Afternoon all, I’ve just moved into a house with its own water supply from a pumped well. Despite all assurance that it’s safe to drink, I’d like to get it tested – any ideas of any independent laboratories who can do this sort of thing?

Cheers,
Steve

 

Give it to the dog

 

I would guess your local trading standards would have a list of labs or even your council. dl

 

I use quite a few different labs for my water & sewage consultancy - whereabouts in the country are you?

Nick

 

you're thinking of the lab test and cat scan joke, aren't you?

 

Hijack - if serious, do you offer any advice on individual domestic setups (eg fall angle of main horizontal waste pipe ) or only for the big boys? I've a problem where I'd love some advice...

 

NO problem too big or small...
PM me any questions.

Nick

 

 

Get in touch with your council, as I think they were the ones who sorted us out when we first got our private supply up and running (and I'm sure it was them that sent a letter not so long ago about the water needing tested again), although with it being my parents' house, I'm not quite 100%

 

Go to environmental services for your area. They'll get a sample and send it to a lab for you.

 

Thanks folks,

Butty, I'm near Reading in Berkshire.

 

Check the 'For Sale' forum.
There are always people 'Testing the water' in there

 

Pah, just drink it! Our supply up north comes straigh off a hill. Probably a dead deer or sheep in it half the time. It all adds to the flavour! The supply off the hill was used when they started cleaning (ie bleaching) the piped water to keep those moving into the area from the cities happy. I am not drinking bleach...you can taste it!

Anyway, I would agree with the local council idea. If you look in the yellow pages there will be something under 'environmental'. I would try tha first.

 

You sure can, which is why I only drink mineral water

 

Does all the other crap they put in there kill the taste of bleach?

 

There are usually enough places around who can test it for you. We are also on well water, we got it tested in the local town and it turned out to be virtually pure with no significant bacteria. Far far better than tap water. It makes a lovely cup of tea too, and no water bills and no unpleasant chemicals in it either.

Les

 

I've contacted the council and they can send a guy out to do it - will await results.

I think that changing the water filter on the pump probably helped - What I thought was a black aluminium housing was actually a filthy glass one! No idea when the filter was last changed but the old one came out a dark grey and the new one is bright white!

Would like to totally remove the iron content too - it's a bit different having a bath in what looks like brown windsor soup!

Edited fur pour spillin!

 

Sorry to take time to respond.
Other than water companies, I can't find any labs near you who are certified to ISO17025.
The nearest water companies are Thames Water & Sutton/East Surrey.
There are other labs further afield but they would charge quote a high rate just to take the sample.

The local council may alreday have some results if the previous owners ever tested the water.

Being a bit nosey, how much are the council charging and what is being tested? They will probably send the samples to a water company for analysis anyway.

Nick

 

http://www.dwi.gov.uk/

 

Butty, cheers for looking.

Thames Water - hmm, hope the labs are better organised than the burst pipe repairers!

Council want £90 to come out & test.

David - thanks for the link.

 

Thames Water Labs
Spence House (I think)
Manor Farm Road
Reading

Main labs.Cannot remember price

Also have place in the East End of London