What Kind of Water Test Do You Really Need?

We get it—water testing can be confusing. “Wasn’t my water tested when I bought the home with the well?” The answer is usually yes, but those tests are quite limited. Not all water testing is created equal. So let us help you determine what testing you actually need.

Understanding the Tests Required by Lenders

When you buy a home or property with a private well, lenders often require a water test—but these are only checking for the most dangerous and well-documented contaminants. Typically, these tests cover:

• Bacteria (usually E. coli)
• Arsenic
• Lead
• Nitrates and nitrites

Depending on your location, the local health authority may also provide guidance on region-specific contaminants. But think of these tests as the bare minimum—just enough to get a green or red light for loan approval. What they don’t typically check for are the things that may not cause health issues but can still make your water unpleasant or cause damage to your home.

Working With Certified Labs

Certified laboratories can test for nearly everything and often cater to professionals who know exactly what they’re looking for. When homeowners or plumbers approach these labs directly, the labs generally won't offer advice on what to test for. Why? To maintain ethical standards—recommendations are typically left to engineers or scientists to avoid influencing test results or overprescribing analysis.

So, when labs don't guide you, they often test for everything they’re certified to analyze. The result? A complex certificate of analysis packed with technical language: detection limits, concentration ranges, EPA maximum contaminant levels, and unfamiliar units of measurement. Some results are measured directly; others are calculated. It can get confusing—fast.

Let Cascadian Make It Easy

This is where we come in. We’re happy to review and interpret lab reports and give you a clear, practical opinion based on 30+ years of experience with all kinds of well water. We’ll guide you through the water treatment process and offer honest, helpful advice—whether or not it leads to one of our products. At Cascadian, our goal is simple: help you enjoy your water, not sell you things that won’t work.

Need a Simpler Path? We’ve Got You.

If you found Cascadian before diving into the lengthy and expensive certified lab route, great! We offer a low-cost, simple, and fast in-house water testing option. By skipping certification, we avoid the overhead costs—and focus only on the most common contaminants that actually affect your water’s quality and your home’s protection.

Our water test kit includes an information survey, giving us the context we need to provide a high-quality consultation. The result? A clear, fast, and affordable recommendation tailored to your well water—and your needs.

The process is easy: you purchase the test kit, we ship it to you, and you collect the untreated water sample yourself. Fill out the included survey, seal everything in the return box, and use the prepaid shipping label to drop it off at the post office. Since we’re not a certified lab and we’re only testing for a targeted list of contaminants, there’s no need for chain of custody documentation, temperature control, or preservatives. It’s streamlined and stress-free—as long as you’re not requesting bacteria testing (we aren’t equipped for that, and it adds complexity to sample collection).

Not on a Well? We Can Still Help.

If your water isn’t coming from a private well, the good news is that Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs) are required by law. These reports provide water quality data for public water systems. Finding them isn’t always easy, though—so let us do the legwork for you. We’ll grab the latest report based on your location and return product recommendations based on what’s in it.

Already Have a Lab Report?

If you've already had your water tested by a certified laboratory and would like help interpreting the results, we’ve got you covered. Upload your lab report and we’ll review it—free of charge—and help you understand what the numbers really mean.

Let us help you make sense of your water. Whether it’s reading a complex lab report, retrieving a public water report, or giving you a head start with our in-house test kit, Cascadian’s here to help.