You can’t buy an over the counter PFAS test kit to use yourself, however, you can commission a private laboratory test of water from your kitchen tap, although PFAS testing requires more care than a routine drinking-water test.
The first step that is recommended is to ask your water company for its PFAS results for the treatment works and supply zone serving your home. Water companies test water sources and treated supplies, and the Drinking Water Inspectorate advises consumers to contact their supplier before arranging private tests. The company may also take a sample following a well-founded complaint (Drinking Water Inspectorate).
For an independent test, use a laboratory whose PFAS method falls within its UKAS ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation scope. General accreditation for water testing does not prove that its PFAS analysis has been accredited. Ask the laboratory to confirm in writing that its accreditation covers:
- drinking or potable water;
- the named PFAS compounds in the test panel;
- the required reporting limits;
- sample collection, transport and analysis.
The current Drinking Water Inspectorate guidance uses 0.1 micrograms per litre, or 100 nanograms per litre, for the sum of 48 named PFAS. A useful laboratory package should therefore measure enough of those substances and have reporting limits well below 100 ng/L. A test limited to PFOS and PFOA could miss other relevant compounds (Drinking Water Inspectorate).
It is best to arrange professional sampling rather than filling a bottle yourself. PFAS occur in some waterproof clothes, cosmetics, food wrappers, tubing and laboratory equipment. These sources can contaminate a sample at concentrations measured in parts per trillion. The laboratory should supply certified PFAS-free bottles, detailed instructions and, for stronger evidence, a trained sampler and field blank (Drinking Water Inspectorate).
When requesting a quotation, you could write:
I require UKAS-accredited testing of a domestic tap-water sample for the 48 PFAS named in current DWI guidance. Please confirm which compounds and reporting limits fall within your accreditation, whether you provide accredited sampling and transport, and whether the result will include the sum of quantified PFAS.
The DWI publishes a list of approved drinking-water laboratories, but it warns that laboratories may hold accreditation for some tests and not others. RPS Environmental Management, now part of Tetra Tech, appears on that list, as do ALS and several water-company laboratories. Their current PFAS scope would still need checking before commissioning work (Drinking Water Inspectorate).
One household sample can show what was present at that tap on that date. It cannot establish long-term exposure or fully identify the contamination source. Where there is a credible local source, such as an airfield fire-training area, a stronger plan would include at least two tap samples on different dates, plus water-company supply data and, where possible, samples taken upstream within the water system.
References
Drinking Water Inspectorate. (2026). PFAS and forever chemicals.
Drinking Water Inspectorate. (n.d.). Analytical services.
Drinking Water Inspectorate. (n.d.). Water testing.
Tetra Tech. (2026). Adopting the Tetra Tech brand in the UK and Europe.
(c) 2026 Graham Wilson. This work is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit creativecommons.org