Is your tap water really safe to drink?

Complete analysis of the most important pollutants in water

• Simple sampling incl. instructions - no prior knowledge required
• Water analysis in an accredited DIN-EN-ISO 17025 water laboratory
• Analysis in 7-10 working days (3-day express analysis optional)

Our combined drinking water test provides you with a comprehensive analysis of your tap water. With this expert water test, you can analyse the quality of your drinking water for 19 parameters and thus rule out possible health threats from e.g. lead, copper, nickel, nitrite, nitrate and also dangerous poisoning and obtain optimum clarity as to whether and to what extent your water is contaminated.

When is a water test useful and how good is German drinking water quality really?

German drinking water is generally of very good quality and is checked almost daily by the waterworks' internal water analyses before it is sent on its long journey to the end consumer. However, most people don't realise this: The responsibility of the waterworks ends at the consumer's house connection. From this point onwards, the owner is responsible for the water quality. It is not only old water pipes and maintenance-free drinking water systems that influence the actual quality from the tap. The most common sources of contamination are the tap or tap fitting. This is why the measured values from the waterworks are not meaningful for the end consumer. So if you want to know the true quality of your tap water, you should have it analysed in a drinking water laboratory!

How does the water analysis work?

Once you have successfully placed your order, we will dispatch your water analysis kit within 24 hours by Deutsche Post / DHL or UPS courier. The test kit contains everything you need to take a sample. You do not need any prior knowledge.
After you have filled the sample, simply use the return material we have already prepared and send your sample directly to the accredited German drinking water laboratory. Here, your water sample will be professionally analysed without any detours or delays.

Personal advice - even after the analysis

You can call up your test results conveniently online after approx. seven days using your personal access code. But even after receiving the results, our trained IVARIO team will be happy to advise you by phone and e-mail and answer your questions, because we believe that a personalised interpretation of your drinking water analysis should be our top priority.

Test your water quality with our comprehensive drinking water test - recommended by Verbraucherschutz.de

By ordering our combined drinking water test, you can carry out a comprehensive drinking water test and find out about the quality of your drinking water and whether you can use your drinking water without worrying. Sampling is child's play: a test kit including easy-to-understand instructions (show sample instructions) are included in the delivery and allow you to take the sample yourself. This saves you time and money. Your water sample is then analysed for drinking water quality in accordance with the Drinking Water Ordinance (Trinkwv) using the latest and most modern methods in an accredited laboratory.

The combined drinking water test is ideal if you want to know whether you can safely use your water for drinking and cooking or whether some values are dangerously high. We recommend our premium test to additionally test for contamination in the form of germs or bacteria.

Have tap water tested - now child's play with our most popular drinking water test

There can be many reasons for wanting to have your tap water tested. (Here are some reasons to have your tap water tested). Our combined drinking water test combines our basic, heavy metal and special infant tests. This way, you can be sure that your drinking water does not contain any of the tested heavy metals, harmful salts or minerals and can be used both for you and for feeding your baby or toddler.

The combination drinking water test is a popular and proven IVARIO drinking water test and includes the following individual drinking water tests:

• Basic drinking water test
• Heavy metal drinking water test
• Baby drinking water test (extra drinking water test for infant formula and pregnant women)

Tip: In addition to the combined drinking water test, we also recommend a hot water test for legionella. You can find more information on legionella testing here.

Do you want even more safety? Also test your water for legionella!

For all-round protection in your own household, a legionella test is essential. The legionella test is a hot water test and is carried out separately. Further information on the legionella test can be found here.

The IVARIO range also includes the pharmaceutical water test and the pesticide water test. Test your water for these specific contaminants too.

Further information on the parameters analysed in the KOMBI drinking water test

Heavy metals

• Lead: The intake of lead is fundamentally unhealthy and can lead to dangerous lead poisoning. Lead poisoning has a harmful effect on brain development, particularly in children and adolescents, and can cause serious damage to the nervous system. Due to the gradual process (always small amounts), it goes unnoticed, but lead nevertheless leaves traces in the human body. It is deposited in the bones. Young women, pregnant women and small children should be particularly protected from this, as lead also affects their development. However, even the smallest amounts of lead can lead to health problems in adults. One common cause is old lead pipes in domestic installations. These must be replaced by the landlord, as lead pipes have been banned since 1973.
• Copper: There have been cases of illness caused by drinking water containing copper. Therefore, copper-contaminated water should not be consumed by adults, infants and children. The long-term intake of copper via drinking water can cause considerable health problems. There is a risk of copper poisoning. Pay attention to the use of copper pipes in your home.
• Nickel: Nickel enters our drinking water through chrome-plated water fittings, for example. However, nickel is not only a health risk for allergy sufferers; regular inhalation of water contaminated with nickel can also cause lung cancer and tumours.
• Cadmium: If you occasionally suffer from abdominal pain and vomiting, this may be due to the intake of cadmium. Cadmium in drinking water can also cause kidney damage and painful bone changes in large quantities. The body initially reacts by vomiting, abdominal pain and cramps, and in the long term this can lead to considerable organ damage.
• Chromium: Chromium is a transition metal that occurs in various compounds. Hexavalent chromium is considered hazardous to water and is released into the groundwater by industry. Excessive intake can lead to many respiratory diseases and even lung cancer.
• Zinc: Zinc is vital for humans, but cannot be stored in the human organism and must therefore be constantly supplied through food. However, if the dosage is too high, it can also lead to nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
• Uranium: Uranium occurs naturally in nature and can enter drinking water through leaching from rock layers. Uranium is considered to be both radioactive and chemically toxic. The toxicity is more important, as the radioactivity of uranium in drinking water is minimal.

Minerals and hardeners

• Iron: Excessive intake of iron has a harmful effect on the human organism. Other undesirable consequences are, for example, discolouration or turbidity of the drinking water. An increased iron value therefore also causes bad flavour and often leads to technical problems.
• Chloride: Alongside sodium and potassium, chloride is one of the most important electrolytes for the human organism. A certain concentration of this substance in drinking water is therefore even desirable. A chronic lack of chloride can lead to health deficits - in the worst case to cardiac dysfunction.
• Calcium: (also known as calcium) is a natural component of all waters. Together with magnesium, it is decisive for water hardness, as it stabilises the pH value of the water. Calcium has a positive effect on bone formation. Studies on heart health in Germany also confirm that the risk of heart disease is lower in regions with comparatively calcium-rich water. However, the higher the hardness of the water, the higher the calcification, which is less ideal, especially with regard to household appliances.
• Potassium: Potassium is vital for the functioning of the human organism. It mainly acts in the nervous system, blood circulation and muscles. However, in compounds such as potassium chloride or potassium carbonate, it is toxic and can cause serious damage to health.
• Magnesium: Magnesium is found in all bodies of water and is a natural component of groundwater. The amounts of magnesium found in drinking water in Germany are not sufficient to have a positive effect on the body, especially the muscles. However, it also has no negative effect on human health, but together with calcium it contributes to water hardness.
• Sodium: Infants are particularly sensitive to sodium as their kidneys are not yet fully developed. An increased intake, for example via drinking water, adversely affects the child's intestinal flora. However, increased intake can also lead to high blood pressure and the resulting cardiovascular diseases in adults.
• Sulphate: The increased intake of sulphate has a laxative effect. This can lead to diarrhoea and vomiting. Infants and small children are particularly sensitive to sulphate, as their kidneys are not yet fully developed and the excess sulphate can therefore not be excreted properly.
• Water hardness: The total hardness of tap water is the total sum of the minerals calcium and magnesium dissolved in the water. The higher the calcium and magnesium content, the higher the total hardness. This degree of hardness is expressed in German degrees of hardness, °dH for short. Drinking water with a low total hardness is considered to have a comparatively bland flavour. Well water or tap water with a higher total hardness has health benefits thanks to its high mineral content. However, it also leads to faster calcification of household appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers or coffee machines.

Nitrogen-containing compounds

• Nitrite: Nitrite can cause cancer and is harmful to the liver and genetic material. Infants in particular are very sensitive to nitrite in the first few months of life. The intake of nitrite changes the red blood cells. This change can lead to a lack of oxygen, as the transport of oxygen is significantly impaired by the nitrite. The lack of oxygen can lead to suffocation.
• Nitrate: Due to fertilisers, constantly increasing amounts of nitrate enter the groundwater and pose an additional challenge to sewage treatment plants. A high intake of nitrate or nitrite poses a considerable health risk to humans. This can lead to so-called methaemoglobinaemia (cyanosis). In the case of intestinal infections, there is a risk that nitrate is increasingly converted into nitrite.

Further test parameters

• Conductivity: Electrical conductivity is an important indicator parameter for the purity of drinking water, as pure water is basically non-conductive.
• pH value: The pH value indicates whether the drinking water is acidic, neutral or alkaline. If the drinking water is acidic or alkaline, the water should be analysed more closely, as it can be assumed that it is contaminated. Acidic and alkaline water can also attack the water pipes, lead to an increase in dangerous legionella bacteria or cause various skin diseases.