Drinking Water
Well water can have contaminants that we cannot smell, taste, or see. The only way to know if your well is contaminated is through testing! There are a few essential tests that should be performed routinely on every private well. You may decide to test more often if your previous results were unsafe.
Recommended Testing
There are a few essential tests that should be performed routinely on every private well:
- Bacteria: once a year and when you notice a change in taste, color or smell.
- Nitrate: once a year and before the well will be used by a woman who is or may become pregnant.
- Arsenic: every well should be tested once. Sample yearly if arsenic was present in previous tests.
For more information, see Drinking Water Tests for Private Wells [PDF].
The Health Department can test your well water! Test kits can be picked up at the Health Department Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm. The kit contains the bottles, testing instructions, and a Private Well Water Test Request Form. We accept returned samples Monday-Thursday from 8:00am-4:00pm. No samples will be accepted on holidays or Fridays because samples cannot be analyzed over the weekend.
Prices:
- Bacteria: $30 and will be analyzed in-house
- Nitrate: $30 and will be sent to UW-Oshkosh for testing
- La Crosse County Health Department
- If you would like to test your water here, the Monroe County Health Departments has bottles you can pick-up! They test for arsenic, bacteria, metals, lead, and nitrate.
- UW- Stevens Point: You can get water testing kits mailed to you from UW- Stevens Point. After you take a water sample, you mail it back to UW-Stevens Point. If you are unsure of what to test for, their lab offers a “Basic Homeowner” kit.
- Vernon County Health Department
A TNC system is a public water system. It serves 25 or more people at least 60 days of the year. Examples include campgrounds, motels, factories, and daycare centers. The health department is required to test these systems annually. If you have questions, or think you may own a TNC system, contact the health department today!
- What are PFAS?
- Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of human-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1950s. Learn more here.
- Why are PFAS a concern?
- Recent findings indicate that exposure to certain PFAS may have harmful health effects in people, such as infertility, low birth weight, developmental delays, and thyroid and hearing issues.
- How do I get my well tested?
- Homeowners are responsible for testing their well. Click here to view the full list of certified laboratories.