Tested Water
Menu

Getting your well water tested in Alabama

Use a lab Alabama certifies, or a mail-in kit. Across the state, the ones worth testing for are manganese, plus bacteria and nitrate every year.

Compare lab tests Find my county

About 1,014,000 people in Alabama get their water from a private well, about 2 in 10 residents.

Three ways to get tested, cheapest first.

2

A lab Alabama certifies

The state's list of labs certified for drinking water. Many sell bottles you pick up or get by mail, and their results count for a home sale or loan.

Labs certified by Alabama
3

A mail-in kit

Order online, fill the bottles at your kitchen tap and get results by email in about a week. Full well tests run about $210 to $220.

Compare kits for Alabama

What turns up in Alabama wells.

Share of tested wells over the limit, from lab tests the USGS, EPA and state agencies collected since 2000. Your own well needs its own test.

Tested wells over the limit, statewide
Manganese9%18 of 205Nitrate4%8 of 217Lead1%2 of 154Arsenic0%0 of 154Uranium0%0 of 139Radon0%0 of 39Fluoride0%0 of 191
GermsTest every year, whatever the chart says
Coliform bacteria32%19 of 60
StainsNot a health risk
Iron stains17%36 of 218

Rare: under 5%Worth checking: 5 to 15%Widespread: 15%+

Lab results: Water Quality Portal (USGS and EPA)

Find your county.

5 counties have a full report with local test results and well depths.

BaldwinCalhounElmoreMadisonMobile
Every county in Alabama: people on wells and typical depth
CountyPeople on private wellsShare of residentsTypical well depth
Mobile County72,15817%–
Baldwin County46,45620%–
DeKalb County30,81543%–
Tuscaloosa County27,78112%–
Blount County27,35846%–
Talladega County26,98633%–
Cullman County25,42929%–
Houston County25,31524%–
Lauderdale County23,45725%–
St. Clair County23,07025%–
Elmore County22,40925%–
Jackson County22,36543%–
Walker County22,06234%–
Limestone County21,97721%–
Madison County20,6905%–
Lee County20,47512%–
Chilton County20,35945%–
Jefferson County20,2833%–
Shelby County18,2498%–
Morgan County17,49814%–
Marshall County17,33418%–
Covington County16,66244%–
Etowah County16,42416%–
Calhoun County15,85014%–
Coffee County14,74228%–
Tallapoosa County14,05034%–
Randolph County14,01864%–
Dale County13,93828%–
Geneva County13,80752%–
Winston County13,42957%–
Lawrence County13,26740%–
Cherokee County12,94252%–
Franklin County12,67839%–
Marion County12,38942%–
Autauga County12,24921%–
Escambia County11,72332%–
Bibb County11,40051%–
Dallas County11,22229%–
Pickens County10,94057%–
Washington County10,93371%–
Colbert County10,90519%–
Cleburne County10,59970%–
Pike County10,45832%–
Clarke County10,36745%–
Chambers County9,60828%–
Clay County9,24965%–
Barbour County8,72135%–
Choctaw County8,70469%–
Russell County8,63815%–
Marengo County8,60545%–
Fayette County8,57953%–
Henry County8,47149%–
Monroe County8,35542%–
Montgomery County8,3264%–
Butler County8,10143%–
Crenshaw County8,03661%–
Hale County7,55651%–
Lamar County7,39953%–
Macon County6,94136%–
Coosa County6,63664%–
Conecuh County6,62157%–
Lowndes County6,16460%–
Wilcox County5,88155%–
Sumter County5,07841%–
Bullock County3,93638%–
Perry County3,63243%–
Greene County3,43744%–

Questions people ask about well water in Alabama

Does Alabama require private wells to be tested?

Alabama doesn't require routine testing of existing private wells. Keeping a well safe is up to the owner, so test for bacteria and nitrate every year.

Where can I get my well water tested in Alabama?

Otherwise, use a lab certified by Alabama for drinking water. The state's list is linked on this page.

Where these numbers come from

  • How many people use wells: EPA estimates from the 2020 Census.
  • Lab tests: Water Quality Portal (USGS and EPA), well samples since 2000.
  • State programs and links: Department of Public Health (county health departments); labs certified by Department of Environmental Management.