EPA Recommends Annual Well Testing

The EPA recommends well owners to test their water annually for total coliform, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH and any other suspected contaminants. The EPA also recommends testing after any service to your well or if you notice any change in your water quality.¹

Keeping this in mind, be aware that as a private well owner it is unlikely that you have a third party regularly checking your water quality as do Public Water Supplies. Therefore, it is your responsibility to maintain your well and test your water regularly.¹

How do you know when to test your water and what you should be testing for? Various factors can affect ground water quality including the geology of your area, land use and well construction. While the contaminants listed above can serve as indicators of water quality, there are many other contaminants that may be impacting your water quality that can only be determined by testing your water for them.

If you are unfamiliar with potential sources of contamination in your area you may also want to consult will your local health officials. The section Ground Water Contamination – Natural and Man Made further describes variables that affect ground water quality including natural impurities and human activity.

1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2002, Drinking Water from Household Wells: EPA 816-K-02-003.