Good afternoon, and thank you for your inquiry. Each kit contains a single bottle that tests (1) one sample. If you have more than one water source to test, then you would need one kit per sample.

Why Test for Bacteria?

If you have a private well the responsibility for the quality of the water coming out of that well rests on your shoulders. No one will come out and do periodic testing to make sure you and your family have safe, clean drinking water free of coliform bacteria such as E. Coli.

If you have tap water (i.e. city water, municipal water, etc.) the water provider performs regular testing of the water for bacteria at the water treatment facility... but the water must travel through many miles of piping before it reaches your tap and at any point during that long journey bacteria could possibly find its way into the water supply -- and you would never know until after someone got sick.

What Should I Do If My Water Tests Positive for Coliform Bacteria?

Stop drinking the water right away and have the water tested by a certified water testing laboratory. Then, depending upon the results, you may need to invest in some sort of filtration system capable of rendering the bacteria incapable of reproducing (see UV Water Sterilizer) or removing them altogether (see Ceramic Water Filters).

The important part: Test your water for coliform bacteria so you can make an educated decision when it comes to purchasing or not purchasing a water filter for your home, school or office!

According to the EPA web site, “Coliforms are naturally present in the environment; as well as feces; fecal coliforms and E. coli only come from human and animal fecal waste.”

That means coliforms will occur in the absence of fecal matter, or fecal matter contamination, but they may not necessarily indicate that a water supply will make a person sick. The presence of coliforms in a water supply do, however, give good reason for a person to have their water tested by a certified water testing lab — to check for the presence of E. Coli.

Testing for Coliform Bacteria

First and foremost we want to stress that you should trust the results of no test other than an analysis performed by a certified water testing laboratory to tell you that your water supply definitely contains no harmful E. Coli bacteria.

At-home drinking water test kits containing a product such as the EZ Coliform Bacteria Test still serve a purpose, though, since they allow well owners and concerned municipal water customers to perform on-the-spot field tests for coliforms without having to come out of pocket for expensive lab test each time they would like to check on the quality of their water.

Basically speaking, if an inexpensive test kit like the EZ Coliform Bacteria Test Kit yields positive results, concerned parties should then seek the assistance of a certified water testing lab.

Can at-home test kits detect E. Coli, too?

As a matter of fact, the EZ Coliform Bacteria Test Kit can positively identify E. Coli in a water supply when used in conjunction with a UV light source such as the Sensafe NVF-4 Handheld UV Light.

If after the 24 to 48 hour waiting period the sample gives off an iridescence when exposed to ultraviolet light, it contains E. Coli.

One could also use something called a Kovacs Reagent with the to EZ Coliform Bacteria Test Kit confirm the presence of E. Coli in a water sample.

Sensafe EZ Coliform Cult E.Coli Test Kit

Many times you have seen us post articles urging private well owners to test for the presence of bacteria in their wells on a regular basis — ‘cuz no one else will ever volunteer to do it for them. We have even given links to a basic bacteria in water test kit from two different companies (SenSafe & WaterSafe) and to a more advanced bacteria test kit from SenSafe that lets a person find out not only if they have coliform bacteria present in their water, but also if they have E. Coli present.

Today we have information about the ‘tools’ required to take full advantage of the advanced bacteria test kit from SenSafe and how to properly use them to test for the presence of coliform bacteria in water samples.

How to use the Sensafe EZ Coliform Cult E.Coli Test Kit

• First of all, make sure to keep the test kit dry and in temperatures of 15-27 C (59-81 F).
• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before gathering your water sample. Dry hands completely.
• Carefully remove the bottle cap from the Sensafe EZ Coliform Cult E.Coli Test Kit.
• Add 100 milliliters of sample water but make sure not to overfill.
• Quickly put the cap back on the test bottle and secure it tightly.
• Shake test bottle vigorously until all of the media (solids inside the bottle) dissolve. Solution should turn a clear yellow color at this point. Turbid samples will have a less clear appearance.
• Either incubate the sample for 24 hours at 35 deg C/95 deg F — or — for 48 hours at 25 deg C/77 deg F.

• At the end of incubation period, look at the color of the sample. A yellow color indicates a lack of coliforms while a bluish green color indicates the presence of coliforms.

For those who wish to learn if their water sample contains E. Coli, two options exist:

1. Shine a UV light with wavelength 365nm from the bottom of the sample. If bright blue fluorescence occurs, the sample contains E. Coli. Where can you obtain a UV light source to perform this test? WaterFilters.Net carries the Sensafe NVF-4 Handheld UV Light.

2. Addition of Sensafe Kovacs Indole Reagent will also let you know if the sample contains E. Coli. Unfortunately we do not, at this time, have specific information regarding how this process works.

While very true that numerous safeguards exist within the infrastructures of water treatment and water distribution facilities, accidents can occur and potentially harmful contaminants could find a way into the water supply after it leaves the water department’s capable hands.

Therefore, it does make sense for people on city water supplies to check every once in a while for the presence of bacteria in their water. Again, not because the city made a mistake, but rather because a small crack anywhere in the piping that carries the water from the water treatment facility to their homes could possibly serve as an entry point for dangerous strands of bacteria.

October 22, 2010 — The town of Amherst has issued a “Water Quality Advisory” after three of 22 water samples tested positive for total coliform and E. Coli bacteria today. The town’s water system also supplies the UMass campus.

The samples were taken as a part of routine testing and public health officials are conducting further tests to determine whether a “Boil Water Order” is needed.

Results of the tests and the officials’ decision will become available Saturday afternoon, said a campus alert.

The university has a campus-wide precautionary plan in place if a “Boil Water Order” is called for. The plan will supply members of the campus with bottled water and hand sanitizer as well as instructions on how to minimize any health risks.

More information about the water testing can be found at www.amherstma.gov. ( source )

Occasional reports of bacteria in water remind us that even with all of our great technology, our water public water supplies can sometimes fall victim to contamination. Periodic testing for simple water quality parameters using test kits from companies like WaterSafe and SenSafe put the power of contamination detection in the hands of the people who need it most… the general public.

As always, though, if you already have reason to suspect that you may have unwanted contaminants in your drinking water, defer to the expertise of certified water testing laboratories what have the advanced equipment and skills required to accurately assess the quality and safety of your water supply.

Doulton Countertop Ceramic Filter

Doulton Undersink Ceramic Filter

Filter system for bacteria? If the addition of a disinfectant stream such as ozone or chlorine does not seem feasible, then one may want to consider using a ceramic filter system like the ones on the left made by Doulton which install quickly and easily in pretty much any home.

Regardless of whether you choose to install a counter top model which will require no fooling around with plumbing or you opt for an undersink model which will install cleanly and neatly beneath your sink, the Doulton line of ceramic water filter systems offer excellent protection against potentially dangerous and/or unpleasant drinking water contaminants such as bacteria (i.e. E.Coli, Cholera, Shigella, Salmonella, etc.) cysts (i.e. Giardia, Cryptosporidium, etc.), chlorine, lead, and undissolved particles (i.e. dirt, sand, sediment, etc.).

When used with the UltraCarb ceramic filter candle, these units test and certify to NSF 42, NSF 53 and World Health Organization Standards.

Part number for the UltraCarb ceramic filter element: W9123053

Looking for a system with a bit more…. bacteria killing power? Or perhaps a water filter system that certifies to the NSF 55 Standard Ultraviolet Microbiological Water Treatment Systems? Take a look at the UV Pure Hallett & Upstream systems listed on the IsoPure Water web site.