Start with your reason

Annual check: Ask about a baseline panel and local concerns.

Taste, color, or smell changed: Describe when and where it happens.

Home purchase or flood: Ask the health department about timing and required procedures.

The field route

  1. Find a state-certified drinking-water laboratory.
  2. Explain your water source, location, and reason for testing.
  3. Follow its bottle, preservation, and delivery instructions.
  4. Keep the report, units, and sample location together.
Follow the sampling guide

Sources and limitations

What this page cannot tell you: Symptoms, general guidance, and regional reports cannot establish what is in an individual well. A partial test cannot establish that water is safe.

  1. CDC Guidelines for Testing Well Water
  2. EPA certified laboratory contacts
  3. EPA Private Wells

Last reviewed: September 7, 2026. See our sources and methodology.