Well Water Nerd

Well water testing in Kansas

Nobody tests a private well unless the owner does. In Kansas, the public record says to start with nitrate, arsenic, uranium, 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
    Nitrate
    21% of 23,190 local samples were above the limit.
  2. 2
    Arsenic
    16% of 5,192 local samples were above the limit.
  3. 3
    Uranium
    3% of 315 local samples were above the limit.
  4. 4
    Radium (226 + 228)
    3% of 318 local samples were above the limit.
  5. 5
    E. coli
    2% of 2,128 local samples were above the limit.

Test your Kansas well for nitrate, arsenic and uranium

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.

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
Neosho CountyNitrate74%
Osage CountyNitrate73%
Anderson CountyNitrate70%
Brown CountyNitrate60%
Morris CountyNitrate58%
Kingman CountyNitrate56%
Russell CountyNitrate53%
Coffey CountyNitrate49%
Jewell CountyNitrate49%
Osborne CountyNitrate48%
Allen CountyNitrate48%
Nemaha CountyNitrate47%
Labette CountyNitrate46%
Smith CountyNitrate45%
Atchison CountyNitrate44%
Doniphan CountyNitrate43%
Mitchell CountyNitrate43%
Gray CountyNitrate42%
Dickinson CountyNitrate42%
Washington CountyNitrate40%
Jefferson CountyNitrate39%
Shawnee CountyNitrate39%
Chautauqua CountyNitrate39%
Rooks CountyNitrate39%
Phillips CountyArsenic38%
Marshall CountyNitrate36%
Franklin CountyNitrate36%
Thomas CountyNitrate36%
Lincoln CountyNitrate36%
Harper CountyNitrate35%
Barber CountyNitrate35%
Butler CountyNitrate34%
Lane CountyNitrate33%
Miami CountyNitrate33%
Ness CountyNitrate33%
Rawlins CountyNitrate33%
Ottawa CountyNitrate33%
Republic CountyNitrate32%
Greenwood CountyNitrate32%
Edwards CountyNitrate32%
Montgomery CountyNitrate31%
Sherman CountyNitrate30%
Cheyenne CountyNitrate29%
Pottawatomie CountyNitrate29%
Greeley CountyNitrate29%
Grant CountyNitrate29%
Harvey CountyArsenic28%
Cloud CountyNitrate28%
Logan CountyNitrate28%
McPherson CountyNitrate27%
Jackson CountyCopper27%
Stevens CountyNitrate26%
Sumner CountyNitrate26%
Kearny CountyNitrate26%
Chase CountyNitrate26%
Morton CountyNitrate26%
Reno CountyNitrate26%
Pratt CountyNitrate25%
Rice CountyNitrate25%
Kiowa CountyNitrate25%
Scott CountyNitrate25%
Finney CountyNitrate25%
Riley CountyNitrate24%
Wichita CountyNitrate23%
Seward CountyNitrate23%
Marion CountyNitrate23%
Wabaunsee CountyNitrate23%
Ellsworth CountyNitrate22%
Haskell CountyNitrate22%
Wallace CountyNitrate21%
Ford CountyNitrate21%
Ellis CountyNitrate21%
Gove CountyNitrate21%
Pawnee CountyNitrate20%
Cowley CountyNitrate20%
Sedgwick CountyNitrate20%
Norton CountyArsenic20%
Clay CountyNitrate19%
Stafford CountyNitrate18%
Hodgeman CountyNitrate18%
Sheridan CountyNitrate18%
Trego CountyNitrate17%
Barton CountyNitrate17%
Geary CountyNitrate17%
Lyon CountyArsenic16%
Graham CountyNitrate16%
Hamilton CountyNitrate16%
Johnson CountyNitrate15%
Douglas CountyNitrate14%
Leavenworth CountyNitrate13%
Clark CountyNitrate13%
Comanche CountyNitrate13%
Rush CountyNitrate13%
Linn CountyNitrate12%
Cherokee CountyLead11%
Stanton CountyNitrate11%
Saline CountyNitrate10%
Decatur CountyNitrate10%
Meade CountyNitrate9%
Wyandotte CountyNitrate8%
Elk CountyFluoride6%
Crawford CountyNitrate5%

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 Kansas

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 Kansas?

Start with nitrate, arsenic, uranium. 21% of 23,190 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 Kansas?

Use a lab certified for drinking water. A mail-in kit from a certified lab works anywhere in Kansas.

How much does well water testing cost in Kansas?

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).

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.