Summit County Public Health does not sell a single test that answers every question about drinking water. Its menu includes total coliform/E. coli, nitrate, lead, copper and arsenic; hardness, sulfur, iron bacteria and other listed aesthetic concerns are outside that menu. Name the concern before choosing an analysis. County sampling service
Work out what the request actually buys
The County-linked request form, revised July 2025, separates a required $50 collection charge from five drinking-water analysis choices priced at $30 each. Total coliform/E. coli is one combined choice, not two separately priced boxes. Request form
| Example selection | LSL arithmetic from the form | Listed subtotal |
|---|---|---|
| Total coliform/E. coli only | $50 collection + $30 analysis | $80 |
| Total coliform/E. coli and nitrate | $50 + (2 × $30) | $110 |
| All five listed drinking-water choices | $50 + (5 × $30) | $200 |
These examples illustrate the form, not a recommendation to order a particular panel or a quote for multiple visits or samples. Confirm the selections and total with SCPH; the sampling page also notes a credit-card processing charge. More tests do not automatically make a result a complete safety assessment.
Before calling, write down the water source, property address, observed concern and question the result needs to answer. Ask which analysis addresses that question, who will interpret it and whether another service is needed. An odor description is useful background, not a diagnosis.
Submit the request before expecting an appointment
SCPH says to submit the form and payment; an inspector then contacts the applicant to arrange sampling. Its page describes in-person and mail routes at 1867 West Market Street in Akron, plus an email-and-phone payment option. Use the current instructions on that page or call 330-926-5600 before sending sensitive information. A submitted request is not a scheduled visit. Submission instructions
Do not substitute a household container or improvise collection, disinfection or treatment from this article. Follow the collecting service’s instructions. When results arrive, keep the sample location, collection date, requested analyses and laboratory report together so the result remains tied to the water actually sampled.
Selling the property is a different request
The form explicitly says its services do not meet SCPH’s real-estate transfer evaluation requirements. Even the separate sewage-inspection and compliance-sampling boxes on that form should not be mistaken for transfer approval. Form’s scope statement
For a sale, use the Summit well and sewage transfer guide. The broader County water-quality program also separates permits, complaints and records searches. An old well record can identify a system; it cannot substitute for today’s sample.
What LSL checked
LSL compared the County’s sampling page, service index and complete linked request form on September 20, 2026, and independently calculated the three subtotals above. No sample, account, appointment or laboratory finding was obtained. The County’s current form and instructions control the actual request.