Tank Water Test Kits
Mail-order tank water testing. NATA-accredited laboratory analysis delivered to your door — no site visit, no consultant required.
The same laboratories trusted by Australian councils, water utilities, and environmental regulators.
Professional-grade analysis, delivered to your door.
What We Screen For
Rainwater tanks have no disinfection and no regulatory monitoring. What's in your tank depends entirely on your roof, your gutters, and what's in the air above your property.
Four testing levels to match your concerns
| 01Microbiology — The Primary Risk | ||||
| E. coli & Thermotolerant ColiformsNo disinfection residual in tank water — microbial risk is the single most important concern for any tank supply. Enters through bird and possum droppings, leaf litter, and inadequate first-flush diversion. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 02Roof & Gutter Metal Leaching | ||||
| 18 metals & metalloids — incl. Lead, Zinc & CopperLead (flashing and solder joints), Zinc (galvanised roofing), Copper (gutters and downpipes), Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Mercury, Nickel, Iron, Manganese, Barium, Cobalt, Silver + more. Leaching is highest in the first flush after dry periods. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 04Physical & Aesthetic Quality | ||||
| Turbidity & pHTurbidity from sediment and poor first-flush diversion. pH from rainwater acidity — low pH accelerates metal leaching from tank linings and plumbing. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Apparent ColourTannin staining from leaf litter and organic debris — one of the most common tank water complaints. Visible indicator of roof catchment maintenance issues. | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 05Mineral Balance & Water Chemistry | ||||
| 14 physical & chemical parametersEC, TDS, Hardness, Total Alkalinity, Bicarbonate, Carbonate, Hydroxide Alkalinity, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Sulphate. Rainwater is naturally soft and acidic — low mineral content makes it more corrosive to fittings and appliances. | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 03Nutrients from Animal Waste | ||||
| Nitrate & AmmoniaFrom bird and possum droppings, decomposing leaf litter, and organic debris in gutters. Elevated nutrients also promote bacterial growth inside the tank, compounding microbial risk. | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 06Pesticides, Insecticides & Herbicide Spray Drift | ||||
| 55 pesticides & insecticides at trace detection levelOrganochlorines — Dieldrin, DDT, Heptachlor, Lindane, Endosulfan + others. Organophosphates — Diazinon, Chlorpyrifos, Malathion + others. Persist in water and not removed by standard filtration. | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 10 triazine herbicides at trace detection levelAtrazine, Simazine, Propazine, Terbuthylazine + 6 others. Applied at high volumes in broadacre cropping — among the most commonly detected agricultural chemicals in tank water via spray drift. | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 07PFAS — "Forever Chemicals" | ||||
| 30 PFAS compounds at trace detection levelPFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, PFNA + 26 precursors at 0.001–0.005 µg/L. Enters tank water near defence bases, airports, and industrial sites through atmospheric deposition and stormwater runoff. The 2025 ADWG tightened limits by up to 94%. | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| What's Included | ||||
| Complete sampling kit delivered to your door | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pre-paid express cold-chain return shipping | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| NATA-accredited laboratory analysis (No. 1261) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Colour-coded PDF report benchmarked against ADWG | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Plain-language exceedance explanations | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Total parameters tested | ~23 | ~37 | ~103 | ~133 |
Core safety screen — microbiology, metals, and physical quality.
Everything in Basics, plus full chemistry, nutrients, and aesthetic parameters.
Everything in Essentials, plus a full pesticide, insecticide, and herbicide screen.
Everything in Advanced, plus a 30-compound PFAS screen at trace level.
Every contaminant class in a single kit — metals, PFAS, pesticides, herbicides, VOCs, PAHs, microbiology, nutrients, and disinfection by-products. Trace-level detection throughout. Works on any water source.
Lead, copper, zinc, arsenic, mercury, chromium and 12 more — standalone screen for roof and gutter catchment contamination pathways.
PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS + 27 precursors at trace detection (0.001–0.005 µg/L). For properties near defence bases, airports, or industrial sites.
PE, PP, PS, PVC, PET, PC, PMMA, PA particle counts in potable water. No safe limit has been set under the ADWG — we report what's present so you can make an informed decision.
All analysis performed by NATA-accredited laboratories under ISO/IEC 17025:2017 · All prices include GST · Cold-chain return shipping included
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 detailed Water Quality Analysis Report is delivered as a digital PDF — plain-English results benchmarked against Australian drinking water guidelines, with the original NATA-accredited Certificate of Analysis included.
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.
Tank Water - Common Questions
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The Australian residential water filter market operates without mandatory product certification or independent performance verification. Manufacturers are not required to substantiate contaminant removal claims before bringing a product to market — meaning the performance figures on the packaging are largely self-reported. A NATA-accredited laboratory baseline provides the only objective, scientifically defensible audit of whether your filtration system is performing as claimed, or creating a false sense of security.
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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, 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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Our laboratory partner completes analysis within 5 business days of receiving your sample. Your report is typically delivered by email 1–2 business days after that. Total time from posting your sample to receiving results is around 7–9 business days depending on postal transit.
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As a general guide, annual testing is appropriate for most household tanks used for drinking. You should also test after any significant event — a prolonged dry spell followed by heavy rain, roof repairs, storm damage, or if you notice any change in taste, colour, or odour. If you have young children, elderly residents, or immunocompromised people in the household, more frequent testing is warranted.
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For most households, Tank Essentials covers the core risks — microbiology, metals from roof catchment, water chemistry, nutrients, and physical quality. If your property is rural or peri-urban with nearby cropping or horticulture, Tank Complete adds a 54-compound pesticide screen. If you are near a defence base, airport, or industrial site, Tank Advanced adds PFAS testing at trace detection levels.