Well Water Testing in Spokane County: When and Why

The Washington Department of Health recommends testing private well water every year for coliform bacteria and nitrate, and also when you notice a change in taste, color or smell, after flooding, and after you replace any part of your well system. Your county health department can tell you how and where to have it tested.

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What well water testing involves

Water from a private well is not checked by a utility, so testing is how an owner finds out what is in it. The Washington Department of Health names two things to test for every year: coliform bacteria and nitrate.

A change in how water looks, smells or tastes is one of the occasions the Department of Health names for an extra test, along with flooding and the replacement of any part of the well system.

When people test

Once a year, as the Department of Health recommends.
The water's taste, color or smell changes.
After flooding.
After any part of the well system is replaced.
When buying or selling a home with a well.
When a new well has just been completed.

What testing usually looks like

Contact the county health department. It can tell you how and where to have water tested.
Get the right sample container. The testing site provides instructions for collecting a sample.
Collect the sample. Follow the instructions you were given.
Deliver it. Take or ship the sample as directed.
Read the results. The report lists what was tested for.
Keep the record. File the results so next year's can be compared.

How to prepare

Before you test:

Contact your county health department and ask how and where to have water tested.
Ask which tests to request, including coliform bacteria and nitrate.
Note any change in taste, color or smell and when it began.
Note recent flooding or work on the well system.
Follow the sample collection instructions exactly.
Keep results from earlier tests for comparison.
Ask for prices in writing before any testing begins.

What affects the cost

Prices vary widely with the well, the pump and the work. For testing, the cost depends on which tests are run and who runs them.

Which tests. Coliform bacteria and nitrate are the two the Department of Health names for yearly testing.
Where the sample goes. The testing site sets its own prices.
Extra tests. A change in taste, color or smell, or flooding, may call for more.
Delivery. Taking or shipping a sample may add cost.
Repeat tests. Testing again after changes adds cost.
Treatment. Any work that follows testing is priced separately.

Keeping a testing record

Testing every year only helps if the results are kept. A simple file with the date, what was tested for, and the result lets you see changes from one year to the next. Add notes about flooding, repairs or changes in taste, color or smell, since those are the occasions the Department of Health names for extra testing.

Sources

What the Department of Health recommends. The Washington Department of Health recommends testing private well water every year for coliform bacteria and nitrate, and also when you notice a change in taste, color or smell, after flooding, and after you replace any part of your well system. Your county health department can tell you how and where to have it tested.

Registration. Check a company's registration on the Washington Department of Labor & Industries “Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business” page. Pump work can involve other trades: contractors are registered with the Department of Labor & Industries, electrical work generally requires an electrical contractor license, and plumbing work generally requires certified plumbers, with some exceptions. Well driller licensing is handled by the Washington Department of Ecology.

City water. If you pay a water bill to a city or a water district, you are probably not on a private well, and this site's well pages may not apply to you. Check your water bill.

Reasons to trust this page

Most statements on this page name their public source, such as the Department of Health or the Department of Ecology.
Cost factors are explained in plain terms, and this site does not quote prices.
The email address is shown at the top of every page, and the Privacy page says what a quote request collects.

Common questions

How often should a private well be tested?

Which tests does the Department of Health name?

The Washington Department of Health names coliform bacteria and nitrate for yearly testing of private well water. It also recommends testing when you notice a change in taste, color or smell, after flooding, and after you replace any part of your well system. Ask your county health department how and where.

Where do I have my well water tested?

Your county health department can tell you how and where to have well water tested, according to the Washington Department of Health. Ask which tests to request, including coliform bacteria and nitrate, and follow the sample collection instructions exactly so the result reflects your well.

When should I test besides once a year?

The Department of Health recommends testing when you notice a change in taste, color or smell, after flooding, and after you replace any part of your well system. Note the date and what changed, and keep results from earlier tests so you can compare them to the new one.

What does well water testing cost?

Prices vary widely with the well, the pump and the work. For testing, the cost depends on which tests are run and who runs them, since each testing site sets its own prices. Ask your county health department how and where to test, and get prices in writing before any testing begins.

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