Well Water Test Kit for E. coli and Total Coliforms– USA Only
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), local governments and public health agencies do not regulate privately owned wells and water systems. If you are a well owner, you are responsible for making sure your water is safe to drink. Water filtration systems do not guarantee the removal of harmful bacteria in well water. The U.S. EPA national drinking water regulatory standards mandate 100mL water samples must contain zero E. coli bacteria to be considered safe to drink.
Aquagenx Simple Home Water Test Kit
Well owners in the USA can easily and quickly test for E. coli and Total Coliform bacteria in 100mL well water samples themselves according to EPA regulations for safe drinking water. No lab is needed!
Our test is simple to use. Collect your 100mL well water sample with the Thio-Bag, pour in our packet of powder growth medium, and incubate the sample at ambient temperature ≥77°Fahreinheit for 20-48 hours. If your sample turns blue/blue green it is positive for E. coli. If it turns yellow/yellow-brown it is negative for E. coli.
- Presence/Absence test results for E. coli and Total Coliforms
- Five tests per kit
- Three year shelf life of E. coli growth medium when stored properly
- No electricity, complicated equipment or laboratory required
- Ambient temperature incubation at 77° Fahrenheit and above
- Ambient temperature test results in 20-48 hours
- Color change test results easy to interpret. No color comparators needed.
Images of Test Results
Positive/Presence of E. coli and Total Coliform bacteria. Any shade of blue/blue-green, or just a single spec or streak of blue, or some blue sediment at the bottom of the Thio-Bag is considered Positive.
Negative/Absence of E. coli bacteria. Any shade of yellow/yellow-brown is considered negative, even a honey mustard yellow brown color.
Why Test for E. coli Bacteria
- The greatest bacteriological waterborne risk to human health are fecal pathogens such as E. coli that are ingested by drinking water contaminated with the feces of humans and warm-blooded animals.
- You cannot tell by the look, taste or smell of well water if E. coli bacteria is present. Testing well water is the only reliable way to know if your well water is safe to drink.
- U.S. EPA regulatory drinking water standards for bacteria say 100mL water samples must contain zero E. coli.
How Often to Test for E. coli
- The U.S. EPA recommends well owners test their water for E. coli bacteria at least once a year. If you experienced bacteria problems in the past, you should test your well more frequently. Drinking water obtained from shallow wells should also be tested more frequently.
- Water quality changes over time. E. coli can enter wells due to poor, defective well construction, or a nearby source of contamination such as animal agriculture, or problems with your septic system, or environmental factors such as flooding and precipitation.
Instructions for Use and Resources
Click the button below to download instructions, view how-to videos, and read other helpful product resources.
Home Well Water Test Kit Components
Growth Medium
Aquagenx powder growth medium dissolves quickly
Whirl-Pak Thio-Bag
100 mL Whirl-Pak Thio-Bag for sample collection and P/A Kits