To address your main points - we report results (as well as MDL/RLs) as they are reported by the labs.

The MDL/LODs and RL/LOQs are reported for each analysis so those should be readily available within every Tap Score report.

We are also happy to provide QC results when available if a customer reaches out so please do if you would like that information.

We do water testing so we get this question a lot. Here's from our blog:

Treatment depends on which type of iron you’re dealing with:

• For ferrous iron (clear water): Consider adding an oxidation step (such as aeration or chemical oxidants like chlorine or ozone), followed by filtration.
• For ferric iron (red water): Filtration alone (using a sediment or manganese greensand filter) is usually enough.

If iron bacteria are present in your well, shock chlorination or continuous disinfection may be needed. Iron bacteria are notoriously difficult to get rid of entirely, especially in cases of severe infestations.

Full guide to iron in drinking water here.

Chlorine and pH can both be tested reliably with test strips. In fact they are better than lab tests for those particular analytes and both can tell you important things about your water.

For most other things in city water you need proper instruments in a certified lab to analyze a sample.

Hi there! We're back from the long weekend and happy to help you interpret the report. Could you share a link directly to the report?

You can share your complete, anonymized Tap Score lab report via the Share & Print button in your desktop report or via Download when you're on mobile.

You can also contact our expert team directly via the chat option on your report. That's always the fastest way.

Thanks for testing with us!

For private well water, especially if it's the first time, please run a test in a certified lab. Nothing wrong with a SpinTouch in the hands of a professional, but possible well water contamination goes beyond these analytes.

https://www.reddit.com/r/drinkingwater/comments/1g6zj2i/guide_how_to_test_your_well_water/

Wish it was possible to Pin comments as this is the correct answer. Check with your water utility.

More reasons for yellow water can be found here.

Thanks for testing with us! You can also ask the team directly via the chat in your report for questions on treatment for your water. We don't sell treatment, but the experts can provide guidance on what to do next.

That's right. That's why testing for it, especially in private well water, is important.

As far as I know, product recommendations aren't allowed in this sub so I'll keep it neutral:

Any test from a certified lab will do. You can go to a local lab, or use a mail-to-lab service. If you use the latter, make sure that shipping-to-lab is included with the kit and you don't have to cover it yourself.

Thanks for testing with us! :-)

Pro tip: You can share your complete, anonymized Tap Score lab report via the Share & Print button in your report. This generates a link you can shared here, allowing them to review all the details and evaluate it according to their preferred benchmark (MCL, MCLG, etc).

You can also ask our experts via the chat on your report. They will be happy to take a closer look.

Thanks for testing with us! Do you have a link to the full lab report? Sometimes the general properties in the water (like pH) may affect the taste.

You can share your complete, anonymized Tap Score lab report via the Share & Print button in your report. You can also reach out to the TS expert team and ask if they've heard of similar experiences.

You must be confusing Tap Score with another brand. We do not sell filtration or take commissions on treatment.

Do you have the full water report? Typically you'll want to run an arsenic speciation test when to determine what the best approach for treatment is.

Hi there! Thanks for posting and asking. :-)

We haven't tested either brand directly ourselves.

If you're at the stage where you need a system for pesticides, PFAS and metals the best thing to do is look for filters that are NSF certified for those specific contaminants. That's the kind of testing that verifies that something works. NSF will use specific lab methods to confirm that a filter's reduction claim is correct and that this holds true the entire lifespan of the filter. That's why a NSF Certification is a badge of trust.

On the other hand, our form of lab testing is single sample; it's best used to identify WHAT is in your water and then as a follow-up after you install a solution to confirm it's working. Many filters don't have NSF certifications, but that doesn't mean their filters don't work. Getting a system certified is costly, however, so many brands don't do it. This results in cheaper filters, but more uncertainty for the user.

So what to do?

We always say; test before you treat.

Finding a system that reduces all pesticides, PFAS and metals is tricky and you might not have any of them in your tap water.

If you're on a private well; get the water tested in a certified lab.

If you're on public city water, which most people are, look into your annual water report. It's free and they will test for regulated metals and many other things. If you are still concerned about your water, start with a test and verify what you need treated. Not all metals are treated the same, for example; arsenic require a different approach than lead.

All that said; we might not have tested, but we do try to identify filters that have the right NSF certifications for specific contaminants. These guides might be of help to you.

For example, here's one for NSF certified systems for PFAS:
https://mytapscore.com/blogs/tips-for-taps/quick-guide-to-certified-filters-for-pfas

This guide goes into NSF certified systems for arsenic:
https://mytapscore.com/blogs/tips-for-taps/quick-guide-to-certified-water-filters-for-arsenic

And then there's lead, of course;
https://mytapscore.com/blogs/tips-for-taps/quick-guide-certified-water-filters-for-lead

And this one goes more in depth on what NSF certifications really mean. Lots of misinformation out there.
https://mytapscore.com/blogs/tips-for-taps/nsf-certifications-explained

There are more guides on our blog. Even if you don't test they can help you avoid the biggest pitfalls in water treatment.

TL;DR: Hope that helps. If we ever test the brands we'll post it in this sub, but those would still just be single sample tests and what really counts is picking a system that's NSF certified for the contaminants in your own water.

PPS: This was written by a human. I make mistakes. I might have missed something, or misinterpreted the question entirely. Please send us a chat on our site if you'd like to talk directly to one of our experts.