Your Home Water Test Kit
Lab Results in 5-7 Days.

Water utilities test the water leaving their treatment plant, not the water coming out of your tap. By the time water travels through distribution pipes to your home, it can pick up lead from older pipes and fittings, chlorination byproducts, and other contaminants not present when it left the plant.

Utilities are also only required to test for a subset of regulated contaminants on a fixed schedule, sometimes as infrequently as once a year for certain parameters. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) were not federally required to be tested until recently, and even now many utilities are still in the process of compliance. A KELP home water test gives you an address-specific result from your own tap, not a system-wide average.

Your annual utility report (Consumer Confidence Report) is public, but it tests at the plant, uses averages across thousands of customers, and typically lags by 6–12 months. Your home test kit tells you what's actually in your water, today.

Home test strips work by color matching: you dip a strip and compare the color change to a printed chart. This is a rough, subjective method that can only detect contaminants at high concentrations. For the contaminants that matter most (lead, arsenic, PFAS), strips either can't detect them at all or only flag them at concentrations already far above safe limits.

KETOS KELP uses EPA-certified laboratory methods (including SM 3113B for metals and EPA 537.1 for PFAS) that detect contaminants at parts per billion or parts per trillion, thousands of times more sensitive than a strip. This level of precision is the standard used by state health agencies and regulatory bodies. There is no safe level of lead exposure for children; you need a test that can find it before it becomes a visible problem.

A strip tells you if your water looks obviously bad. A lab test tells you what's actually in it.

Filtering without testing is guessing. Different contaminants require different filtration technologies: activated carbon removes chlorine and some organics but doesn't reliably remove arsenic, nitrates, or PFAS. Reverse osmosis removes a broader range but is expensive and reduces water pressure. Filters certified for lead removal won't help with nitrates.

If you buy a filter for the wrong contaminant, you've spent money and gained a false sense of security. Testing first tells you exactly what's in your water. Then you can choose the right filter (or confirm you don't need one). Many customers find their water is within safe limits for the contaminants they were worried about.

Outbound shipping to your door is calculated at checkout based on your location. Every kit includes a prepaid return shipping label for sending your water sample back to the certified laboratory, so the return leg is covered. Results are delivered digitally within 5-7 business days of the lab receiving your sample.

Essential ($199) is designed for renters and apartment dwellers on city water. It covers heavy metals including lead, arsenic, and copper (the contaminants most likely to come from older building pipes), plus hardness and basic minerals.

Complete ($249) adds toxic metals (aluminum, cadmium, mercury), inorganic compounds including fluoride and nitrates, bromides, and phosphates: 35+ parameters total. Right for homeowners who want a full chemistry picture without PFAS.

Home Safety Screen ($549) includes everything in the Complete package plus 18 PFAS compounds, the "forever chemicals" that utilities still aren't required to test for. This is the right choice for anyone who wants zero blind spots: metals, minerals, and PFAS in a single test.

Not sure? Email info@stagingapp18527.cloudwayssites.com and we'll help you choose based on your water source and concerns.