Tap and WellTreasure Valley water, from the public record

What to test for in Boise well water (83713)

Estimate from 132 nearby samples, wells around 117 ft. This is not a test of your well. A mail-in lab kit is the next step. This ZIP is inside an Idaho DEQ Nitrate Priority Area.

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What nearby samples suggest

ContaminantTypical (median)High end (90th pct)Share over limitSamplesConfidenceStatus
Arsenic7.1ppb15.1ppb27%22grade BAbove limit
Barium0.08ppm0.09ppm0%3grade CDetected
Chromium (total)0.00ppm0.00ppm0%2grade CDetected
CopperND0.00ppm0%3grade CDetected
Fluoride0.40ppm0.50ppm0%20grade BDetected
Gross AlphaNDND0%3grade CNot detected
Hardness (as CaCO3)9.3gpg14.0gpgno limit10grade BMeets
Iron0.00ppm0.02ppmno limit10grade BDetected
LeadNDND0%3grade CNot detected
Lithium2.4ppb2.4ppbno limit1grade CDetected
Manganese3.4ppb7.0ppbno limit10grade BDetected
Nitrate (as N)4.78ppm6.12ppm0%12grade APossible
Radon27.0pCi/L510.0pCi/Lno limit3grade DDetected
SeleniumND5.6ppb0%7grade BDetected
Sodium29.00ppm39.00ppmno limit7grade BDetected
Total Dissolved Solids320.00ppm384.00ppmno limit9grade BDetected
Uranium21.1ppb56.0ppb40%10grade BAbove limit

Confidence grades: A = 10 or more samples in this 1.2 km zone; B = 3 to 9 in the zone or 10 or more within one ring; C = fewer; D = county median only.

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We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. Rankings come from the matching engine (certification + flagged contaminants + annual cost), not from who pays more. How we earn money. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices are not shown; Amazon sets them on its site.

Start here · mail-in lab test

ETR Labs Premium Water Quality Test Kit (mail-in lab, 113-118 substances)

LAB TEST (mail-in). Collect samples at home, ship with the prepaid mailer to ETR Laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025 accredited by ANAB), results in about 2-4 business days after receipt. Tested analytes in plain words: 32 …

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Add-on · mail-in lab test

Safe Home Lead in Drinking Water Test Kit (mail-in EPA-certified lab, 1 sample)

LAB TEST (mail-in). Single-analyte kit: collect one first-draw tap sample and mail it to Safe Home's EPA-certified laboratory; reports total lead (dissolved plus particulate) to 1 ppb, results online in 3-5 business days …

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Screening only · DIY strips or vials

Health Metric Well Water Test Kit (strips, 9 parameters)

Strip kit: screening only, not a lab result. Good for hardness, iron, nitrate, pH screening.

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Screening only · DIY strips or vials

Varify 17-in-1 Complete Drinking Water Test Kit (100 strips + 2 bacteria tests)

STRIP KIT (DIY, results in minutes, not a lab test). 100 dip strips plus two coliform bacteria vials. Analytes covered in plain words: lead, copper, iron, mercury, zinc, manganese, fluoride, nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, …

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Screening only · DIY strips or vials

Watersafe WS-425W Well Water Test Kit (10 parameters, DIY)

DIY KIT (strips plus vial tests; not a lab test). Single-use well-water panel. Analytes covered in plain words: lead (immunoassay strip, detects to about 5 ppb), coliform bacteria (48-hour presence/absence vial), …

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How to test a well in Idaho.

What this means at home

Drink it as-is?
Test first. This is not a test of your well. Nearby samples say what to look for.
Filter drinking water only?
After you have a lab result. Buy a point-of-use filter certified for what your test flags, not for this estimate.
Soften the whole house?
Usually, yes. 9.3 grains per gallon means scale on kettles and heaters and soap that will not lather. Hardness is not a health issue.
Test first?
Yes. A mail-in lab test is the only way to know what is in this well. Start with the kit above.

Hardness

Nearby samples run about 9.3 grains per gallon (gpg) (hard), confidence grade B. That is an estimate, not a result from your well. At 7 gpg or more, most well households in this range install a softener. Hardness is not a federal health violation.

Filters after a lab resultranked for nearby samples; buy after you test

We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. Rankings come from the matching engine (certification + flagged contaminants + annual cost), not from who pays more. How we earn money. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices are not shown; Amazon sets them on its site.

Drinking water

Under sink, pitcher, or faucet. Treats the water you drink and cook with.

Ranked first for this water under sink ro · DIY

Aquasana OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis + Claryum

Certified for arsenic, nitrate, and fluoride (NSF/ANSI 58, pentavalent); manufacturer-reported for uranium.

Plumber recommended if you are not comfortable with a drain saddle and a tank. Not a whole-house solution.

Certified forArsenic, Nitrate (as N), Fluoride, Total Dissolved Solids
Manufacturer-reported, not certifiedUranium
Also fits under sink ro · DIY

APEC ROES-50 Essence 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis

Certified for total dissolved solids (NSF/ANSI 58); manufacturer-reported for arsenic, uranium, and nitrate.

Plumber recommended if you are not comfortable with a drain saddle and a tank. Not a whole-house solution.

Certified forTotal Dissolved Solids
Manufacturer-reported, not certifiedArsenic, Uranium, Nitrate (as N), Fluoride and 1 more
Also fits under sink ro · DIY

iSpring RCC7AK 6-Stage Alkaline Reverse Osmosis

Certified for total dissolved solids (NSF/ANSI 58); manufacturer-reported for arsenic, uranium, and nitrate.

Plumber recommended if you are not comfortable with a drain saddle and a tank. Not a whole-house solution.

Certified forTotal Dissolved Solids
Manufacturer-reported, not certifiedArsenic, Uranium, Nitrate (as N), Fluoride

Whole house

Installed where water enters the house. For fixtures, laundry and showers.

Softener or conditioner

Worth it at 7 grains per gallon or more.

Ranked first for this water salt softener · DIY

Whirlpool WHES40E 40,000 Grain Water Softener

Certified for hardness and barium (NSF/ANSI 44); manufacturer-reported for iron. Does not address arsenic, uranium, and nitrate.

DIY if you are comfortable with this install.

Certified forBarium, Hardness (as CaCO3)
Manufacturer-reported, not certifiedIron
Also fits salt softener · DIY

Whirlpool WHES30E 30,000 Grain Water Softener

Certified for hardness (NSF/ANSI 44); manufacturer-reported for iron. Does not address arsenic, uranium, and nitrate.

DIY if you are comfortable with this install.

Certified forHardness (as CaCO3)
Manufacturer-reported, not certifiedIron
Also fits salt softener · DIY

Whirlpool WHES33 33,000 Grain Water Softener

Certified for hardness (NSF/ANSI 44); manufacturer-reported for iron. Does not address arsenic, uranium, and nitrate.

DIY if you are comfortable with this install.

Certified forHardness (as CaCO3)
Manufacturer-reported, not certifiedIron
Pairing. The water is hard enough that an RO membrane will scale. Pair with a softener if you also want whole-house scale control. Arsenic is common in wells in this area. Test first; an RO at the kitchen tap handles drinking water after a lab result.

Add your lab result

If you have a lab result for your well, adding it (location rounded to about 1 km, no address stored) improves the estimate for nearby households. We can email you a filter report from the numbers in the PDF.

Nearby

83642 Meridian 83646 Meridian 83669 Star 83687 Nampa 83703 Boise City 83704 Boise City Ada County wells

On city water instead? Systems in this ZIP: Veolia Water Idaho, Meridian Water Department, Garden City Water and Sewer System, Rustic Acres Mobile Home Park,

Numbers are the system's samples at its taps and wells, not yours. Lead and copper are 90th percentiles from sampled homes. Well pages are nearby-sample estimates. Health text restates EPA and DEQ. Methodology.