We take the sample, deliver it to an accredited laboratory and explain the result, and if needed we install a filter or clean the well. A basic test costs from €35, with microbiology from €95.
Ķīpsala: wooden houses and new buildings on the island
Ķīpsala is an island in the Daugava opposite the city centre. It has historic wooden houses, detached homes, new apartment projects, university buildings and exhibition complexes. Most buildings are connected to the city water main.
In the 2025 contract performance report of Rīgas ūdens (Riga's water utility), Ķīpsala is listed among the small neighbourhoods where in some areas or streets the services are not available or only partly available, without separating the water main from sewerage. Rīgas ūdens describes its water sources only by the banks of the Daugava: groundwater on the right bank, Daugava river water on most of the left bank. We did not find in the company's materials which source supplies the island, so we assume nothing about your tap water.
Sources: the Rīgas ūdens contract performance report for 2025, approved 23.03.2026; its page “Water abstraction” (rigasudens.lv). Checked 03.11.2026.
Testing before buying or renovating a house
The water system of a historic wooden house has often been changed several times, and the pipes inside walls or under floors are not always visible. A tap sample shows what the house's internal plumbing adds to the water. That is why, before a purchase or a major renovation, we suggest this order:
- Source We find out whether the house takes water from the city network, from its own well or from both, and whether the two systems are connected.
- Parameters For city water, basic chemistry is enough: iron, manganese, hardness, pH, electrical conductivity. For a well or borehole we add microbiology, nitrates and ammonium.
- Sample We take it from the tap you will drink from, in laboratory bottles, and deliver it to an accredited laboratory within the time the laboratory sets.
- Explanation We tell you whether the result calls for a filter, new pipes or nothing at all. In a renovation, plan the pipe replacement before choosing a filter.
If the seller has earlier test results, attach them to your request. More about the test packages: water testing.
How to read a city water result in an old house
A city water result is worth comparing with two figures: the reference value in Cabinet Regulation No. 547 on drinking water and the city average published by Rīgas ūdens. If a parameter at your tap is clearly higher than the city average, the cause is most likely in the house, not in the network.
| Parameter at the tap | City average in 2025 | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Iron above 200 µg/l | 0.11 mg/l (110 µg/l) | Rust from the house pipes; the fix is new pipes, a filter only until they are replaced |
| Manganese above 50 µg/l | 0.02 mg/l | Unusual for city water; we repeat the sample and look for the cause |
| Hardness around 1.8 mmol/l | 1.82 mmol/l | Matches city water; a water softener is a choice, not a necessity |
Sources: the Rīgas ūdens average water quality parameters for 2025 (rigasudens.lv, PDF “RŪ mājas lapai 2025”); Cabinet Regulation No. 547 of 26.09.2023, Annex 1 (likumi.lv/ta/id/345861). The city average is not a measurement taken in Ķīpsala. Checked 03.11.2026.
In the new apartment buildings
In a new flat, a filter is easiest to fit while the kitchen is still being installed: space in a cabinet for a reverse osmosis filter, a connection to the sink trap and a separate small tap at the sink. For the flat's whole system, a mechanical filter at the inlet is usually enough; it protects mixer taps and household appliances from particles. Before choosing, we suggest a basic test, so the filter matches your actual water rather than a general assumption.
If there is an old well by a detached house
In Ķīpsala you have to reckon with the Daugava bank, low-lying ground and wind. If there is an old dug well (concrete-ring well) by the house that you use for the garden or other needs, bear in mind that high water can flood it. Afterwards we clean and disinfect the well, and before using the water for drinking in any way we recommend the full test.
The laboratory compares a well water result with the values in Cabinet Regulation No. 547, for example E. coli and coliforms 0, nitrates 50 mg/l. The regulation is not mandatory for a single-household well, but it is the best yardstick. If you use the well only for the garden, its pipes must not be connected to the house plumbing that is connected to the city network.
Cabinet Regulation No. 547 of 26.09.2023, Annex 1 and sub-point 4.5 (likumi.lv/ta/id/345861); Riga City Council binding regulations No. 17, point 63.6 (likumi.lv/ta/id/296134). Checked 03.11.2026.
Access to the island
You reach Ķīpsala via the Vanšu Bridge and Ķīpsalas iela: quick, but traffic concentrates here, especially on exhibition and event days. Taking a sample needs only access to a tap, but for well cleaning or installing a filter column, say in your request where we can park by the house.
Jobs and prices in Ķīpsala
- Water testing in Ķīpsala: basic chemistry from €35, with microbiology from €95.
- Water treatment in Ķīpsala: reverse osmosis from €250, a water softener or iron removal from €600.
- Well cleaning: from €150 with disinfection.
- Well disinfection after high water.
There is no call-out fee in Riga. All prices: prices.