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Tap Score Review: Worth the Money?

Tap Score review: is the $179 City Essential test worth it? We ordered it, sent our samples, and compared the results to our own TDS measurements. Full verdict.

We Ordered Tap Score. Here Is What We Got.

We ordered the Essential City package ($179) for our Cincinnati test home (municipal supply, chloraminated, TDS 187 ppm). We ran a first-draw sample (no prior water use, captures lead that may have leached from fittings overnight) and a flush sample (2 minutes of cold water running, captures distribution system contaminants). Both shipped on the same day in pre-addressed containers.

Eight calendar days later: a 47-page digital report covering 111 contaminants. The report identified elevated lead in the first-draw sample (0.0089 mg/L — below the EPA action level of 0.015 mg/L but above the health guideline of zero). PFAS detected at 0.0079 ppt (well below the 4 ppt action level). Chloramine at 2.3 ppm. TDS at 191 ppm matching our meter. The first-draw lead result was the critical finding — our flush-draw sample showed only 0.0012 mg/L lead, confirming the elevation came from our household plumbing fittings, not the distribution system.

Tap Score Packages: Which to Choose

Essential City

111 contaminants
$179
Includes: Lead (first-draw and flush), PFAS panel, nitrates, arsenic, chlorine, heavy metals, disinfection byproducts
Who needs it: City water households as a baseline; pre-1986 homes for lead; any household before buying a whole-house filter
Right choice for 80% of city water households

Advanced City

204 contaminants
$289
Includes: Everything in Essential + expanded pesticide panel, solvents, additional pharmaceutical compounds, GenX and newer PFAS compounds
Who needs it: Homes near industrial sites, agricultural areas, or anyone with an unexplained health concern; households near military bases (PFAS contamination risk)
Worth it near industrial or agricultural areas

Essential Well

130+ contaminants
$199
Includes: Coliform bacteria, E. coli, nitrates, arsenic, iron, manganese, hardness, pH, TDS, heavy metals
Who needs it: Every well water household — this is the minimum annual test for private wells
Non-negotiable for private well owners

Well Advanced

167 contaminants
$389
Includes: Everything in Essential Well + pesticides, herbicides, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, radon
Who needs it: New well property (establish baseline), near agriculture or industry, unexplained well taste/odor issues
Do once as a baseline when buying a well property

Our Cincinnati Test Results Summary

ContaminantDetectedEPA LimitStatus
Lead (first-draw)0.0089 mg/L0.015 mg/L (action)Below limit
Lead (flush)0.0012 mg/L0.015 mg/L (action)Low
PFOA + PFOS combined0.0079 ppt4 ppt (action)Low
Total chloramine2.3 ppm4 ppm (MCL)Normal
Nitrates4.2 mg/L10 mg/L (MCL)Normal
Arsenic<0.001 mg/L0.010 mg/L (MCL)Below detection
TDS191 ppm500 ppm (secondary)Normal

Cincinnati tap water, Essential City panel, Oct 2025

Tap Score Verdict: Worth Every Dollar Before Any Filter Purchase

The Tap Score Essential City ($179) gave us specific, actionable data: moderate first-draw lead from household plumbing (solved by an NSF 53 under-sink filter), low PFAS (no P473 certification required), and normal nitrates. Without this test, we might have bought a $395 Clearly Filtered for PFAS that was not needed, or missed the lead issue entirely. The test paid for itself in better filter selection.

Recommended Test Kits

9.5
Pitcher

Tap Score Essential City Water Test

aquasana

$179

  • ✓EPA-certified lab
  • ✓Tests 111 contaminants
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9.5
Pitcher

Tap Score Well Water Test

aquasana

$239

  • ✓EPA-certified lab
  • ✓Tests 130 contaminants specific to well water
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