Well Water Nerd

Well water testing in Michigan

Nobody tests a private well unless the owner does. In Michigan, the public record says to start with arsenic, lead, radium (226 + 228), then bacteria and nitrate 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
    Arsenic
    19% of 1,628 local samples were above the limit.
  2. 2
    Lead
    5% of 1,009 local samples were above the limit.
  3. 3
    Radium (226 + 228)
    3% of 262 local samples were above the limit.
  4. 4
    Nitrate
    3% of 4,184 local samples were above the limit.
  5. 5
    Copper
    <1% of 1,015 local samples were above the limit.

Test your Michigan well for arsenic, lead and radium (226 + 228)

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. Laboratory certification program from Michigan EGLE lists every lab certified for drinking water in Michigan. Call ahead: some take walk-in samples, some ship bottles.

The EGLE Drinking Water Laboratory tests private well water for residents on a fee basis, with the schedule effective October 1, 2026 listing total coliform and E. coli at $23 and a partial chemistry panel (calcium, chloride, fluoride, hardness, iron, magnesium, nitrate, nitrite, sodium, and sulfate) at $66 plus a $13 sample preparation fee. Details from the state

For questions about your well, Private Residential Water Well Testing at Michigan EGLE 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
Lapeer CountyArsenic75%
Huron CountyArsenic58%
Oakland CountyArsenic52%
Kent CountyPFOA26%
Washtenaw CountyArsenic22%
Van Buren CountyArsenic19%
Grand Traverse CountyLead18%
Livingston CountyNitrate15%
Kalamazoo CountyNitrate12%
Dickinson CountyNitrate11%
Hillsdale CountyNitrate11%
Branch CountyNitrate9%
Marquette CountyArsenic7%
Saginaw CountyArsenic7%
Sanilac CountyNitrate5%
Ingham CountyArsenic5%
Bay CountyArsenic3%
Leelanau CountyNitrate3%
Iron CountyNitrate3%
Delta CountyNitrate3%
Iosco CountyNitrate2%
Lenawee CountyNitrate2%
Oceana CountyNitrate1%
Alger CountyNitrate0%
Antrim CountyNitrate0%
Baraga CountyNitrate0%
Chippewa CountyNitrate0%
Clinton CountyFluoride0%
Eaton CountyFluoride0%
Genesee CountyFluoride0%
Jackson CountyFluoride0%
Menominee CountyNitrate0%
Midland CountyNitrate0%
Monroe CountyCopper0%
Muskegon CountyNitrate0%
St. Clair 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 Michigan

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 Michigan?

Start with arsenic, lead, radium (226 + 228). 19% of 1,628 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 Michigan?

Use a lab certified for drinking water. Michigan EGLE 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 Michigan?

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 EGLE Drinking Water Laboratory tests private well water for residents on a fee basis, with the schedule effective October 1, 2026 listing total coliform and E. coli at $23 and a partial chemistry panel (calcium, chloride, fluoride, hardness, iron, magnesium, nitrate, nitrite, sodium, and sulfate) at $66 plus a $13 sample preparation fee.

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.