Well Water Nerd

Well water testing in Oklahoma

Nobody tests a private well unless the owner does. In Oklahoma, 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
    35% of 10,968 local samples were above the limit.
  2. 2
    Arsenic
    16% of 2,892 local samples were above the limit.
  3. 3
    Uranium
    8% of 1,135 local samples were above the limit.
  4. 4
    Lead
    3% of 1,636 local samples were above the limit.
  5. 5
    Fluoride
    3% of 2,932 local samples were above the limit.

Test your Oklahoma 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.

A local certified lab is the second route. Laboratory Accreditation from Oklahoma DEQ lists every lab certified for drinking water in Oklahoma. Call ahead: some take walk-in samples, some ship bottles.

The Oklahoma DEQ State Environmental Laboratory Services Division tests private well water for residents, and its fee schedule lists a Private Well Annual Test List (total coliforms and E. coli, nitrate/nitrite, pH, conductivity) at 75.00 and a Private Well Diagnostics Test List (adding calcium, copper, iron, manganese, sodium, hardness) at 175.00. Details from the state

For questions about your well, Technical Assistance (private citizen well water testing) at Oklahoma DEQ 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
Major CountyNitrate69%
Harper CountyNitrate69%
Kingfisher CountyNitrate58%
Comanche CountyFluoride58%
Alfalfa CountyNitrate57%
Garfield CountyNitrate51%
Grady CountyNitrate49%
Cleveland CountyArsenic46%
Woods CountyNitrate44%
Blaine CountyNitrate42%
Caddo CountyNitrate41%
Custer CountyNitrate40%
Beckham CountyNitrate39%
Texas CountyNitrate37%
Grant CountyNitrate36%
Logan CountyNitrate33%
Pontotoc CountyNitrate31%
Ellis CountyNitrate30%
Woodward CountyNitrate29%
Beaver CountyNitrate28%
Greer CountyNitrate28%
Kiowa CountyNitrate25%
Oklahoma CountyArsenic18%
Washita CountyNitrate17%
Harmon CountyNitrate16%
Lincoln CountyUranium15%
Pottawatomie CountyNitrate15%
McIntosh CountyNitrate14%
Osage CountyNitrate13%
McCurtain CountyNitrate11%
Jackson CountyFluoride11%
Craig CountyFluoride10%
Johnston CountyNitrate10%
Ottawa CountyFluoride9%
Murray CountyNitrate9%
Cimarron CountyNitrate7%
Delaware CountyNitrate7%
Canadian CountyArsenic3%
Seminole CountyFluoride2%
McClain CountyUranium2%
Creek CountyFluoride0%
Haskell CountyLead0%

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 Oklahoma

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 Oklahoma?

Start with nitrate, arsenic, uranium. 35% of 10,968 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 Oklahoma?

Use a lab certified for drinking water. Oklahoma DEQ 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 Oklahoma?

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 Oklahoma DEQ State Environmental Laboratory Services Division tests private well water for residents, and its fee schedule lists a Private Well Annual Test List (total coliforms and E. coli, nitrate/nitrite, pH, conductivity) at 75.00 and a Private Well Diagnostics Test List (adding calcium, copper, iron, manganese, sodium, hardness) at 175.00.

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.