Well Water Nerd

Well water testing in West Virginia

Nobody tests a private well unless the owner does. In West Virginia, the public record says to start with PFOS, nitrate, E. coli, 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
    15% of 34 local samples were above the limit.
  2. 2
    Nitrate
    6% of 4,109 local samples were above the limit.
  3. 3
    E. coli
    5% of 536 local samples were above the limit.
  4. 4
    Arsenic
    5% of 703 local samples were above the limit.
  5. 5
    Lead
    1% of 805 local samples were above the limit.

Test your West Virginia well for PFOS, nitrate and E. coli

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. Water Quality Laboratories Certified in WV from WV OEHS lists every lab certified for drinking water in West Virginia. Call ahead: some take walk-in samples, some ship bottles.

West Virginia residents can request bacteriological testing of a private well, spring, or cistern by submitting the SW-253 Request for Water Analysis form to their local health department, with samples tested by the WV Office of Laboratory Services for a fee set locally and not posted on the page. Details from the state

For questions about your well, Individual Water Supplies at WV OEHS 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
Jefferson CountyNitrate24%
Berkeley CountyNitrate15%
Kanawha CountyArsenic9%
Mason CountyNitrate6%
Putnam CountyNitrate5%
Monongalia CountyNitrate4%
Marshall CountyNitrate3%
Hardy CountyNitrate3%
Preston CountyLead3%
Roane CountyFluoride3%
Summers CountyNitrate3%
Pocahontas CountyNitrate3%
Mineral CountyNitrate3%
Fayette CountyLead2%
Wayne CountyFluoride2%
Nicholas CountyNitrate2%
Greenbrier CountyNitrate2%
Webster CountyNitrate<1%
McDowell CountyNitrate<1%
Mingo CountyNitrate<1%
Boone CountyNitrate0%
Hampshire CountyFluoride0%
Jackson CountyNitrate0%
Lincoln CountyNitrate0%
Mercer CountyNitrate0%
Morgan CountyArsenic0%
Pendleton CountyNitrate0%
Raleigh CountyCopper0%
Randolph CountyFluoride0%
Tucker CountyFluoride0%
Tyler CountyNitrate0%
Wetzel CountyNitrate0%
Wyoming CountyFluoride0%

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 West Virginia

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 West Virginia?

Start with PFOS, nitrate, E. coli. 15% of 34 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 West Virginia?

Use a lab certified for drinking water. WV OEHS 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 West Virginia?

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). West Virginia residents can request bacteriological testing of a private well, spring, or cistern by submitting the SW-253 Request for Water Analysis form to their local health department, with samples tested by the WV Office of Laboratory Services for a fee set locally and not posted on the page.

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.