Well Water Nerd

Well water testing in Georgia

Nobody tests a private well unless the owner does. In Georgia, the public record says to start with PFOS, PFOA, nitrate, then bacteria every year. Below: what to order, where, what it costs, and the county-by-county results that set the order.

What to test for first

  1. 1
    PFOS
    33% of 12 local samples were above the limit.
  2. 2
    PFOA
    33% of 12 local samples were above the limit.
  3. 3
    Nitrate
    7% of 5,916 local samples were above the limit.
  4. 4
    E. coli
    7% of 137 local samples were above the limit.
  5. 5
    Arsenic
    3% of 1,431 local samples were above the limit.

Test your Georgia well for PFOS, PFOA and nitrate

Certified lab analysis of your own tap water, bottles and prepaid return shipping included. The Essential well panel covers arsenic, uranium, nitrate, lead, copper, manganese, iron, sodium and bacteria; radon and PFAS are add-ons.

Order the Tap Score well water test kit, from $209Already tested? Upload the report

Just want bacteria checked first? Tap Score coliform and E. coli test, $99. Coliform and E. coli are the tests every well needs every year.

Want a quick look before paying for a lab? Home well water test strips on Amazon check hardness, iron, pH and nitrate in minutes. They are a screen, not a result: arsenic, bacteria, uranium and PFAS need a certified lab.

Affiliate links: the merchant pays us a commission and the price is the same for you. It does not change what the data above says. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Where to get it tested

Three routes, and all of them work. A mail-in kit from a certified lab is the simplest: the lab ships bottles, you fill them at the kitchen tap, and results come back by email. The full panel above is $209.

A local certified lab is the second route. Drinking Water (certified laboratory lists) from Georgia EPD lists every lab certified for drinking water in Georgia. Call ahead: some take walk-in samples, some ship bottles.

The UGA Extension Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories test well water submitted through county Extension offices or directly, with posted fees of $20.00 for the W1 Basic Water Test (minerals and metals), $60.00 for the W2 Expanded Water Test, $12.00 for nitrate, and $40.00 for total coliform and E. coli. Details from the state

For questions about your well, Well Water at Georgia Department of Public Health is the official source.

Already have results? Get the lab report read line by line, $29.

Testing by county

The contaminant most often over its limit in each county's public record, highest share first. Open a county for the full test list and its towns.

CountyTest first forOver the limit
Tift CountyNitrate35%
Worth CountyNitrate35%
Turner CountyNitrate29%
Miller CountyNitrate23%
White CountyNitrate19%
Crisp CountyNitrate18%
Cook CountyNitrate16%
Lee CountyNitrate15%
Dougherty CountyNitrate15%
Mitchell CountyNitrate13%
Irwin CountyNitrate12%
Lowndes CountyArsenic11%
Glynn CountyArsenic11%
Early CountyNitrate10%
Decatur CountyNitrate10%
Camden CountyArsenic9%
Ware CountyFluoride7%
Sumter CountyNitrate7%
Cobb CountyLead4%
Chatham CountyNitrate4%
Screven CountyNitrate3%
Seminole CountyNitrate3%
Gwinnett CountyNitrate1%
Richmond CountyNitrate<1%
Baker CountyNitrate0%
Brooks CountyNitrate0%
Bryan CountyNitrate0%
Colquitt CountyFluoride0%
Columbia CountyFluoride0%
Houston CountyNitrate0%
Twiggs CountyNitrate0%
Wayne CountyNitrate0%
Wilkinson CountyNitrate0%

Closer than the county: see the sampled wells near your address.

Free, no obligation

Get on the list for a free in-home water test in Georgia

We are signing licensed water treatment companies county by county. They test at your tap for free, walk you through the numbers, and quote treatment only if something needs fixing. Nothing is shared until a company joins for your area, and you get an email naming it first.

What are you worried about?

The test is free and there is no obligation. No company is named yet; your details stay with us until one joins for your area, and we log the time and address of this request.

Common questions

What should I test my well for in Georgia?

Start with PFOS, PFOA, nitrate. 33% of 12 local samples were above the limit. Add total coliform bacteria and nitrate every year for any private well.

Where can I get my well water tested in Georgia?

Use a lab certified for drinking water. Georgia EPD keeps the list of certified labs. A mail-in kit from a certified lab works anywhere in the state.

How much does well water testing cost in Georgia?

A full mail-in panel from a certified lab costs $209 (Tap Score well water test kit). A bacteria-only test costs $99 (Tap Score coliform and E. coli test). The UGA Extension Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories test well water submitted through county Extension offices or directly, with posted fees of $20.00 for the W1 Basic Water Test (minerals and metals), $60.00 for the W2 Expanded Water Test, $12.00 for nitrate, and $40.00 for total coliform and E. coli.

How often should a private well be tested?

Bacteria and nitrate every year. A full panel once, then again after flooding, a change in taste, smell or color, work on the well, a new baby in the house, or a nearby result above the limit. Contaminants that come from the rock, like arsenic, radon and uranium, change slowly, so one good test and a check every few years is enough.