Tannins Water Test Kit: Certified Lab Analysis for Yellow / Tea-Colored Water
Confirm whether organic tannins are behind your yellow or tea-colored water, and separate it from iron.
Not sure if you need a tannins water test kit?Call or text Aidan. Tell him what you are seeing (yellow / tea-colored water; faint earthy or musty taste) and he will tell you whether this test is the right next step or if a broader panel or a simpler answer fits better. Free, no obligation.
✓ Digital lab report from the independent testing lab, emailed when complete
✓ Personal results review and equipment recommendation from our team
Collect early in the week so your sample reaches the lab before the weekend. Lab analysis takes about 10 business days once the sample arrives.
1
Order Your Kit
We ship the kit to your door with free shipping. It contains everything you need to collect a sample: bottles, vials, instructions, and a prepaid return label.
2
Collect Your Sample
Follow the simple instructions to draw a sample from your tap. About 5 minutes, no technical knowledge required.
3
Mail It Back
Drop the prepaid package at a carrier location. It goes to the nearest independent, certified lab in the SimpleLab network so your results stay accurate.
4
Get Results + Expert Review
Your independent lab report arrives by email in about 10 business days. Then Aidan personally reviews your numbers and tells you exactly what they mean and what to do.
What makes step 4 different from every other water test
Other companies hand you a lab report and say good luck. We are a water treatment company that has solved well and city water problems for over 30 years. The testing is done by an independent, third-party certified lab so the data is unbiased. Then we tell you exactly how to fix what the lab found, and we have the equipment and expertise to back it up.
What This Test Measures
1
Tannins and Lignins.
Tannins are natural organic compounds from decaying vegetation, leaves, and peaty soil. They tint water yellow, amber, or tea-colored, can add a faint earthy or musty taste, and may leave yellowish staining on laundry and fixtures. The catch is that iron also causes discoloration, and tannins and iron need different treatment, so color alone does not tell you which you have.
This test measures tannins and lignins from a certified lab. Paired with an iron result, it tells you whether your color problem is organic (tannins), metallic (iron), or both, which is the difference between a tannin-selective resin, an iron filter, or a combined approach.
Method: Tannins and lignins (colorimetric, certified lab)
Reference: No federal limit (aesthetic). Color and taste effects commonly appear above ~0.5 mg/L.
What fixes it: Whole House Water Filtration Systems
Tannin removal uses a tannin-selective resin, often paired with treatment for any iron present. Call Aidan to spec it.
When your independent lab report comes back, it goes to Aidan, one of our owners and a water treatment specialist with over 30 years of hands-on experience. Because the testing is done by a third-party lab, the data is impartial. He reads your numbers, knows what matters for tannins (color), and gives you a clear recommendation for your situation.
You Get a Clear, Specific Recommendation
→ Whether this contaminant needs treatment, and how urgently
→ The exact equipment and size for your home, if any is needed
→ The correct installation order alongside anything else you treat
→ Estimated cost and what maintenance to expect
If Your Water Tests Clean, We Tell You That
We would rather earn your trust by being honest than sell you equipment you do not need. If your result comes back within safe limits, Aidan will tell you exactly that. No upselling, no fear tactics.
"I had my water tested and sent Aidan the results. Within hours he told me exactly what I needed: an iron filter and a neutralizer. After watching his YouTube videos I already trusted him. The recommendation was spot on and the system works perfectly." ★★★★★
Amber G., Verified Buyer
"I did two water tests at home and got inconsistent results. Called Aidan and he walked me through everything. Explained what the numbers meant, which ones mattered, and put together the right package for my house. No pressure, just honest advice." ★★★★★
Jerry S., Verified Buyer
"Water treatment is confusing. There's so much hype out there. I sent my test results to Mid Atlantic Water and Aidan cut through all the noise. Told me exactly what I needed, no more, no less. Been running the system for months now and the water is perfect." ★★★★★
Chuck B., Verified Buyer
Yellow Water? Find Out If It Is Tannins or Iron.
Tannins and lignins measured at an independent certified lab, plus a personal recommendation from a 30-year well water expert on the right system for your color problem.
Tannins are natural organic compounds from decaying leaves and peaty soil that tint well water yellow, amber, or tea-colored, sometimes with a faint earthy or musty taste. The problem is that iron causes discoloration too, and tannins and iron need completely different treatment, so the color alone will not tell you which you have.
This test measures tannins and lignins at an independent, NELAC/ELAP-accredited lab. Paired with an iron result, it separates an organic color problem from a metallic one, which is the difference between a tannin-selective resin, an iron filter, or a combined system.
Aidan reviews your result and specs the exact treatment for your well, because tannin removal is a configured system, not an off-the-shelf cartridge. If the color turns out to be iron instead, that is a simpler and cheaper fix, and he will tell you.
✔Certified Lab Result
✔Independent Certified Lab
✔Expert Review Included
✔Results in ~10 business days
✔Free Return Shipping
✔Tannins (Color)
Feature
Our System
Others
What You Get
✔
Certified lab, parts-per-billion
Color strips: a rough guess, not a number
Accuracy
✔
Parts-per-billion (ICP-MS)
Rough color estimates
Lab Certified
✔
NELAC/ELAP accredited
No lab involved
Designed For
✔
Tannins (Color)
Generic, no targeted method
Expert Review
✔
Included (30-year specialist)
Not available
Treatment Plan
✔
Personalized equipment recommendation
Generic or none
Return Shipping
✔
Free overnight (prepaid)
Not included
What You Get
✅ UsCertified lab, parts-per-billion
❌ ThemColor strips: a rough guess, not a number
Accuracy
✅ UsParts-per-billion (ICP-MS)
❌ ThemRough color estimates
Lab Certified
✅ UsNELAC/ELAP accredited
❌ ThemNo lab involved
Designed For
✅ UsTannins (Color)
❌ ThemGeneric, no targeted method
Expert Review
✅ UsIncluded (30-year specialist)
❌ ThemNot available
Treatment Plan
✅ UsPersonalized equipment recommendation
❌ ThemGeneric or none
Return Shipping
✅ UsFree overnight (prepaid)
❌ ThemNot included
✔ Get a Full Report With Every Test
Every test includes a personal review of your results by Aidan, a water treatment specialist with over 30 years of experience. Call, text, or email anytime before, during, or after your test.
📞 Call Us800-460-5810
✉️ Email Supportsupport@midatlanticwater.net
🕒 Live Hours7 days a week
Frequently Asked Questions
You usually cannot tell by looking, which is the whole point of testing. Iron tends to leave orange-brown rust staining and a metallic taste; tannins lean yellow, amber, or tea-colored with an earthy or musty note. But the two often coexist, and they need different treatment, so we measure tannins (this test) and iron to know exactly what you are dealing with.
Tannins are dissolved organic molecules, not particles, so sediment and most carbon setups do not reliably remove them. Effective treatment uses a tannin-selective anion resin, sometimes alongside iron treatment if iron is also present. Because the right design depends on your tannin level, pH, and any iron, this is a case where the lab number really drives the system.
Tannin removal is a specialized build that we configure to your specific water rather than a one-size product, because tannin level, pH, and co-occurring iron all change the design. Run this test (ideally with an iron test), and Aidan will spec the exact tannin-selective system for your well. We would rather get it right than sell you a generic filter that leaves the color behind.
Aidan reviews your tannin level (and iron, if tested) and tells you whether you need a tannin-selective resin, iron treatment, a combined system, or nothing. If the color turns out to be iron rather than tannins, that points to a simpler, cheaper fix.
Absolutely. Call or text Aidan at 800-460-5810. He is available 7 days a week. If you are not sure whether you need this test, he can help you figure that out in a few minutes. No sales pitch, just straight answers. You can also email support@midatlanticwater.net.
Tannins Water Test Kit...$99.00
The Cost of Guessing Wrong
A focused lab test vs thousands in wrong equipment.
What happens when you skip the test
Without a lab number, you are guessing. We have seen it hundreds of times: a homeowner buys the wrong system, or the wrong size, because staining or smell or scale looked a certain way. Wrong equipment means wasted money, an unsolved problem, and an eventual second purchase.
A focused lab test tells you exactly what is in your water so you buy the right equipment the first time. It is not a cost. It is insurance against a much larger mistake.
The Real Comparison
Guessing (No Test)
$1,000-$3,000
❌Lifespan: Fails in 3-4 years
❌Result: Frequent repairs, poor water quality, leaks
❌Support: None
Wrong or mis-sized equipment
Best Long-Term Value
Test First, Then Buy Right
$99
✅Lifespan: Lasts 15+ years
✅Result: Done right the first time, peace of mind
✅Support: Lifetime USA Support
Right equipment the first time
The test costs a small fraction of a single piece of water treatment equipment. If it keeps you from buying the wrong system even once, it has paid for itself many times over.
What this test gets you
A certified-lab measurement of tannins (color) using Tannins and lignins (colorimetric, certified lab), plus a personal recommendation from a 30-year water treatment expert. The exact number you need to make the right decision, done right the first time.
Contact Us
800-460-5810
We're here to help.
Accuracy Guarantee
Independent Certified Lab · Tannins and lignins (colorimetric, certified lab)
The Guarantee: Your sample is analyzed by an independent, NELAC/ELAP-accredited lab using validated methods. If your kit does not arrive, the lab loses your sample, results are delayed beyond 15 business days, or anything else goes wrong in the process, we will send a replacement kit at no charge or issue a full refund. No questions, no hassle.
30+YEARS EXPERIENCE
10,000+HOMES HELPED
5.0★Success Rate
Your test is processed by a third-party certified lab in the SimpleLab network, independently accredited under NELAC/ELAP standards. We never touch the testing. The lab runs validated, EPA-standard methods to produce results you can trust. Then Aidan reviews your numbers and tells you exactly what they mean.
Why DIY Test Strips Can't Compare
+
DIY test strips test a handful of parameters with color-changing pads you match against a chart. They cannot detect contaminants at the low levels that matter for health, and they miss critical analytes entirely.
Our test uses the same certified-lab method state and federal drinking-water programs use: Tannins and lignins (colorimetric, certified lab). The difference between a strip and a certified lab is the difference between guessing and knowing.
How Our Testing Process Works
1
Test Your Water
Order the kit, collect your sample, and mail it back. Your water is analyzed by a NELAC/ELAP certified lab using Tannins and lignins (colorimetric, certified lab).
2
Get Expert Analysis
Aidan reviews your results and creates a specific recommendation for your household: what to do, what equipment, what size, and why. No generic advice, no upselling.
Fix It Right the First Time
If you need treatment, we help you select the right system, ship it to your door, and provide free lifetime technical support for installation and maintenance. One company from test to treatment.
I have been solving well and city water problems for over 30 years. Send me your tannins (color) result and I will tell you exactly what you need, or exactly why you do not need anything at all.
