Sodium Chloride Test Results Guide

What this test measures

This test measures dissolved salt in your water. Salt matters if you run a water softener (softened water carries a little extra sodium), live near the coast on a private supply, or you’re keeping an eye on salt intake.

The UK standard

UK drinking water regulations set 200 mg/l for sodium and 250 mg/l for chloride. Mains supplies normally sit far below both. If you’re on a low-sodium diet, your GP or dietitian can advise what the numbers mean for you — this test simply tells you what’s in the water.

Reading your strip

Dip a strip into your sample for two seconds, hold it level and wait 30 seconds. Match the salt pad against the colour chart on your instructions card and read off the closest band. Strips give you a clear range rather than a lab-precise number — exactly what you need for spotting problems and tracking changes over time.

What to do next

• Confirm it first. One strip is a snapshot — re-test with a fresh strip and a fresh sample before acting on a result.
• Softener owners: a high salt reading at a drinking tap can mean the softener is set too aggressively or the hard-water drinking tap isn’t plumbed as expected.
• If a reading on a mains supply stays above the standard after re-testing, contact your water supplier — they investigate quality concerns free of charge.
• On a private supply (well, borehole or spring), your local council’s environmental health team can arrange accredited lab testing.
• Thinking about a filter? Test before and after fitting it so you can see exactly what it changed.