Free Water Test: TDS and pH

What the free water quality test covers

• TDS (total dissolved solids). The salts and minerals dissolved in the water, in mg/L. This is the reading that decides between RO and a simpler filter.
• pH. Pakistan's national standard puts drinking water between 6.5 and 8.5.
• Electrolyser check. A quick visual check that reacts to the dissolved salts in the sample. It does not identify specific contaminants.

Five things a water test looks at

• TDS: free at our shop
• pH: free at our shop
• Hardness: test kit or laboratory
• Bacteria: laboratory
• Arsenic and nitrate: laboratory

Water testing lab tests: what needs a laboratory

A normal TDS reading does not prove water is safe.

The director of PCRWR's national water quality laboratory has made the same point: an acceptable TDS does not mean the water is fit to drink.

Bacteria, arsenic, nitrate, fluoride and heavy metals all need a laboratory test, which has a charge.

You can also go straight to a government laboratory such as PCRWR.

PCRWR's comments on TDS in The Nation We tell you the lab fee before the sample is sent.

How to test water quality at home

1. 1

   Look and smell

   Cloudy water, sand in the glass or a smell point to dirt, a dirty tank or germs.

2. 2

   Check TDS

   Dip a TDS meter in a glass of tap water and wait for the reading to settle.

3. 3

   Compare

   Use the table below to see what the number usually means.

4. 4

   Test what you cannot see

   Bacteria and arsenic need a laboratory test. A TDS meter cannot find them.

How to take a sample for testing

1. Use a clean plastic bottle. A new mineral water bottle, emptied, works.
2. Run the tap for a minute, then rinse the bottle three times with that water.
3. Fill it to the top and close the cap tightly.
4. Write on it the source (boring or line), your area and the date.
5. Bring it the same day, or send at least half a litre by TCS to: Marjan Aqua Pro, Bajwa Market, Wazirabad Road, near Union Council, Ugoki, Sialkot 51020, phone +92 349 9382621. Write your WhatsApp number on the bottle and we send the readings there.

For a bacteria test, the laboratory gives you a sterile bottle. A normal bottle will not do.

Reading your TDS number

1 ppm equals 1 mg/L, so a TDS reading in ppm and in mg/L is the same number.

These are taste and treatment guides, not a safety certificate.

See RO plants and home water filters for what each result leads to, or arsenic removal if a lab report shows arsenic.

TDS meter price and how to use it

We sell pocket TDS meters, so you can check your filter's output at home and see when cartridges or the membrane need attention.

A TDS meter reads dissolved salts only. It cannot detect bacteria or arsenic.

Pen type meters cost about PKR 800 to 1,650 in the market (October 2026); branded meters cost more.

Walk-in testing

Walk in any day, 9 am to 9 pm, at Bajwa Market, Wazirabad Road, near Union Council, Ugoki. Get directions