When and Where Should I Have My Water Tested By a Certified Laboratory?

Where should I have my water tested?

Only use laboratories that are certified to do drinking water testing. To find a certified laboratory in your state, you can contact:

1. A State Certified Laboratory in your state. If you are unable to locate a lab through a referral from your nearby municipality, many state certification programs maintain a list of certified laboratories. Visit the United States Environmental Protection Agency website for a list of state programs here.

2. Your local health department, which may provide private well testing for free.

The following ideas will help you determine when you should test your private drinking water supply.

How frequently should I test?

You should test your water every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH levels. This is especially important if you have a new well or have replaced or repaired pipes, pumps, or the well casing.

Do you expect to have a new baby in the household?

If you are expecting a new baby, you should test for nitrate, before bringing them home, and again during the first six months of their life. It is best to test for nitrate during the spring or summer following a rainy period.

Do you have taste, odor and staining issues?

If you are experiencing taste, odor, or staining issues, it is recommended that you test for sulfate, chloride, iron, manganese, hardness, and corrosion. We also recommend testing for other contaminants if you suspect them.

Have you had a chemical or fuel spill or leak near your water supply?

If you’ve had a chemical or fuel spill or leak near your water supply, you should test your well for chemical contaminants, such as volatile organic compounds. While tests can be expensive, it’s important to only limit them to possible problems specific to your situation. Local experts can tell you about possible impurities in your area.

Is someone in your household pregnant or nursing an infant?

If you are pregnant or nursing, have unexplained illnesses in your family, or notice a change in your water’s taste, odor, color, or clarity, you may need to test your water more than once a year.

Please let us know if you need additional educational materials or other resources.

What Other Reasons Could Justify Having My Water Tested?

Conditions or Nearby Activities:	Test for:
Recurring gastro-intestinal illness	Coliform bacteria
Household plumbing or service lines that contain lead	pH, lead, copper
Radon in indoor air or region is radon rich	Radon
Corrosion of pipes, plumbing	Corrosion, pH, lead
Nearby areas of intensive agriculture	Nitrate, nitrite, pesticides, coliform bacteria
Coal or other mining operations nearby	Metals, pH, corrosion
Gas drilling operations nearby	Chloride, sodium, barium, strontium
Dump, junkyard, landfill, factory, gas station or dry-cleaning operation nearby	Volatile organic compounds, total dissolved solids, pH, sulfate, chloride, metals
Odor of gasoline or fuel oil, and near gas station or buried fuel tanks	Volatile organic compounds
Objectionable taste or smell	Hydrogen sulfide, corrosion, metals
Stained plumbing fixtures, laundry	Iron, copper, manganese
Salty taste and seawater, or a heavily salted roadway nearby	Chloride, total dissolved solids, sodium
Scaly residues, soaps don’t lather	Hardness
Rapid wear of water treatment equipment	pH, corrosion
Water softener needed to treat hardness	Manganese, iron
Water appears cloudy, frothy or colored	Color, detergents

See more information about Water Testing in general.

See more information about Collecting water samples.

Let your Complete Pure representative help you today toward making your water pure. Protect the health and safety of you and your family.