Drinking Water Test Strip Results Guide
Your 16-parameter test strip checks five groups of contaminants. Find your results below to see what each reading means for your family and which EcoPure solution takes care of it.
Color reference chart — all 16 parameters
Record your results with pen and paper as you go — you can reference them in the group sections below to understand what each reading means for your home.
| Parameter | Group | Color range (low to high) | Safe limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | Balance |
6.2
6.8
7.2
7.6
7.8
8.4
|
6.5 – 8.5 |
| Total Alkalinity | Minerals |
0
40
80
120
180
240
|
80 – 120 ppm |
| Hardness | Minerals |
0
25
50
100
250
425
|
< 120 mg/L |
| Sulfuretted Hydrogen | Chemicals |
0
0.5
1
2
3
5
10
|
0 ppm |
| Iron | Metals |
0
5
10
25
50
100
250
500
|
< 0.3 mg/L |
| Copper | Metals |
0
0.2
0.5
1
2
5
|
< 1.3 mg/L |
| Lead | Metals |
0
5
15
30
50
|
0 ppb ideal; <15 ppb EPA |
| Manganese | Metals |
0
0.05
0.1
0.5
1.0
2.0
5.0
|
< 0.05 mg/L |
| Total Chlorine | Chemicals |
0
0.5
1
3
10
20
|
< 4 mg/L |
| Mercury | Metals |
0
2
5
10
20
40
80
|
0 ppb (EPA: 2 ppb) |
| Nitrate | Chemicals |
0
10
25
50
100
250
500
|
< 10 mg/L |
| Nitrite | Chemicals |
0
1
5
10
20
40
80
|
< 1 mg/L |
| Sulfate | Chemicals |
0
200
400
800
1200
1600
|
< 250 mg/L |
| Zinc | Metals |
0
5
10
30
50
100
|
< 5 mg/L |
| Sodium Chloride | Minerals |
0
100
250
500
1000
2000
|
< 250 mg/L |
| Fluoride | Chemicals |
0
4
10
25
50
100
|
< 4 mg/L |
What do your results mean for your home?
Not all water problems are solved the same way. A filter that’s designed to reduce chlorine won’t do anything for lead. A water softener handles hardness but won’t address nitrates. That’s why we’ve organized the 16 parameters into four groups below — each group shares the same root cause and responds to the same type of treatment.
Find the groups where your readings came back elevated and scroll down to see exactly which EcoPure system addresses it. If you had multiple results flagged, it’s worth reading all four — some systems solve more than one problem at once.
Group 1 of 4
Group 2 of 4
If your water tastes or smells off, there’s a good chance chlorine or hydrogen sulfide is the culprit. Activated carbon is one of the most effective tools for this and is the core technology in EcoPure’s under-sink systems and the whole-home pivotal filter. For elevated fluoride or nitrate and nitrite levels, reverse osmosis is the most proven solution — one important note is that boiling does not remove nitrates and actually concentrates them. Once filtered, most families say their water tastes better than bottled water.
Group 3 of 4
Hard water is the most common water problem in the country — 85% of U.S. homes have it. You might already be seeing the signs: white buildup around faucets, spots on clean dishes, dry skin after showers, or appliances that seem to wear out faster than they should. A salt-based water softener solves all of that. EcoPure offers sizes for every household, from 1 to 2 people all the way up to families of 6. If you also want cleaner drinking water at the tap, the EPH130 softens and filters your water in one unit.
Group 4 of 4
If your pH came back low (acidic water), that’s worth paying attention to. Acidic water slowly corrodes copper and lead pipes, which means those metals can end up in your drinking water as a side effect. A calcite neutralizer raises your pH naturally and protects your plumbing for the long haul. High pH water tends to cause the same scaling problems you’d see with hard water and can leave a slightly bitter taste. A water conditioner or softener handles this alongside hardness. It’s also worth knowing that pH affects how well chlorine disinfection works, so an imbalanced reading can quietly make other water quality issues worse.