Sulphate Water Test Results Guide

What this test measures

This test measures sulphate, a natural mineral picked up from rocks and soil. High sulphate gives water a bitter edge, and at higher levels it can have a mild laxative effect on people not used to it and be aggressive to concrete and some plumbing.

The UK standard

UK drinking water regulations set 250 mg/l for sulphate. Groundwater in some areas runs naturally higher — another reason private supplies are worth testing.

Reading your strip

Dip a strip into your sample for two seconds, hold it level and wait 30 seconds. Match the sulphate 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.
• 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.