Services & Capabilities
Residential Drinking Water Testing
Whether you have a private well or your water is supplied by a municipality, the quality of your water is extremely important. Contaminants can enter drinking water supplies as water flows through the soil and dissolves materials that are present. Human activities also play a major role in water quality. If you would like to have your water tested, just stop by our office at 124 Heritage Avenue in Portsmouth, NH to pick up a water testing kit.
or order a kit to be sent to you
Faqs Page for Water Testing: Frequently Asked Questions About Testing well water / drinking water
Most contaminants have no taste, odor or color, so their presence can only be determined by laboratory testing of a water sample. Since some contaminants found in drinking water have been linked to cancer and other health issues, it is important to know what is in your water.
Public water suppliers are required to perform periodic potable water testing and distribute this information to the public. Although there is no requirement for private well water testing, most states recommend that you test your well water periodically for a list of common contaminants. If you would like to know how to get a potable water test from ARA, send us an email here.
This link from NHDES- the NH Department of Environmental Services- provides additional information about well water testing, guidance for suggested analyses and frequency, and how to interpret your results: NHDES Be Well Informed Guide can be found at: https://www4.des.state.nh.us/DWITool/
Absolute Resource Associates can help you with potable drinking water testing, and we provide many of the recommended analyses in our Standard Water Quality Package. Our Tests and Frequency page will explain which analyses we perform, how often testing is recommended and what is involved with testing your well. Please contact your state lab for information on radiological testing.
The NHDES Drinking water division has detailed information available regarding water quality issues, contaminants and remediation. To access the NHDES web page for general links to "Drinking water/Ground water" information click here.
For specific information on drinking water and contaminants, click on NHDES Fact Sheets links below.
PFAS FAQs NHDES
Arsenic in Drinking Water
Beryllium in Drinking Water
Corrosivity of Water Supplies
Fluoride in Drinking Water
Hardness in Drinking Water
Removal of Iron and Manganese in Drinking Water
Nitrate/Nitrite in Drinking Water
Organics in Drinking Water
Mineral Radioactivity in Drinking Water
Radon in Air and Water: An Overview for Homeowners
Sand and Sediment in Drinking Water
Taste and Odor in Drinking Water
Hydrogen Sulfide in Drinking Water
Sodium and Chloride in Drinking Water
Air Bubbles in Drinking Water
MtBE in Drinking Water
Iron Bacteria In Drinking Water
Interpreting the Presence of Coliform Bacteria
Causes of Positive Bacteria Results in Water Samples
Bacterial Staining Of Water Use Fixtures
Need to test for PFAS?
ARA can help, give us a call or send an email today: click to email ARA
PFAS Accredited
Seacoastonline May 2021: "ARA becomes first and only lab in NH certified for PFAS 537.1 in Drinking Water."
If you would like to have your water tested, just stop by our office at 124 Heritage Avenue in Portsmouth, NH to pick up a water testing kit.
[VIDEO]
Need to test for PFAS?
(PFOA/PFOS)? How about Arsenic, Bacteria, Lead, Legionella? ARA can help, give us a call or send an email today: click to email ARA
Report from NHDES states that unhealthy arsenic levels in NH's private wells could be responsible for many cancer cases in the state, and recommends testing well water regularly.
Arsenic in well water:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi5DfRy01vE
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is a Federal Law which ensures the quality of drinking water in the US. Private wells are not protected.
Need to test? Stop by today to pick up a water testing kit & instructions.
click to view this informational flyer as a pdf