If you get your drinking water from a private well or spring, regular testing can help you find contaminants that may affect your health.
Learn about what to test for, how to collect water samples, and how to understand your results.
If you use a private well or spring, the Health Department recommends:
The Homeowner Testing Package includes three test kits and checks for 15 common drinking water contaminants in Vermont. It also includes the bacteria test kit, so you can use it for that year's annual bacteria testing.
Follow these steps to test your drinking water yourself. Please note that the details described in this section are for testing through the Vermont Department of Health Lab. If you choose to use another certified drinking water lab, please follow their instructions.
You can order test kits online through the Vermont Department of Health Lab's webstore or by phone at 802-338-4724.
This package includes three test kits for common drinking water contaminants:
This recommended testing costs about $3.60 per month over five years, including annual bacteria testing.
Reminder: Test for bacteria every year. The package includes one bacteria test, so you'll need to order Kit A separately in the other four years.
Order the Bundled Kit: Homeowner Testing Package
Vermont has specific testing requirements for new wells and springs. Review the new well and spring testing guidance before ordering a package.
Order the Bundled Kit: New Well or Spring Testing Package
You can also order individual test kits (for example, a lead test kit).
Collect the samples the same day you plan to return them to the Lab. Follow the instructions that come with your test kit. Incorrectly collected samples may not be accepted by the Lab.
Using the bottles provided by the Lab, collect your samples from the faucet you most often use for drinking and cooking, usually the kitchen sink. Don't use a bathroom or utility sink or an outdoor hose.
You'll receive four sample bottles. The instructions vary by bottle, and here are some tips.
Watch the video below for a demonstration of how to collect samples using the Homeowner Testing Package. Always follow the instructions that come with your specific kit, as they may differ.
Return your samples the same day you collect them. Some samples need to be kept cold, so follow the return instructions that come with your kit.
You can return your samples by:
The Lab will email or mail your results when they are ready.
If you provide an email address, you will receive an email from [email protected] as each test is completed.
Typical turnaround times for the Homeowner or New Well Testing Packages:
These time frames begin when the Lab receives your samples and may vary.
Note: You’ll receive two lead results: a “first draw” result first, followed by a “flush” result (with your inorganic chemical results) up to two weeks later. Lead is detected more often in first draw samples.
If you request mailed results or don't provide an email address, the Lab will mail all your results together after all testing is complete. This usually takes 3 to 4 weeks after the Lab receives your samples.
Questions about the tests you ordered or about a rejected sample? Call the Lab at 802-338-4724 or 800-660-9997 (toll-free in Vermont).
Your test results show what the Lab found in your water and whether any results need attention. How to read your results depends on the type of test.
Your results will include separate results for Total Coliform and E. coli.
If either is detected, bacteria are present in your water. Follow the Health Department's guidance for disinfecting your well or spring and retesting your water.
Your results list the chemicals tested. If a chemical is present at a level of concern, the far-right column will say “Above Threshold.”
Review the results carefully to see which chemicals need attention and what steps to take next.
Gross alpha radiation measures radioactivity in water from naturally occurring elements, such as uranium and radium.
A result below 5 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) is not considered a health risk. If your result is above 5 pCi/L, check your uranium result from Kit C and follow the Health Department's guidance for interpreting your results.
The next steps depend on the contaminants and the amount detected. You may need to treat your water to reduce or remove contaminants.
Before buying a treatment system, make sure you have all your test results (four Lab reports if you ordered the Homeowner or New Well Testing Packages). Different contaminants require different treatments, so it's important to understand the full picture of what's in your water before choosing a system.
Learn how to treat your drinking water
After installing a treatment system, we recommend retesting your water for the contaminants that came back above recommended levels to make sure the treatment is working.
You can order individual tests through the Health Department Lab’s online webstore. Tests cost $10 to $45, depending on the contaminant. If you can't order online, call 802-338-4724 or 800-660-9997 (toll-free in Vermont).
Order Individual Test Kits (a la carte)
Questions? Contact us.
The Homeowner Testing Package checks for many common contaminants in Vermont drinking water. Learn about why you should test, possible sources, how often to test, and when to treat your water.
Depending on your well or spring and the land around it, you may need to test for contaminants not included in the Homeowner Testing Package.
Learn more about these contaminants and when additional testing may be appropriate:
Testing Drinking Water from Your Private Well: العربية (Arabic) မြန်မာစာ (Burmese) دری (Dari) English Français (French) Kirundi नेपाली (Nepali) پښتو (Pashto) Soomaali (Somali) Español (Spanish)
Under Vermont’s Rental Housing Health Code, drinking water provided to tenants must be free from harmful levels of contaminants. If you are the landlord of a rental unit that uses a private well or spring, the only way to know your tenants' water is free of contaminants is to test it.
You may qualify for financial assistance to fix health and safety issues, including water treatment:
