Well water
Nobody tests a private well for you. These guides cover what the public health agencies recommend testing, how to read the results, and what to do when the water smells, stains or tests positive.
Testing and results
My well tested positive for coliform bacteria. What now?
A positive coliform test means germs may be getting into your well. What it means, what to drink meanwhile, how to disinfect, find the source, and E. coli.
Testing and resultsWell water testing: what to test for, how often, and what it costs
Test a private well every year for coliform bacteria, nitrate, pH and TDS, plus extra tests for your situation. What labs charge and what the results mean.
Disinfection
Smell, color and taste
Cloudy, milky or sandy well water: causes and what to do
Milky water that clears in seconds is usually air. Grit that settles is sand or silt from the well. How to tell them apart and when to call a well contractor.
Smell, color and tasteOrange, brown or black stains from well water: iron and manganese
Rust-colored stains point to iron, black ones to manganese. How to confirm it, when manganese matters for health, and which treatment fits your levels.
Smell, color and tasteWhy does my well water smell like rotten eggs?
A rotten egg smell in well water comes from hydrogen sulfide. Find where it starts, from the water heater to the well, and which fix works at each level.
Tools for this
- Well water test planner Tick what applies to your home and get the tests public health agencies suggest, and why. You enterYour situation, nearby land use, plumbing Open the tool
- Well shock chlorination calculator How much plain bleach to use for your well’s size, water depth and bleach strength. You enterCasing diameter, water depth, bleach % Open the tool
- Water softener size calculator Turn your hardness test into grains per day and see how often each softener size would regenerate. You enterHardness, people, water use Open the tool