21 in 1 Water Test Kit & 2 E.coli Tests

Description

Know what’s in your water in 60 seconds

Water picks up minerals, metals, chemicals and bacteria on its way to your tap. The TCSC 21-in-1 Water Test Kit gives you a fast, affordable screening check of your borehole, municipal, rainwater-tank or filtered water. You can spot problems early and decide whether you need treatment or a full laboratory analysis.

Who it’s for

• Borehole and wellpoint owners: routine checks after switching from municipal supply
• Households: tap-water checks during outages, pipe work, or changes in taste or odour
• Rainwater-tank users: monitoring stored water
• Filter and RO users: before-and-after checks of treatment performance
• Farms, hydroponics and schools: frequent, low-cost monitoring
• Pool owners: chlorine, bromine, cyanuric acid, pH and alkalinity

What’s in the box

• 1 × 11-in-1 test strips (100 strips)
• 1 × 10-in-1 test strips (100 strips)
• 2 × E. coli / coliform bacteria tests
• 2 × test tubes
• 1 × water quality standards card
• 1 × colour chart
• 1 × instruction manual

What it tests

Panel A: 11-in-1 strips

• Nitrate: 0–500 mg/L
• Nitrite: 0–80 mg/L
• Total chlorine: 0–10 mg/L
• Residual chlorine: 1–20 mg/L
• Bromine: 0–20 mg/L
• Fluoride: 0–200 mg/L
• Potassium: 0–50 mg/L
• Sulfate: 0–1,600 mg/L
• Total hardness: 0–1,000 mg/L
• Total alkalinity: 0–240 mg/L
• pH: 6.2–8.4

Panel B: 10-in-1 strips

• Carbonate: 0–180 mg/L
• Iron: 0–500 mg/L
• Manganese: 0–5 mg/L
• Copper: 0–300 mg/L
• Zinc: 0–100 mg/L
• Aluminium: 0–250 mg/L
• Chromium: 0–100 mg/L
• Lead: 0–500 mg/L
• Mercury: 0–0.08 mg/L
• Cyanuric acid: 0–300 mg/L

Microbiology: E. coli / total coliforms (present or absent)

How to use

Test strips (60 seconds)

1. Collect your sample in a clean container or the test tube provided.
2. Dip the strip for no more than 5 seconds.
3. Hold the strip horizontally and tap off the excess water so the pads don’t bleed into each other.
4. Compare against the colour chart in good light within 60 seconds. Ignore colour changes at pad edges or after 2 minutes.

E. coli / coliform test (48 hours)

1. Wash your hands thoroughly.
2. If testing a tap, run it for 3–5 minutes first.
3. Open the bottle without touching the inside of the cap or bottle.
4. Fill with cold water to the line, close tightly and shake for about 20 seconds until the powder dissolves.
5. Keep the bottle out of direct sunlight at 20–32 °C.
6. Read the result after 48 hours.

Testing conditions: ambient temperature of 2–30 °C and relative humidity below 80%.

Screening vs. laboratory testing: read this before you rely on a result

This kit is a semi-quantitative screening tool. It is designed to flag likely problems quickly and cheaply. It does not replace accredited laboratory analysis.

• Heavy metals (lead, mercury, chromium): SANS 241 health limits are far lower than the strip’s colour steps. A reading of zero does not confirm that your water meets drinking-water standards.
• Possible interference: coloured or cloudy water, very high mineral content, samples outside 2–30 °C, and reading outside the 60-second window can all affect results.
• A positive E. coli result means the water should not be drunk untreated until a laboratory has confirmed it.

For drinking-water compliance, a new borehole, or a result that concerns you, we recommend a SANS 241:2015 laboratory panel. TCSC runs these in partnership with an accredited reference laboratory, with results in 5–10 working days.

Something flagged? Here’s what to do next

• Not sure what your colours mean? Book a 30-minute consultation with a TCSC water scientist (from R649.50).
• Want to re-check bacteria? Add a standalone E. coli test (R250, results in 48 hours).
• Need compliance-grade results? Request a SANS 241:2015 Basic Panel (R4,278 incl. VAT).

Why TCSC

This kit was developed in Cape Town by The Chemistry Solutions Company and has been used across more than 100 environmental projects. TCSC was named second runner-up in the UNIDO Global Cleantech Innovation Programme South Africa (2024). Every kit sold also supports the Water Warrior Project, which provides free community water testing.

Storage

• Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
• Close the strip bottle immediately after use, and don’t touch the test pads.

Frequently asked questions

Is my water safe to drink if all the pads read normal?
Not necessarily. Strips screen for gross contamination. Only a SANS 241 lab panel confirms drinking-water compliance, especially for heavy metals.

How many tests do I get?
100 tests of each chemical panel, plus 2 bacteria tests.

Does it test for arsenic?
No. Arsenic requires laboratory analysis.

Can I use it for my pool?
Yes. The chlorine, bromine, cyanuric acid, pH and alkalinity pads suit pool monitoring.

See our product disclaimer. Results are indicative screening values.