Guides · Wells
First Water Tests for a Private Well
Which panels to order first, how to take a sample that means something, and how the results pick your treatment order.
A private well has no CCR
Public utilities publish a Consumer Confidence Report every year. A private well has no such obligation, so testing is the only source of truth — and it belongs to you, not to a salesperson standing in your kitchen.
Test before you buy treatment. A softener is not a fix for nitrate, and a carbon pitcher is not a fix for arsenic.
The first panel
Start with total coliform and E. coli (bacteria), nitrate, arsenic, lead, pH, hardness, and iron and manganese. These cover the most common health and nuisance issues and cost far less together than one emergency.
Add radon, uranium, or gross alpha if your region is known for them, and PFAS if you are near a known contamination site or a military airfield.
Use a certified lab, not a strip test, for the health parameters. Strips are useful later for tracking a trend, not for making a first decision.
Taking a sample that means something
Follow the lab's instructions exactly: usually a first-draw sample for lead, a flushed sample for most others, and a sterile bottle for bacteria.
Do not sample through an existing filter — that measures your filter, not your well. Pull the sample from an unfiltered tap.
Take the sample after a period of normal use, not the morning after a week away, unless bacteria is the specific question.
Turning results into a treatment order
Think in a train, not a single box: sediment pre-filter first to protect what follows, then the treatment that matches your health numbers, then optional polishing.
Hardness and iron are usually addressed at the point of entry, ahead of any drinking-water filter, because they foul cartridges downstream.
Bacteria are addressed by disinfection (shock chlorination, UV) — never by a carbon cartridge.
Health contaminants at the tap — lead, arsenic, nitrate, PFAS — are most economically handled at the point of use, at the kitchen tap, rather than treating the whole house.
How often to retest
Bacteria and nitrate: annually. Arsenic, lead, and the full panel: every three to five years, or sooner after any plumbing change.
Retest immediately after flooding, after any work on the wellhead or pressure tank, and any time the water changes color, smell, or taste.
Keep every report in one folder. Trends over years are more informative than a single snapshot.
FAQ
Quick answers
+Can I use a cheap test strip for nitrate on a well?
Use strips for monitoring a trend you already understand. For a first nitrate result, use a certified lab — nitrate is a health parameter with a legal limit, and strips have wide error bands.
+Should I shock-chlorinate before testing?
No. Disinfect first, then wait and retest — a sample taken right after shocking will not tell you whether the well is actually clear.
+The well tested clean five years ago — do I need to retest?
Yes. Wells change with drought, flooding, nearby land use, and plumbing work. A five-year-old result describes the past, not the water in the glass today.