Well water testing in Pennsylvania
Nobody tests a private well unless the owner does. In Pennsylvania, the public record says to start with total coliform, nitrate, PFOA, 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
- 1Total coliform44% of 22,730 local wells tested were above the EPA limit.
- 2Nitrate26% of 19,172 local samples were above the limit.
- 3PFOA14% of 86 local samples were above the limit.
- 4Radium (226 + 228)13% of 814 local samples were above the limit.
- 5PFOS13% of 86 local samples were above the limit.
Test your Pennsylvania well for total coliform, nitrate and PFOA
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 Program from PA DEP lists every lab certified for drinking water in Pennsylvania. Call ahead: some take walk-in samples, some ship bottles.
Penn State's Agricultural Analytical Services Lab sells drinking water test kits through county extension offices, from the Standard package at $60.00 (total coliform, E. coli, pH, total dissolved solids) up to the Extensive package at $220.00, with packages for agriculture/septic, mining, gas drilling, and trace metals in between. Details from the state
Free or low-cost testing: The Pennsylvania Department of Health partners with Penn State Extension to offer free water testing to private well, spring, and cistern users who register for and attend a periodic one-hour educational workshop, testing for bacteria, pH, nitrate, manganese, lead, copper, barium, sodium, and arsenic. How to get it
For questions about your well, Private Wells at PA DEP 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.
| County | Test first for | Over the limit |
|---|---|---|
| Greene County | Total coliform | 75% |
| Clearfield County | Total coliform | 71% |
| Armstrong County | Total coliform | 70% |
| Cameron County | Total coliform | 69% |
| Washington County | Total coliform | 68% |
| Jefferson County | Total coliform | 63% |
| Forest County | Total coliform | 62% |
| Fayette County | Total coliform | 60% |
| Elk County | Total coliform | 59% |
| McKean County | Total coliform | 58% |
| Indiana County | Total coliform | 56% |
| Cambria County | Total coliform | 55% |
| Allegheny County | Total coliform | 55% |
| Westmoreland County | Total coliform | 54% |
| Fulton County | Total coliform | 53% |
| Clarion County | Total coliform | 53% |
| Venango County | Total coliform | 53% |
| Beaver County | Total coliform | 52% |
| Schuylkill County | Total coliform | 52% |
| Erie County | Total coliform | 52% |
| Snyder County | Total coliform | 51% |
| Clinton County | Total coliform | 51% |
| Potter County | Total coliform | 49% |
| Adams County | Total coliform | 49% |
| Tioga County | Total coliform | 49% |
| Bradford County | Total coliform | 48% |
| Bedford County | Total coliform | 47% |
| Juniata County | Total coliform | 47% |
| Somerset County | Total coliform | 47% |
| Northampton County | Total coliform | 46% |
| York County | Total coliform | 46% |
| Northumberland County | Total coliform | 46% |
| Columbia County | Total coliform | 45% |
| Huntingdon County | Total coliform | 45% |
| Butler County | Total coliform | 45% |
| Crawford County | Total coliform | 44% |
| Perry County | Total coliform | 44% |
| Lycoming County | Total coliform | 44% |
| Montour County | Total coliform | 44% |
| Mercer County | Total coliform | 43% |
| Centre County | Total coliform | 43% |
| Mifflin County | Total coliform | 43% |
| Warren County | Total coliform | 42% |
| Cumberland County | Total coliform | 42% |
| Lancaster County | Total coliform | 42% |
| Wyoming County | Total coliform | 41% |
| Dauphin County | Total coliform | 40% |
| Franklin County | Total coliform | 40% |
| Berks County | Total coliform | 40% |
| Susquehanna County | Total coliform | 40% |
| Union County | Total coliform | 39% |
| Luzerne County | Total coliform | 38% |
| Sullivan County | Total coliform | 38% |
| Philadelphia County | Total coliform | 37% |
| Lebanon County | Total coliform | 36% |
| Montgomery County | Total coliform | 36% |
| Blair County | Total coliform | 34% |
| Lehigh County | Total coliform | 34% |
| Monroe County | Total coliform | 33% |
| Lackawanna County | Total coliform | 33% |
| Lawrence County | Total coliform | 33% |
| Bucks County | Total coliform | 32% |
| Delaware County | Total coliform | 32% |
| Chester County | Total coliform | 29% |
| Carbon County | Total coliform | 29% |
| Wayne County | Total coliform | 28% |
| Pike County | Total coliform | 25% |
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 Pennsylvania
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.
Common questions
What should I test my well for in Pennsylvania?
Start with total coliform, nitrate, PFOA. 44% of 22,730 local wells tested were above the EPA limit. Add total coliform bacteria and nitrate every year for any private well.
Where can I get my well water tested in Pennsylvania?
Use a lab certified for drinking water. PA DEP 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 Pennsylvania?
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). Penn State's Agricultural Analytical Services Lab sells drinking water test kits through county extension offices, from the Standard package at $60.00 (total coliform, E. coli, pH, total dissolved solids) up to the Extensive package at $220.00, with packages for agriculture/septic, mining, gas drilling, and trace metals in between.
Is there free well water testing in Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania Department of Health partners with Penn State Extension to offer free water testing to private well, spring, and cistern users who register for and attend a periodic one-hour educational workshop, testing for bacteria, pH, nitrate, manganese, lead, copper, barium, sodium, and arsenic.
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.