Can I have my water tested for Giardia and Cryptosporidium?
Several specialized laboratories in Pennsylvania are capable of examining water samples for cysts and oocysts, but laboratory tests are very expensive for the private homeowner. Giardia cysts are extremely small; they are 10 times smaller than the smallest object that can be seen with the naked eye, and Cryptospordium oocysts are even smaller. Although several hundred gallons of water must be examined, protozoan cysts may not be present at the place or time of sampling, or they may even escape detection in the sample. Therefore, testing will not prove the absence of Giardia or Cryptosporidium; it can only prove the presence of such organisms. Furthermore, the test cannot accurately determine the number of protozoa in a water supply or provide an assessment of potential infectivity. What if I suspect or know that my water is contaminated? A rapid boil of your drinking water for one full minute will destroy all Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidiumo ocysts. You should boil all water that you
