Developed by UF/IFAS Extension regional specialized water resources agents Yilin Zhuang and Andrea Albertin

If you obtain drinking water from your own well, you alone are responsible for assuring that it is safe. For this reason, routine testing for a few of the most common contaminants is highly recommended. Even if you currently have a safe water supply, regular testing can be valuable because it establishes a record of your well water quality.

Florida Department of Health recommends testing your private well water annually for coliform bacteria, nitrate, lead, and pH. You may want to test more frequently if small children or elderly adults live in your house or if someone in your house is pregnant or nursing.

While these are the most common threats to your drinking water, your water well may also be susceptible to other contaminants. Depending on past and present land use activities or other sources of contamination in your area, additional water tests may be needed.

You can contact your local health department to find out what contaminants may be common in your area.

Private well users are suggested to test their drinking water by a certified laboratory. You can find the list of laboratories accredited by the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program in Florida via the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s website

Contact your local Extension office for more private well maintenance tips.

A downloadable, pre-recorded PSA is available here.

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