The core laboratory panel — the first test every well household should have.

Why test at all? The contaminants that matter most are the ones you cannot sense. Bacteria, nitrates and lead give no taste, no smell and no colour. Taste and staining problems — iron, hardness, low pH — are the visible tip; the Essential panel checks both what you can sense and what you can't, in one certified-laboratory analysis.

Why now, not later? Early discovery changes the bill and the risk. Nitrates found early are a treatment decision; found late, after a baby is already drinking formula mixed with the water, they are an emergency. Corrosion found early is a pH adjustment; found late, it is lead in the water and pinhole leaks in the pipes. This panel is the baseline every later test is compared against — the "before" picture for your home.

What you get:

• Sample kit with clear collection instructions (or collection at a Tandem visit)
• Analysis by a certified laboratory — not a home strip test
• The core health and quality set: bacteria, nitrates, lead and the everyday minerals and metals that drive taste, staining and corrosion (exact analyte list confirmed on your report)
• A written report with every result and the laboratory's reporting limit beside it — "not detected" on a Tandem report means below that stated limit, never a claim of absolute zero
• A plain-language summary from Tandem: what is fine, what to fix, what to watch

Best for: first-time testing, families with children, anyone who has never had a full panel, and the water side of a home purchase. Not for: PFAS questions — that needs the dedicated PFAS panel below.