A certified lab report can look like a wall of abbreviations. It is actually answering three simple questions for each thing tested: how much did we find, how much is considered acceptable, and did we find any at all.
The units
Most results come back in milligrams per liter (mg/L), which is the same as parts per million. Trace contaminants use micrograms per liter (µg/L), parts per billion. Hardness often shows up in grains per gallon (gpg) on treatment quotes, though labs usually report it as mg/L of calcium carbonate.
The unit matters more than the number. A 5 in mg/L and a 5 in µg/L differ by a factor of a thousand.
The limits
For regulated contaminants, EPA publishes maximum contaminant levels (MCLs): the enforceable ceilings public utilities must meet. Private wells are not held to them by anyone, which is exactly why they are the right yardstick to read your own results against.
Some entries carry a secondary standard instead. Those cover taste, odor, and staining rather than health, which is worth knowing before you react to a number.
What ND means
ND is not detected: the lab looked and found nothing above its reporting limit. It is the result you want to see, and on most lines, it is the result most homes get.
If something does come in above a limit, the report is a starting point, not a verdict. Re-testing confirms it, and a system chosen from the numbers fixes it. That is the order we work in: test, report, fix, prove.
Read your own numbers.
A certified lab report of your tap, explained line by line in plain English. If your water is fine, that is exactly what it will say. Book online, call, or write.