Private Well Guide explains private well water testing and treatment in plain English, with every health figure linked to the official source behind it.
Not medical advice. This site is general information. For decisions about your health or your family’s drinking water, test with a state-certified laboratory and talk to your state or local health department and your doctor. If a test shows E. coli or another urgent problem, stop drinking the water, use bottled water, and contact your health department now.
What we cover
- Testing basics: what to test a private well for, how often, and when to test again. See Testing Basics.
- Contaminants: coliform and E. coli, nitrates, arsenic, lead, PFAS, radon, and hard water, iron and manganese. See Contaminants.
- Kits and labs: what DIY kits, mail-in lab tests and state-certified labs are each good for. See Test Kits & Labs.
- Results and treatment: reading a test report and matching treatment options to what the test finds.
Who it’s for
Rural homeowners, people buying a home with a well, and anyone whose drinking water comes from a private well. These wells aren’t covered by the EPA’s public drinking water rules, so keeping the water safe is up to the owner.
How we research
- Official sources first. Health limits, testing schedules and safety steps come from the EPA, the CDC, the USGS, state health and environmental agencies, and university extension services. Each figure links to its source, and pages show the date we last checked.
- Manufacturer and certification data for products. Information about test kits and treatment systems comes from the maker’s published specs and manuals and from independent certification listings such as NSF/ANSI. We only describe a system as reducing a contaminant when a certification covers that contaminant, and we tell you to confirm the listing for the exact model.
- No first-hand claims. This site isn’t a laboratory. We don’t run water analyses and we don’t claim personal use of the kits, services or systems we describe.
- Kept current. Some rules, including PFAS and lead, are changing. Pages carry a “last checked” date and are revised when official guidance changes.
How affiliate links work
Some links on this site are, or may become, affiliate links. If you buy through one, the site may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Commissions never decide a recommendation, and we always point to free and public options, like your state-certified lab or health department, where they exist. Details, including which programs are active, are on the affiliate disclosure page.
What this site isn’t
Private Well Guide isn’t a laboratory, a government agency, a water-treatment dealer or a well contractor, and it doesn’t sell test kits or equipment. It isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by any brand it mentions; all trademarks belong to their owners. Content is not medical, engineering or professional advice. For well repairs, use a licensed well contractor.
Corrections
Found an outdated limit, a changed state program, a broken link or a mistake? Please tell us through the contact page, with the page URL and, if you can, the official source. Health-related corrections are reviewed first.