How often should you test your well water quality?

This task protects people, not just the house. Do it on a schedule to make sure it gets done.

Staying on schedule matters beyond the repair bill: a consistent maintenance record is one of the factors in a home's Roots Home Health Score, and well-kept homes typically sell faster and closer to asking price.

How to do it

A private well has no municipal treatment behind it, so its safety is entirely on the owner. Bacteria, nitrates, and other contaminants are invisible and tasteless; annual testing is the only way to know the water is safe.

1. Get a test kit from your county health department or a certified lab, or hire a water-testing service.
2. Test at minimum for coliform bacteria and nitrates every year, following the kit's sampling steps exactly.
3. Add tests for local concerns (arsenic, radon, lead, pesticides) based on your area's known risks.
4. Keep results year over year and act on anything above the limits.

Alternatives & optional extras

• Test right after any flooding, well work, or a noticeable change in taste, smell, or color.
• A whole-house treatment system doesn't remove the need to test; it's what confirms the system is working.

Time: 20 minutes · Typical cost: $20–$150 depending on the panel of tests

What you'll need

• Home well water test kit

If you skip it

Bacteria and nitrates in well water are undetectable by taste or sight, and annual testing is the only safeguard for the household drinking it.

Other well water system maintenance

• Inspect well pressure tank and pump — once a year

Related systems to keep on schedule

• Sump pump — start with: test sump pump operation, every 3 months
• Water softener — start with: check and refill water softener salt, once a month
• Water filtration system — start with: replace water filtration cartridges, every 6 months
• Septic system — start with: pump septic tank, every 3 years