Testing your well water
No agency tests a private well for you. In Oklahoma the owner is responsible for monitoring water quality (OSU Extension: Drinking Water Testing).
Every year
OSU Extension says to test at least yearly for nitrates, total dissolved solids, pH and fecal coliform (E. coli) (OSU Extension: Well Water Basics). DEQ recommends a yearly coliform test, especially for shallow, old or substandard wells, or wells near a septic drainfield or barnyard (OSU Extension: Drinking Water Testing).
Test again when
- Color, taste or odor changes, or after flooding
- The pump or well has been worked on
- Someone in the home becomes pregnant, or children move in (OSU Extension: Well Water Basics)
Limits worth knowing
The EPA limit for nitrate-nitrogen is 10 ppm, the one primary standard in OSU's table. Hardness, iron and sulfate are usually nuisance issues, not health issues (OSU Extension: Drinking Water Testing). Most lenders require a water test before approving a loan on a home with a well (OSU Extension: Drinking Water Testing).
Where to test
- County Extension offices can send a sample to OSU's lab for about $18; that test does not cover bacteria (Oklahoma Well Owner Network (OSU)).
- For bacteria or a certified result, use the DEQ lab or a DEQ-certified lab (OSU Extension: Well Water Basics).
- OSU's Oklahoma Well Owner Network holds free screening events; ask your county Extension office (Oklahoma Well Owner Network (OSU)).