Your well was required to be tested when it was first installed, but what about after that? You are the owner of your water system, and it is your responsibility to protect your drinking water quality and the groundwater source.
Standard water quality concerns for private wells include coliform bacteria, nitrate, nitrite, fluoride, chloride, sulfate, sodium, hardness, and metals like aluminum, antimony, arsenic, boron, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, iron, manganese, mercury, selenium, uranium, and zinc.
These health departments have onsite testing capabilities. If you do not live in or near one of these counties, you can request a test through the EGLE Laboratory.
A general rule to follow is if you get a bill for your water, you are likely on a community water supply. EGLE provides more information about common water supplies on our website. If you determine that your water is supplied by a public water supply, we recommend that you contact your local water supplier. They are required to analyze the water and maintain a standard of quality that is available to all users.
EGLE recommends that you contact your local health department if you have specific questions about your results and recommendations for any actions you should take in caring for your well and your water source. Another resource that you may use to understand your results is the Be Well Informed online tool.
Find well records using an interactive map.
Launch the interactive map View the user guideBrandon Morrill, EGLE-DWEHD-WellTesting@Michigan.gov, 989-619-4494
