Well Testing

Nearly everyone who can follow instructions can draw a water sample and submit it for analysis. Since the water analysis normally looks for health indicator bacteria, it's important that the water sampling be performed with great care. Samples can be easily contaminated by the sample collector which will lead to a false indication that the water system is contaminated. If you are unsure about sampling procedures, call your local county environmental health office or your local Iowa Certified Well Contractor to obtain information on how you can have a water sample taken by experienced staff.

For additional information on how to correctly obtain a sample of your well water and submit it for testing, please refer to the State Hygienic Laboratory frequently asked questions web page.

Nearly all of Iowa's counties participate in the grants-to-counties well program. The grants-to-counties program can provide free water sampling and analysis to qualifying private drinking water systems. To find out if your county participates in the grants-to-county well program or to arrange sampling of your water system, please refer to the list of County Environmental Health Sanitarians and contact the Sanitarian's office in the county where the well is located.

All water testing should be performed by Iowa DNR Certified Drinking Water Laboratories. These laboratories use accepted drinking water lab methods, employ highly trained staff to perform the water analysis, and use DNR accepted standard operating procedures to help ensure your results are accurate.

To obtain additional information on well water testing or to order a water sample test kit, you can contact the State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa or any of the other Iowa DNR certified drinking water laboratory.

First and most important - stop consuming the water and find an alternative source for all of your consumable water needs. This can be bottled water, a neighboring water supply that is known safe, water from a public water supply like a neighboring town or city, or water that has been properly treated for the contaminants present in the water.

Then you should determine what the best short term and long term solutions are for your safe drinking water needs. Your options are to use bottled water for all consumable water needs, providing adequate water treatment at one or more drinking water taps, rehabilitation or renovation of the well or water system so that it provides safe water, connection to a known safe water supply, or replacement of your existing water supply.

In some cases, the issues that can cause drinking water contamination are simple and can be remedied by adding protections to the existing well, or a simple point of use water treatment system. Other times, the only effective solution will be an alternative source of water.

You should discuss the water quality issues with a Iowa DNR Certified Well Contractor. They can help diagnose your water issues and provide guidance on repairs or well replacement. Anytime you hire a contractor to work on your well or water system, the contractor must be certified by the Iowa DNR in the proper categories of well services.

Certification ensures that the individual you hire meets a minimum level of knowledge and skill in the areas needed for your job. It's important to note that you should select your contractor carefully because even though a contractor may be certified by the state, they may not have the equipment or the experience to perform all well services.

To obtain additional information on water system rehabilitation, renovation, repair or replacement, please contact your local Iowa DNR Certified Well Driller or Certified Pump Installer.

To learn more about ownership of a private water supply, please look at our private well consumer information booklet.

Water treatment devices are commonly used to produce safe drinking water. The type of device you need and the installation, maintenance, and monitoring of your treatment device will depend on the type of contamination that you have and the type of device you choose for treatment. Some contaminants require very specialized water treatment. Even if you already have some form of water treatment, you may not be reducing or removing all contaminants that can cause short or long term health issues.

One last important point to consider is that all water treatment devices require ongoing maintenance, monitoring, and testing to ensure that they are properly treating the water. The maintenance intervals and cost of maintenance vary with each specific treatment device. Make sure to inquire about ongoing maintenance schedules and the true cost of ownership when you discuss your water treatment options.

All drinking water treatment devices that are sold in Iowa must undergo third-party testing and be registered under a program administered by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH). For additional information on water treatment system registration, please contact the IDPH at their home drinking water treatment system registration web page.

To learn more about water treatment device options, please look at the information on the following links:

• State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa information booklet: Well Water Quality and Home Treatment Systems.
• Water Treatment for Dummies by the Water Quality Association.
• National Sanitation Association's Home Water Treatment Devices guidance web page.
• Water Systems Council Home Drinking Water Treatment Systems web page.
• Iowa Department of Public Health lists for registered water treatment systems.
• Additional information regarding treatment of Arsenic