Quick answer
Private wells aren’t regulated under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act or by most states (EPA), so help comes mostly from state and county programs. Start with three places: EPA’s directory of state lab certification programs, your state’s private well program, and your county health department.
On this page
1. Find a state-certified lab
EPA keeps a directory of state drinking water lab certification programs and certified laboratories. Pick your state to find its certification office and, in most cases, its list of certified labs.
Other ways to find a lab:
- Your county health department. EPA notes that county health departments often help with bacteria or nitrate testing (EPA fact sheet).
- The Safe Drinking Water Hotline: 800-426-4791 (EPA fact sheet).
- Your state’s own lab search. For example, the Minnesota Department of Health tells well owners to use an accredited lab, or to ask whether their county offers well testing (MDH).
- Land-grant university labs. Penn State’s Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory is accredited by Pennsylvania DEP for drinking water analysis, and its kits are available at many county extension offices (Penn State AASL).
Mail-in services such as Tap Score: Essential well water test → are another option for routine testing. If a state rule requires a certified or accredited lab (for example, for a home sale), confirm that the lab you use holds that certification in your state.
More: Tap Score vs a state-certified lab · What to test your well water for
2. Find your state’s private well program
EPA’s State Program Directory links to each state’s private well pages. EPA notes that while most states have zero or limited regulations for private wells, states do have programs to help well owners.
Things your state or county program may be able to tell you:
- Which contaminants are common in your area (for example arsenic, uranium, nitrate or PFAS)
- Whether your county offers testing, and at what price
- How to read your results and what to do about a high reading
- Whether permits or licensed contractors are required for well work
- Whether any grant or loan programs are available
3. Testing and disclosure rules when a home is sold
There’s no federal rule for testing private wells at a home sale. A few states have their own rules. These three were confirmed on each agency’s site:
| State | What the rule requires | Source |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | Under the Private Well Testing Act, contracts of sale for property served by a private well must make testing a condition of the sale. Required tests include total coliform (and E. coli if coliform is positive), nitrate, iron, manganese, pH, VOCs with MCLs, lead, arsenic, gross alpha, three synthetic organic compounds, and PFNA, PFOA and PFOS (since December 1, 2021). Mercury or uranium are added in listed counties. Samples must be collected by a New Jersey certified lab or its authorized representative. Results are valid for one year (six months for coliform). Landlords must test at least once every five years. | N.J.A.C. 7:9E (NJDEP) |
| Oregon | Under the Domestic Well Testing Act, the seller must test for arsenic, nitrate and total coliform bacteria at an accredited lab. Results are valid for one year. The seller has 90 days to send results to the buyer, and “the results plus a Real Estate Transaction (RET) form to the Oregon Health Authority.” Springs, irrigation-only wells and wells on undeveloped land are exempt. | Oregon Health Authority |
| Minnesota | The state doesn’t require testing or well inspection at property transfer. Sellers must disclose all known wells and their status, and a Well Disclosure Certificate (with a $54 county recorder fee) is filed when there are wells. Dakota County has a local ordinance requiring testing at transfer, and MDH notes that many lenders may require coliform and nitrate tests. | MDH: Wells at Property Transfer, MDH certificate form |
Minnesota’s Dakota County shows that counties can set their own rules. Ask your county health department and your real estate agent what applies to your property.
More: How often to test well water (including before buying) · How to read your test results
4. Help paying for well repairs, replacement or treatment
USDA Section 504 Home Repair program (nationwide, rural areas). USDA Rural Development offers loans to low- and very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve or modernize their homes, and grants to very-low-income homeowners aged 62 or older to remove health and safety hazards. The maximum loan is $40,000 at a fixed 1% for 20 years. The maximum grant is $10,000, and the two can be combined up to $50,000. Income limits and rural-area eligibility apply. Apply through your local Rural Development office (USDA RD).
Wisconsin Well Compensation Grant (Wisconsin only). This grant helps eligible landowners and renters replace, reconstruct or treat a contaminated private well. Family income can’t exceed $65,000 for the prior year. The program pays 75% of eligible costs up to $16,000, for a maximum grant of $12,000. Eligible costs include the water tests that show contamination. Work done before DNR approves the grant isn’t reimbursed. Wisconsin added PFAS-related assistance under 2025 Acts 200 and 201, and DNR says it is developing the application materials (Wisconsin DNR).
Other states. Some states and counties run their own cost-share or grant programs. Ask your state private well program (see section 2) or county health department what’s available before you start work, since some programs won’t pay for work done before approval.
Questions to ask your health department
- Which tests do you recommend for wells in my area, and how often?
- Do you offer testing, or can you recommend a certified lab?
- My result is above a limit. What should my household do right now?
- Are there grant, loan or cost-share programs for well repair or treatment?
- Do I need a permit or a licensed contractor for this well work?
Sources
- EPA, Private Drinking Water Wells: https://www.epa.gov/privatewells
- EPA, Private Drinking Water Well Programs in Your State: https://www.epa.gov/privatewells/private-drinking-water-well-programs-your-state
- EPA, Certification programs and certified laboratories for drinking water: https://www.epa.gov/dwlabcert/contact-information-certification-programs-and-certified-laboratories-drinking-water
- EPA, Home Water Testing fact sheet (EPA 816-F-05-013): https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-05/documents/epa816f05013.pdf
- Minnesota Department of Health, Owner’s Guide to Wells: https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/wells/waterquality/test.html
- Minnesota Department of Health, What You Should Know About Wells at Property Transfer: https://www.health.mn.gov/communities/environment/water/wells/disclosures/wellsatpropertytransfer.html
- Minnesota Department of Health, Well Disclosure Certificate Instructions and Form: https://www.health.mn.gov/communities/environment/water/docs/wells/disclosures/certificateform.pdf
- New Jersey DEP, Private Well Testing Act rules, N.J.A.C. 7:9E: https://dep.nj.gov/wp-content/uploads/rules/rules/njac7_9e.pdf
- Oregon Health Authority, Well Testing & Regulations: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/healthyenvironments/drinkingwater/sourcewater/domesticwellsafety/pages/testing-regulations.aspx
- Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Lab, Drinking Water Testing: https://agsci.psu.edu/aasl/water-testing/drinking-water-testing
- USDA Rural Development, Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-repair-loans-grants
- Wisconsin DNR, Well Compensation Grant Program: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/aid/WellCompensation.html
Start here: Private well water testing: the complete guide