NTU action level. Fine suspended particles can shield microorganisms from disinfection, so this reading is consistent with — and likely related to — the coliform finding. Addressing the sediment source typically resolves both at once.
The metals, trihalomethanes, volatile organic compounds, and pesticides we screened for were all below EPA limits — the great majority not detected at all (below the laboratory reporting limit). On the chemical side, this is a clean result, and a reassuring one.
Recommended Next Steps
For a private system, shock chlorination is the standard approach; if you are on a municipal connection, contact your utility. Identifying and clearing the sediment or filtration source removes the particles that can shelter microorganisms.
A follow-up sample confirms that the treatment resolved the bacterial finding. We recommend re-testing once the system has been disinfected and flushed.
If turbidity does not settle after addressing the source, a point-of-entry sediment filter is an effective, low-maintenance long-term measure.
About this test
What we measured
A 90-analyte drinking water panel covering microbiologicals, metals, physical factors, inorganic compounds, trihalomethanes, volatile organic compounds, and pesticides/PCBs — analyzed by accredited EPA reference methods (200, 300, 500-series).
How we judged the results
Each result is compared against the EPA Primary (health-based) and Secondary (aesthetic) Drinking Water Regulations, plus published Action Levels. Status reflects whether a value falls within, near, or above its applicable standard.
What a single sample shows
These results reflect the water as collected from the kitchen cold tap on April 22, 2026. Water quality can vary with time, season, and plumbing. A single grab sample is a snapshot — re-testing confirms whether a finding is stable or transient.
What it does not show
This is an environmental test of your water supply, not a health assessment. We do not — and cannot — draw conclusions about any person’s health from these data. For any health-related question, please consult your physician.