Citizen Science Guide
Don't wait for a crisis to take action on environmental testing and see what is in your community. Fight for Zero believes that stopping the sources of pollution by holding polluters accountable for their role in contaminating air, soil, and water should be a priority for lawmakers. Communities impacted by contamination often find that they have the burden of proof and cannot rely on government agencies to find "what they aren't looking for." That's why advocates across the nation have raised funds to do independent testing and have become citizen scientists gathering data where there are gaps.
This information aims to allow people to learn what's in their water, tell them what steps they can take to protect themselves, and push for stricter federal limits on harmful chemicals in the water, air, and soil. One definite way to tell if your water is contaminated is by testing it. Even if you cannot see, taste, or smell the contaminants, there are resources to help you detect them.
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Basic Testing Information & Resources
Certified Laboratories Under NELAP
Organization Name | Lab Type | Street Address | City | State | Zip | County | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Analytical Laboratories of Florida - Mobile Lab #1 | Commercial | 4125 Alan Shepard Avenue | Cocoa | FL | 32926 | Brevard | 3212581355 |
Avery Laboratories ~and~ Environmental Services, LLC | Commercial | 2720 Gregory Street | Savannah | GA | 31404 | No County Listed | 9129443748 |
Bureau Veritas North America, Inc. | Commercial | 3380 Chastain Meadows Parkway, Ste 300 | Kennesaw | GA | 30144 | Cobb | 7704997500 |
Pace Analytical Services, LLC- Green Bay WI | Commercial | 1241 Bellevue Street | Green Bay | WI | 54302 | No County Listed | 9204692436 |
Southeast Environmental Research Center Mercury Laboratory Florida International University | University | VH 316, FIU SERC | Miami | FL | 33199 | Dade | 3053486210 |
City of Atlanta, Department of Watershed Management, Wastewater Laboratory | Governmental | 805 Selig Drive S.W. | Atlanta | GA | 30336 | No County Listed | 4042155647 |
University of West Florida Wetlands Research Laboratory | University | University of West Florida | Pensacola | FL | 32514 | Escambia | 8504742060 |
TRE Environmental Strategies, LLC | Commercial | 100 Racquette Drive, Unit A | Fort Collins | CO | 80524 | No County Listed | 9704160916 |
EMSL Analytical, Inc - Cinnaminson | Commercial | 200 Route 130 North | Cinnaminson | NJ | 8077 | Camden | 8002203675 |
Brooks Applied Labs, LLC | Commercial | 18804 North Creek Pkwy | Bothell | WA | 98011 | No County Listed | 2066326206 |
U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory | Federal | Building 95 Denver Federal Center | Lakewood | CO | 80225 | No County Listed | 3032362000 |
Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories Environment Testing, LLC | Commercial | 2425 New Holland Pike | Lancaster | PA | 17601-5994 | No County Listed | 7176562300 |
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Six Things to Ask Yourself Before You Test
What water source am I planning to test? Identifying which water source you want to test will help determine what testing kit to purchase. Are you testing your tap water, well water, or surface water (lake, river, pond)?
Do I have a deep or shallow well? You will need to know the depth of your well. Shallow wells can be contaminated more easily than deep wells because they are closer to the surface. The soil filters out some things, but may not be able to remove all contamination.
Which contaminants am I going to test for? Knowing what you want to test for will make the results more useful to you. Different water sources are more likely to have certain contaminants. You may want to start off with a basic assessment of issues like water hardness and chlorine levels, or if you live near a military base, you may want to test for PFAS.
Do I live near a polluter? Do you live near an airport, mining industry, golf course, military base, dry cleaner, or superfund site? These are all things you should consider when making the investment to test and filter your water. You may want to test for pesticides if, near a golf course, PFAS if near an airport, and strontium if you live near phosphate mining. Take a look at Fight For Zero's Pollution Map of Florida.
Did I look at the Tap Water Database for my City? The Environmental Working Group's Tap Water Database may give you a better idea of contaminants to be concerned about. Type in your zip code and get the completed results of water testing in your area.
How can contaminants enter my water? Harmful chemicals can be lurking in your tap water by entering pipe bursts when existing mains are repaired or replaced, potentially leading to the introduction of contaminated soil or debris into the water system. Additionally, when pipes corrode, they can release toxic lead into the local drinking water.
Do It Yourself Testing Versus Comprehensive Testing
Do It Yourself: Many kits are available for do-it-yourself testing, but it's unclear how accurate they are. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) doesn't endorse home water testing kits. Fight For Zero recommends using testing strips as a basic assessment of issues like water hardness and chlorine levels.
Comprehensive Testing: If you want a more comprehensive screening with added contaminants of concern, there are independent water testing labs like Tap Score that send you a kit with directions on how to collect your sample and a return label to send back.
Certified Commercial Testing: This is your most expensive option and requires you to create an account with a certified water testing facility listed with the EPA, such as Eurofins. If you plan to use your testing results for legal compliance, a court case, as a part of a presentation to state or federal leaders, or as a part of a professional project, this is the type of testing you will want to use. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection lists certified laboratories. If you want a trained technician to come to your home and perform the sampling, that will be an additional cost.
Can your organization test my water?
Fight for Zero does not offer water testing services. What we are committed to is providing test kits when funding becomes available, utilizing our education to help collect water samples accurately and according to criteria, educating families on water quality and environmental issues, and assisting in approaching policymakers when sharing data and concerns. Fight for Zero does not have funding, resources, or full-time employees to take on water testing as a service. We are a nonprofit organization that relies on donors to help fund our research, outreach, and projects.
Our hope is to find lab partners like Tap Score to provide communities with the resources they need to take on these challenges. We work on empowering communities by teaching science and providing them with the resources they need to succeed in their quest to find answers and safeguard their families. If you are interested in collaborating on a testing project with Fight for Zero, please feel free to reach out to us.
Did You Know?
There has not been a single new standard set in 24 years for the Safe Drinking Water Act. There are regulatory problems, even knowing the health dangers of certain chemicals for decades.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a Tap Water Database
The Florida Department of Health has a list of Certified Labs
Data and water quality reports from your local water treatment plant can be found on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Documents Management System (Click public OCULUS login to access): OCULUS
EPA's 1991 Lead and Copper Rule requires systems to monitor drinking water at customer taps. Suppose lead concentrations exceed an action level of 15 ppb or copper concentrations exceed an action level of 1.3 ppm in more than 10 percent of customer taps sampled. In that case, the system must undertake several additional actions to control corrosion and safeguard health.
The most prevalent water quality problem is an excess of nutrients (mainly phosphorus and nitrogen) in a body of water.
A 2016 study found that levels of polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—a widely used class of industrial chemicals linked with cancer and other health problems—exceed federally recommended safety levels in public drinking-water supplies for 6 million people in the United States. Pubs.acs.org
Coal-burning plants, in particular, discharge some of the most dangerous heavy metals on earth, including arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, and selenium.
Waste can introduce pathogens such as Shigella, Salmonella, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Legionella, and coliform into drinking water, leading to diarrhea and gastrointestinal illness.
View real-time water data from USGS, containing information about streamflow, groundwater, water quality, and tide telemetry.
National Secondary Drinking Water Regulation (NSDWRs) is a non-enforceable guideline regulating contaminants that may cause cosmetic effects or aesthetic effects in drinking water.
Several studies have discussed the impact of phosphate mining on water quality. Most of the concerns are associated with acidic process water, radionuclides, phosphate runoff, and toxic fluoride and heavy metals in the runoff. Arsenic, chromium, lead, mercury, nickel, vanadium, and cadmium are frequently associated with phosphate rock. The dominant radioactivity detected in phosphate rocks is uranium and thorium.
Watch the documentary Phosfate to learn more about the environmental effects the phosphate mining industry has on Florida's environment and human health: www.phosfatemovie.com
Hydrofluorsilisc Acid is put into driving water across America and is called "fluoride."
Did you know that boiling kills most types of parasites, bacteria, and viruses, but it increases concentrations of other contaminants due to water evaporation?
Boiling water can concentrate chemicals like PFAS. Chemicals like PFAS in water cannot be broken down, and you can't "kill" chemicals like this. Rhode Island Department of Health says not to boil water for this reason. You can read more by visiting:
Table of Regulated Drinking Water Contaminants
Other Resources