On a Private Well? Here's Your Testing Schedule
No federal rule monitors the 43 million Americans on private wells. The testing calendar that fills that gap.
City water arrives pre-tested under federal rules. A private well is entirely on you — the EPA's drinking water standards simply don't apply to it. That freedom comes with a calendar.
Every year, no exceptions
Test for total coliform bacteria and nitrates annually — the two contaminants that change fastest and matter most. Nitrates are especially urgent in agricultural areas and for any household with a pregnancy or an infant. Many county health departments run these tests cheaply or free.
Every 3–5 years
Run a full panel: metals (arsenic, lead), pH, hardness, dissolved solids, and any local-risk contaminants (radon, uranium and PFAS in some regions — your health department knows the local list). Keep results; trends matter as much as levels.
Immediately after
- Flooding, or any time the wellhead was submerged
- Work on the well, pump or plumbing
- A new baby or pregnancy in the household (test nitrates + bacteria)
- Neighbors report problems, or nearby drilling/agricultural changes
- Any sudden change in taste, color or smell
If a test comes back bad: retest to confirm before spending on treatment, then match the fix to the finding — disinfection for bacteria, RO for nitrates/arsenic, softening only for hardness.
Averages describe states, not your faucet. A certified home water test screens for lead, nitrates, bacteria and dozens of other contaminants — the same categories EPA regulates.
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