Run the water for two minutes to clear water lines and bring in fresh water. Do not touch or contaminate the inside of the bottle or cap. Carefully open the sample container and hold the outside of the cap. Fill the container to the line to allow mixing and replace the top. Many labs, including the state Health Department, will not accept bacteria samples on Friday or before a holiday, so check to find out the lab's schedule.
Iron bacteria forms a very obvious slime on the inside of pipes and fixtures.
A water test is not needed to identify it. Check for a reddish-brown slime inside a toilet tank or where water stands for several days. Chemical sampling Sample bottles used to collect water for chemical analysis often contain a fixing compound to prevent loss or breakdown of specific chemicals. Always obtain these sample bottles and instructions from the testing laboratory. Run water at an inside tap for five minutes to clear the lines and bring in fresh water.