Water Testing Services Offered

Before purchasing any water treatment equipment, the first piece of information a person should obtain is a water analysis. The challenge is you want a quick, independent test at an affordable price. While we can not vouch for it at this point, an employee may have found a reliable third party testing service for Pennsylvania residents. He found an article in the Town Talk Newspaper of Delaware County about a service offered by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. The College has an Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory which offers water testing to the general public.

The laboratory has a list of standard analytical packages that range in price from $50 - $130 per sample. Also, the laboratory has a list of individual analyses for drinking water.

To submit a drinking water sample to Penn State’s laboratory, you must first obtain a Drinking Water Test Kit. Kits are available at many county cooperative extension offices or may be obtained directly from the laboratory. The kit consists of a shipping box, sample bottles, instructions on how to take a sample, and a submission form. After taking your water sample, you must send the kit to the laboratory by overnight mail along with your payment for the test(s) requested. For the bacteria test, included in all test packages, the laboratory must receive the sample within 30 hours after sampling.

How soon will you get your results? According to the Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory's website, tests are complete within two weeks after sample receipt by the laboratory. With mailing time, you should receive your report within two to three weeks after sending your sample.