Picking Up your Sampling Kit
Where to find it
Our lab is located at 617 13th Ave S., Hopkins, MN.
Right outside our front door, you’ll find a blue sample box containing standard sampling kits, as well as extra sample bottles if you need them. You can pick up a testing kit at your convenience (24/7)! However, you must return samples during business hours so we can go through paperwork with you and collect payment.
M-TH: 9am - 3pm, F: 9am - 1pm
What is in a standard kit:
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Sampling Instruction
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Alcohol Wipe
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Total Coliform Bacteria Bottle
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Nitrate Bottle
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Arsenic Bottle
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Lead Bottle
Please grab an extra tall bottle if:
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You need to test for Manganese
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If you need to collect a sample from your reverse osmosis (RO) or other filtration system
When can I grab it?
You can grab it any day or time! Because it is located outside our front door, you can grab it whenever is most convenient for you!
When do I pay?
You will pay once you drop your samples off. When you drop it off we’ll have you fill out some paperwork and pay at that time.
I have a filtration system? What do I test from? Can I test from both?
This depends on what information you are looking for. If you are interested in the raw water we recommend testing from an unfiltered tap and then in addition testing your filtration system to ensure it’s working properly (this is also what we recommend for real estate transactions). If you are only concerned about the water you are drinking from, you can certainly just test post filter.
What is the most critical parts?
What we see get the most “false positives” is the Total Coliform Bacteria. It is very important that you sterilize the tap you are collecting samples from (either with alcohol or a flame) and you don’t contaminate the bottle (by accidentally putting your finger in the bottle or dropping it on the ground if it’s not sealed).