Water Sample Testing

Hello All! In the past, some of you have asked about water sample testing for your home. I am waiting to hear back from Professor Falkinham, who is a MAC researcher at Va Tech. Something tells me that he is going to say not to waste our $$$ because mycobacteriums are everywhere; and to take our precautions as if we all have it in our home's water. i.e. boiling drinking water, soak showerheads, etc.But, you never know what he might say until I hear back.
I did contact the CDC, they DO NOT test water for individuals. They referred me to a lab. I called that lab and asked questions. This is what I learned. You have to go to their web site http://www.specialpathegenslab.com and fill out an application and a chain of command form. The cost of a mycobacterium test costs $150.00. I believe they test for a number of mac species, but I'd ask for specific ones for sure. I will look into that exactly with an e-mail to them. The woman I spoke to didn't seem to know much about that part, she was basically a receptionist. It costs $30.00 to do an a. pseudomonas test. The cost difference is due to the fact that mycobacteriums are slow growing and they have to baby-sit that sample for weeks. Whereas pseudomonas grows faster and takes very little medium to grow it. I did more reading on pseudomonas because that is the last infection I had. It is found in water and soil, especially pond water. But, it is MOSTLY found on the surfaces of plants and sometimes on the coats of animals. I had given up digging in the garden and was mainly sticking to the pruning of our bushes. I think I will forego that also. (sad face). I was thinking that those of us with the 'pink slime' might want to verify that what we have is indeed Methylobactrium; because that would mean we have no others in our pipes. I will inquire to see if that one falls under the 'mycobacterium' umbrella or if we can have it individually tested for $30.00.