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Which water test do I need? The right kit in four taps

Start with where your water comes from. Mains water is treated and tested by your water company, so home testing is mostly about your own pipes and taps: lead in older homes, bacteria from tanks, and tastes from fittings. On a well, borehole or spring you are responsible for the water, and E. coli, lead and arsenic are the three to screen. The Test Finder below picks the kit for you.

DWI Last checked 28 Sep 2026 Get the Complete Kit · £45
  • Every kit compared
  • Clear about what needs a lab
  • Quotes from UK regulators, linked

Test Finder

Find the right test in four taps

Tell us where your water comes from, what you are worried about, how old your home is and anything recent. You get the kit that fits, why, and what it won’t cover.

Your answers stay in your browser.

Is this you?

Start from where you are

Pick the card that sounds like you. Each one takes you to the guide and the test that fit.

MOST TESTING Well, borehole or spring You are responsible for the water. Build a testing plan for your supply. Private supplies → Home built before 1970 Old pipes can be lead. Check your home’s risk. Lead guide → Taste, smell or colour Find the likely cause before you test. Symptom Checker → After rain, flooding or tank work Bacteria is the question. What to do and what to test. Bacteria guide → Chlorine or fluoride Your own reading at the tap, and what is normal. Chlorine guide → Already tested What your result means, and what to do next. Result Centre →

Most people choose

Three kits that cover most questions

Compare every kit Best first screen

Complete Drinking Water Test Kit

Choose this if you are not sure what to test, have just moved in, or want a first look at everything.

1 × E. coli 1 × lead 1 × arsenic 5 × chlorine 5 × fluoride

E. coli, lead and arsenic, plus chlorine and fluoride.

£55 £45 View kit

Lead, E. coli and Arsenic Test Kit

The three safety checks: the yearly screen for a private supply.

E. coli · lead · arsenic £35 View kit

Lead Test

The one to start with on mains water in a home built before 1970.

Lead £15.95 View kit What a home screen doesn't cover: nitrate, pH, iron, manganese and enterococci need a lab.
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How to choose a water test

Three questions pick the right test: where your water comes from, what you are worried about, and what a home screen can and can't answer. Tap a number on the diagram at the top of the page, or read the four points below.

1 Your source Mains water is treated and tested by your water company. A well, borehole or spring isn't, unless you arrange it. Private supplies need more. 2 Your concern Old pipes point to lead; rain, tanks and private supplies to bacteria; a new taste to the Symptom Checker. Start from the worry. 3 The kit One focused test when you know the question. The Complete Kit when you don't, or for a first look. Focused or complete. 4 A lab, if needed Nitrate, pH, iron, manganese and enterococci need a lab, and so does confirming a high home result. Screen first, confirm if high.
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Every kit compared

Every home test we sell, side by side. Shop links open in a new tab, so this guide stays open.

Kit Tests Best for Price Complete Drinking Water Test Kit Tests: 1 × E. coli, 1 × lead, 1 × arsenic, 5 × chlorine, 5 × fluoride Best for: A first look at everything, or not sure what to test Price: £55 £45Lead, E. coli and Arsenic Test Kit Tests: 1 × E. coli, 1 × lead, 1 × arsenic Best for: The yearly safety screen for a private supply Price: £35Lead and E. coli Test Kit Tests: 1 × lead, 1 × E. coli Best for: Older homes, and homes you have just moved into Price: £25E. coli Test Tests: 1 test Best for: Retesting after rain, flooding or work on a supply Price: £15.95Lead Test Tests: 1 test Best for: Homes built before 1970, grey pipes, plumbing work Price: £15.95Arsenic Test Tests: 1 test Best for: Boreholes, wells and springs in known areas Price: £17.95Chlorine Test Kit (5x) Tests: 5 × chlorine strips, 0 to 1 ppm Best for: A chlorine taste, or checking a filter Price: £14.95 £12.45Fluoride Test Kit (5x) Tests: 5 × fluoride strips, 0 to 1.5 ppm Best for: Your own tap’s fluoride, or a private supply Price: £16.95 £14.45Chlorine and Fluoride Test Kit (10x) Tests: 5 × chlorine, 5 × fluoride Best for: Chlorine and fluoride together Price: £25 £22.50
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Mains water: what is worth testing

Mains water starts out safe. The DWI says “By law your local water company is required to supply wholesome water that is suitable for all domestic purposes, including drinking, cooking and washing.” DWI and “It is extremely rare for drinking water to cause illness in England and Wales.” DWI

So on mains water, the questions are usually about your own pipes and taps:

Older homes: lead“Before 1970, lead pipework was commonly used to connect properties to the mains water network.” DWILead guide →Tanks and bathroom taps: bacteria“Ideally you should only use a tap connected to the mains water supply for drinking, food preparation or teeth cleaning” DWI. Bacteria guide →A new taste or smell“Water may pick up traces of substances from your plumbing and water fittings or appliances and this situation is the most common cause of unusual or strange tastes.” DWISymptom Checker →Chlorine or fluorideFor your own reading at the tap, and to compare taps or filters. Chlorine →Fluoride →
04

Private supplies: what to test

A private supply is your responsibility, and nobody tests a single home's supply unless you ask. The three home screens that matter most are E. coli, lead and arsenic. When a council tests a single home on request, the DWI says “the following parameters are normally tested as a minimum” DWI: conductivity, enterococci, E. coli, pH and turbidity.

The yearly private supply screen. E. coli, lead and arsenic in one kit. 3x Safety Kit · £35The private water supplies guide and planner →
05

What needs a lab

Home screens cover the common questions. These need a lab, arranged through your council (private supplies) or your water company (mains):

  • Nitrate. The standard is 50 mg/l DWI. We suggest it for supplies near farmland or a septic tank.
  • pH, iron and manganese, which affect taste, colour and pipes.
  • Enterococci and colony counts, alongside E. coli.
  • An exact figure to confirm a high or positive home result.
06 Babies and pregnancy

If there's a baby or a pregnancy in the home, lead is the main one to rule out in an older home. The DWI says “Those at particular risk are infants (including unborn babies) and children because lead can have an adverse impact on mental development.” DWI

Making up formula? The NHS advice is to “leave the water to cool for no more than 30 minutes, so that it remains at a temperature of at least 70C” NHS.

Lead, babies and pregnancy: the lead guide →
07 Buying or moving home

Moving is a good time to test. For an older home, the DWI suggests you “Ask your surveyor to check the nature and condition of the outside and internal pipes as part of the survey, making special mention of lead.” DWI

Older home: the lead checklistPrivate supply: the buying checklist

Near you

What we know about your area

One postcode shows your area's housing age (lead risk), water company, hardness and fluoride, then the UK testing map has community results near you.

Open the UK testing mapAdd my result

The map shows community results and public data. It is not official monitoring. Area facts are taken at the centre of your postcode district.

Community results Housing age

Questions people ask

Choosing a water test

Short answers to what people ask most.

What should I test my tap water for?

It depends on your source and your home. On mains water in an older home, lead. On a private supply, E. coli, lead and arsenic. For a new taste or smell, start with the Symptom Checker. The Test Finder on this page picks for you.

Do I need to test mains water?

Your water company tests the supply, and the DWI says “It is extremely rare for drinking water to cause illness in England and Wales.” DWI Testing at home is about your own pipes, tanks and taps, especially lead in homes built before 1970.

What is the best home water test kit?

The one that answers your question. If you are not sure, the Complete Kit covers E. coli, lead, arsenic, chlorine and fluoride in one box.

What doesn't a home test cover?

Nitrate, pH, iron, manganese and enterococci need a lab. A home screen is also not accredited lab confirmation.

How often should I test?

Mains water: when something changes, such as a new taste, plumbing work or moving in. Private supplies: we suggest once a year in the same month, plus after heavy rain or work on the supply.

Can I test for nitrate at home?

Not with our kits. Nitrate needs a lab; the standard is 50 mg/l DWI. Your council can arrange it for a private supply.

Should I test the water before buying a house?

For an older home, a lead test is worth doing. For a home with a private supply, ask for past results and a council risk assessment, and screen for E. coli, lead and arsenic. See water testing before buying a house.

Is a home water test accurate?

It is a reliable first screen for the sample you test, when you follow the instructions. For an exact figure, or to confirm a high result, use a lab.

Keep reading

How to test water quality at home, step by step Water testing before buying a house: 5 checks Can babies drink tap water? Formula and pregnancy Is UK tap water safe to drink? The 2026 evidence
Sources and how we write these pages · 8 sources · last checked 28 Sep 2026

How we write these pages. Health and safety lines are quoted word for word from the source and linked, with the date we last checked them. Home screening is a first check, not lab certification. Last reviewed 28 Sep 2026.

Where to next?

Your next step, whatever brought you here

Best first screen Complete Drinking Water Test Kit

13 tests · E. coli, lead and arsenic, plus chlorine and fluoride

£55 £45 View kit Not sure which test? Still not sure?

Four taps: your source, your concern, your home’s age, anything recent.

Already tested? Your area What we know near you Open the map Area facts come from the same public data as the UK testing map. Already tested? Understand your result

See what your result means and what to do next, then add it to the community map.

Result CentreAdd my result Related guides Other water concerns Private water suppliesLeadBacteria and E. coliArsenicTaste and smellFluorideChlorine Stay informed Results alerts for your area

Be told when a new community result is added in your area. Sign up on the UK testing map.

Get area alerts
  • ✓ Quotes from UK regulators, linked and dated
  • ✓ Home screens, not lab certificates
  • ✓ Shop links open in a new tab, so this guide stays open
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