Thinking of fitting a filter? Test first — and test it works.
PFAS are among the hardest contaminants to remove from water, and the filtration market is full of claims that don't hold up. Before you spend hundreds or thousands on a treatment system, it's worth understanding what actually works — and why testing is the only way to be sure.
The smart approach: test your water first to see whether you have a PFAS issue at all — then, if you fit a filter, test again afterwards to prove it works. Because we don't sell filters, our results are genuinely independent.
PFAS testing demands precision. This is built for it.
PFAS are measured at extraordinarily low concentrations — the strictest 2025 Australian Drinking Water Guideline, for PFOS, is just 8 nanograms per litre: eight parts per trillion. At that level, the credibility of a PFAS result depends entirely on the laboratory and the method behind it. This is not a test where "close enough" means anything.
Most consumer PFAS tests screen for two or three compounds. PFAS is a family of thousands, and the 2025 guidelines now cover PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS and PFBS individually. We screen 30 distinct compounds — PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, PFNA and 26 further precursors and sulfonates — so you see the full picture, not a fragment of it.
Our partner laboratory detects PFAS to 1 nanogram per litre using validated LC-MS/MS methodology — below even the tightened PFOS guideline of 8 ng/L. When your report shows a compound is below the guideline, that result is backed by instrumentation accurate enough to prove it.
Every sample is analysed by a NATA-accredited Australian laboratory under ISO/IEC 17025 — the same standard relied upon by water utilities and environmental regulators. Your result carries an original Certificate of Analysis: auditable, traceable, and defensible.
Safe Water Lab is run by environmental scientists with backgrounds in water quality and contaminated land. Your result is interpreted and benchmarked against current guidelines by someone who understands what the numbers mean — and because we don't sell filters or treatment products, that interpretation is genuinely independent.
How It Works
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Step 1 - Select and purchase your test
We mail you a testing kit complete with laboratory testing bottles and step by instruction of how to collect your sample.
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Step 2 - Collect a water sample
Fill the supplied laboratory testing bottles with a sample of your drinking water. Place the bottles in the supplied postage parcel complete with pre-paid express shipping return label and place in post.
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Step 3 - Laboratory Testing
Your water sample will be sent to a NATA accredited Australian laboratory for testing. Our laboratory partners typically complete the analysis within 5 business days.
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Step 4 - Receive your results
Your Water Quality Analysis Report is delivered as a digital PDF — prepared by an environmental scientist, with results benchmarked against Australian and international water quality guidelines, and the original NATA-accredited Certificate of Analysis included.
It's been found in catchments — and the guidelines are still catching up
PFAS has been detected in drinking water catchments across Australia, from major city supplies to regional and rural systems. In some cases the source has been traced to decades-old firefighting foam used in or near a catchment; in others, PFAS appears to be arriving through rainfall and runoff in urban areas. Most documented detections sit below the guideline values — but "below the average for the system" is not the same as knowing what's at your own tap.
The bigger issue is how new and how partial the rules still are. The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines were only revised in June 2025, and the framework is still maturing.
Your Report
The Clarity you need. Zero guesswork.
Every kit includes a Water Quality Analysis Report delivered as a digital PDF. Each report includes:
Results Summary — Colour-coded report card with pass/fail by contaminant category and next steps if you have an exceedance. Know where you stand in 60 seconds.
Detailed Results — All your results, compared against national and international drinking water safety limits.
Certificate — The original NATA-accredited Certificate of Analysis from the laboratory. Your official record.
Frequently Asked Questions
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It is incredibly simple. When your kit arrives, it includes step-by-step instructions. You simply fill the provided bottles from your tap, tank, or bore, write the date on the included form, and place everything into the pre-paid express return mailer. Drop it at any Australia Post Express Post collection point, and you are done.
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Yes. The price you see covers absolutely everything: the physical sample kit, delivery to your door, pre-paid express return shipping to our NATA-accredited partner laboratory, and all professional scientific analysis fees. There are zero hidden costs.
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Absolutely. Standard commercial lab results are full of confusing jargon. We don't just send you a spreadsheet; we provide a translated, easy-to-read environmental engineering report. We compare your specific water data directly against the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG), so you know exactly where your water quality sits.