Buying a water filter without testing first is like buying medication without a diagnosis. You might address the wrong contaminant, overspend on unnecessary filtration, or worse, miss something dangerous that your filter does not cover.
Water testing options range from $10 DIY strips to $800+ comprehensive lab panels. The right choice depends on what you need to know and how much precision matters.
Tap Score is SimpleLab's consumer brand (sold at mytapscore.com), so the two names refer to the same service. Prices below are the labs' own listed prices in October 2026.
| Feature | Tap Score (SimpleLab) | National Testing Labs (WaterCheck) | DIY Strip Kits | Home Digital Meters | |---|---|---|---|---| | PFAS Testing | Yes ($335 for 18 PFAS; $599 for 25 incl. GenX) | Not on its standard kits | No | No | | Lead Testing | Yes | Yes | Yes (limited accuracy) | No | | Bacteria (Coliform/E.coli) | Well-water kits only | Bacteria kits ($165) | Yes (presence/absence) | No | | Heavy Metals Panel | Yes (25 metals in the basic city kit) | Yes | No | No | | VOCs/Pesticides | Advanced kits | CityCheck Deluxe | No | No | | TDS Reading | Included | Included | No | Yes ($15-$30) | | Lab Accreditation | Network of accredited labs (state ELAP, NELAC, ISO) | ISO/IEC 17025 accredited | None | None | | Turnaround Time (in lab) | 5 business days basic; 10 for PFAS | 7-12 business days | Instant | Instant | | Price (Basic Panel) | $189 (Essential City, 49 analytes) | $169-$205 | $10-$30 | $15-$30 | | Price (Comprehensive) | $299 (Advanced City, 111 analytes) | $345 (CityCheck Deluxe, 115 analytes) | N/A | N/A |
SimpleLab operates under the Tap Score brand and offers the most user-friendly certified testing experience. They mail you a collection kit with pre-labeled vials, you fill them from your tap, and ship them back in the prepaid mailer.
Results arrive via an online dashboard that explains each result in plain language, compares against EPA limits, and suggests next steps. The basic city kit takes about 5 business days once the lab has your sample; PFAS tests take about 10 to 12.
Core test packages (Tap Score core kits): - Essential City ($189, 49 analytes): metals, minerals, nitrate, fluoride and other inorganics (no bacteria; the $209 Essential Well kit adds it) - Advanced City ($299, 111 analytes): adds organic chemicals such as VOCs and disinfection byproducts - PFAS Water Test ($335): 18 PFAS compounds by EPA Method 537.1, or $599 for 25 compounds including GenX by EPA Method 533 - Extended City ($815, 120 analytes): the broadest city-water panel
EPA Methods 533 and 537.1 are the methods EPA uses for public water systems, and Tap Score reports PFAS down to about 2 parts per trillion.
NTL has operated since 1985 under the WaterCheck name and runs an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited lab. Its city kits cost $169 to $345, and the top CityCheck Deluxe panel covers 115 analytes including VOCs and pesticides. Results arrive by email rather than an interactive dashboard, and PFAS is not part of its standard kits, so a PFAS test means a separate order elsewhere.
Good option if you want a broad chemical panel without the visual dashboard.
Home test strips ($10-$30 at hardware stores) use colorimetric reactions to indicate presence or absence of certain contaminants. They are useful for:
They cannot detect: - PFAS at any level - Heavy metals at low concentrations - VOCs or pesticides - Specific contaminant concentrations
Accuracy limitation: Strip tests show color changes that you compare against a printed chart. They indicate "present" or "not present" rather than precise concentrations. False negatives are a real risk for lead, because many consumer strips are only designed to flag lead at higher concentrations, while lead below that threshold can still be harmful (EPA's new action level is 10 ppb, and there is no known safe level for children).
A TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter costs $15-$30 and gives an instant reading. Many people use these to "test water quality," but TDS measures dissolved minerals overall, not specific contaminants.
A TDS reading of 300 ppm might mean your water has healthy calcium and magnesium. Or it might mean lead and arsenic. The meter cannot distinguish. High TDS correlates loosely with hard water, not with contamination.
TDS meters are useful for one thing: verifying that your RO system is working. RO should reduce TDS by 90%+. If your tap reads 250 and your RO output reads 25, the membrane is functioning.
Use certified lab testing when: - You have never tested your water - You are on well water (no utility testing) - You are pregnant or have infants - You suspect PFAS contamination (near military base, industrial site, or airport) - Your water utility has issued advisories - You want to know exactly what filter to buy
Use DIY strips when: - You want a quick bacteria check after plumbing work - You need to verify chlorine levels for aquarium use - You want a rough hardness reading for soap/detergent decisions
Use a TDS meter when: - You want to verify your RO system is working - You want to track filter exhaustion (rising TDS = time to replace)
Check your water quality to understand your local utility's reported contaminants. This free check uses EPA compliance data to show what has been detected in your water system. If the results concern you, order a certified lab test to confirm with your specific tap's readings.
For most households on city water, the Tap Score Essential City test ($189) plus the PFAS Water Test ($335) provides the most actionable data. If cost is a barrier, start with the Essential panel and add PFAS testing later if your area has known contamination sources.