Start with the testing that is already done
Every public water system in the country tests its water regularly and reports the results, and that testing is free to look up. It is the single most underused source of information a homeowner has. This site puts it behind a ZIP code for 58 systems across Virginia, DC and the Maryland suburbs, with each contaminant shown against two benchmarks: the federal legal limit, and the stricter health guideline independent researchers use.
That comparison is the part worth internalising. Water can be fully legal and still sit far above the health guideline, because most legal limits were set decades ago and have not moved. Nothing is being hidden from you. It is published, and it is written in a format nobody reads.
The three methods, honestly compared
| Method | Cost | Sees | Misses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility published results Your free report |
Free | Every regulated contaminant the system tests for: disinfection byproducts, nitrate, chromium-6, PFAS where tested | Anything added by your own plumbing. Nothing is measured at your tap |
| Home test strip Drug store or online |
Around $10 to $30 | Hardness, chlorine, pH, sometimes iron and nitrate | PFAS, lead at levels that matter, most byproducts |
| Certified lab test Mail-in kit or a state-certified lab |
Roughly $50 to $600 by panel | Whatever you order, measured at your tap, defensibly | Nothing, within the panel you paid for. You pay for each panel |
What a test strip is actually good for
Strips get a bad name unfairly. For hardness, chlorine and pH they give a usable number in two minutes, and hardness in particular is worth knowing because it drives whether a softener makes sense and how fast your water heater builds scale.
What a strip cannot do is chemistry it was never designed for. PFAS is measured in parts per trillion. Lead matters at parts per billion. No colour-change pad resolves either. A strip that claims to test for "toxins" is testing for nothing in particular.
When a lab test earns its price
Pay for a lab test when the result would actually change what you do:
- A private well. Nobody tests it but you. This is not optional.
- A home built before 1986, or a known lead service line. Lead is a per-house question, not a per-utility one.
- A pregnancy or an infant in the house, where nitrate and lead are worth confirming rather than assuming.
- A sudden change in taste, smell or colour that the utility has not explained.
- Before a large treatment purchase, so the system is sized to numbers instead of to a sales pitch.
Outside those cases, the published data plus a hardness reading usually answers the question for a fraction of the effort.
If you are on a well
Everything above assumes a public water system. A private well is outside that entire framework: no required testing, no published report, no regulator watching. The EWG database this site draws on covers public systems only, so a well address will not return a meaningful report here. Annual testing for bacteria and nitrate, plus a broader panel every few years, is the baseline most state health departments recommend.
What the free in-home checkup is, and is not
SwiftPro's free Home Water Checkup measures hardness in grains per gallon, checks your water pressure, and inspects your water heater's age and condition. That is the right set of measurements for deciding whether treatment makes sense and how to size it.
It is not a certified lab analysis, and it does not measure PFAS, lead or nitrate. Anyone offering a "free water test" that claims to find those is selling a system, not measuring your water. If you need those numbers, order a lab panel; the two are not substitutes.
Start with the free version
Type your ZIP and see what your own utility already reported: every contaminant above the health guideline, how far above, and which treatment actually addresses it.
Or browse first: all 58 local water systems · the 14 contaminant guides
Questions people ask
How do I find out what is in my tap water?
Start with your utility's published testing, which is free and already done. That is what this site shows by ZIP code. It describes the water the system delivers; what happens in your own pipes is a separate question that needs a test at your tap.
Do home water test strips actually work?
For hardness, chlorine and pH, yes, and those are useful numbers. Strips cannot detect PFAS, lead at the levels that matter, or most disinfection byproducts. A strip is a screen, not an analysis.
How much does a water test cost?
Strips run about $10 to $30. A mail-in certified panel typically runs $50 to $200, and a broad panel including PFAS can reach several hundred. Your utility's published results cost nothing.
Does a utility report tell me about lead in my water?
Not for your house. Lead enters from service lines, solder and fixtures on the property, so two homes on one street can differ sharply. Lead is the clearest case where only a test at your own tap answers the question.
Is well water covered by these reports?
No. Public systems are tested and reported by law. A private well is tested by nobody unless you arrange it, which makes a certified lab test the only information you have.
Is a free water test the same as a lab test?
No. A free in-home test measures hardness and checks pressure and the water heater. It is the right tool for sizing treatment. It is not a certified analysis and does not measure PFAS, lead or nitrate.