What a Free Water Test Actually Measures (And What It Doesn't)

By Danny Lachhman · Owner, 360WATER Systems Inc. · Orangeville, Ontario

“Free water testing” gets advertised everywhere, but the useful question is: tested for what? A test is only worth anything if each result changes a decision. Here’s our in-house list, and what each item is for.

• Hardness — the big one. Decides whether you need a softener at all, and if so, what size.
• Iron and manganese — the staining metals. Decide whether iron treatment is needed and which kind (see the iron post — the form matters).
• pH — acidity/alkalinity. Low-pH water is corrosive to copper plumbing and fixtures; it also changes how iron treatment performs.
• Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) — everything dissolved in the water, in one number. It’s the before-and-after yardstick for reverse osmosis.
• Sulphur (H2S) and sulphates/sulphites — the rotten-egg side of well water; decides whether odour treatment belongs in the plan.
• Nitrates/nitrites — worth knowing on wells near farmland; part of sizing a drinking-water answer, especially for infants.

What we do not test in-house: bacteria. E. coli and total coliform testing for Ontario well water goes through your local public health unit — it’s free — or an accredited lab. Any store telling you they tested your well water for bacteria over the counter is telling you a story. If bacteria is the concern (and after a flood, a well repair, or a change in taste or smell, it should be), the public health sample bottle is the right route, full stop.

Bring a sample in a clean bottle, ideally run from a tap after the water’s been used normally — not first thing after a week away. You’ll get numbers, and the numbers come with an explanation of what they do and don’t justify buying. Sometimes the honest answer is “your water’s fine.” A test that can say that is a test worth trusting.

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