Free or low-cost state testing
The state Public Health Laboratory tests private well samples for total coliform and E. coli for $17 per sample, with kits from local health units.
Department of Health: private well testingGetting your well water tested in Arkansas
Arkansas has free or low-cost well testing. Across the state, the ones worth testing for are manganese, plus bacteria and nitrate every year.
About 121,000 people in Arkansas get their water from a private well, about 1 in 25 residents.
Three ways to get tested, cheapest first.
A lab Arkansas 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.
How to find a certified labA 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 ArkansasWhat turns up in Arkansas 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.
Manganese28%184 of 658Arsenic2%14 of 635Lead1%4 of 578Nitrate1%2 of 312Fluorideunder 1%2 of 497Uranium0%0 of 320Radon0%0 of 46
GermsTest every year, whatever the chart says
Coliform bacteria16%7 of 44StainsNot a health risk
Iron stains41%273 of 658
Rare: under 5%Worth checking: 5 to 15%Widespread: 15%+
Lab results: Water Quality Portal (USGS and EPA)
Where it shows up most
- Arsenic shows up most in Lonoke County (about 3 in 10 wells).
Find your county.
5 counties have a full report with local test results and well depths.
No full report for that county yet. The statewide results above still apply, and so do the three ways to get tested.
Every county in Arkansas: people on wells and typical depth
| County | People on private wells | Share of residents | Typical well depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter County | 11,749 | 28% | 310 ft |
| Carroll County | 7,601 | 27% | 540 ft |
| Benton County | 6,212 | 2% | 560 ft |
| Miller County | 5,767 | 14% | 171 ft |
| Fulton County | 4,852 | 40% | 260 ft |
| Marion County | 4,757 | 28% | 400 ft |
| Randolph County | 4,266 | 23% | 310 ft |
| Saline County | 3,707 | 3% | 125 ft |
| Izard County | 3,679 | 27% | 339 ft |
| Montgomery County | 3,444 | 41% | 140 ft |
| Sharp County | 2,751 | 16% | 320 ft |
| Polk County | 2,526 | 13% | 125 ft |
| Faulkner County | 2,456 | 2% | 136 ft |
| Union County | 2,243 | 6% | 248 ft |
| Boone County | 2,220 | 6% | 437 ft |
| Crittenden County | 2,165 | 4% | 100 ft |
| Lafayette County | 2,080 | 33% | 175 ft |
| White County | 1,765 | 2% | 158 ft |
| Pope County | 1,713 | 3% | 144 ft |
| Crawford County | 1,685 | 3% | 160 ft |
| Sebastian County | 1,642 | 1% | 160 ft |
| Hempstead County | 1,616 | 8% | 250 ft |
| Drew County | 1,498 | 9% | 380 ft |
| Mississippi County | 1,446 | 4% | 100 ft |
| Madison County | 1,441 | 9% | 400 ft |
| Ashley County | 1,412 | 7% | 100 ft |
| Scott County | 1,402 | 14% | 130 ft |
| Chicot County | 1,341 | 13% | 335 ft |
| Little River County | 1,297 | 11% | 75 ft |
| Ouachita County | 1,264 | 6% | 84 ft |
| Lonoke County | 1,188 | 2% | 120 ft |
| Pike County | 1,165 | 11% | 120 ft |
| Garland County | 1,112 | 1% | 135 ft |
| Yell County | 1,112 | 5% | 140 ft |
| Columbia County | 945 | 4% | 62 ft |
| Pulaski County | 930 | under 1% | 145 ft |
| St. Francis County | 911 | 4% | 100 ft |
| Phillips County | 890 | 5% | 125 ft |
| Washington County | 863 | under 1% | 335 ft |
| Nevada County | 828 | 10% | 218 ft |
| Clark County | 766 | 4% | 120 ft |
| Lawrence County | 757 | 5% | 277 ft |
| Stone County | 752 | 6% | 150 ft |
| Searcy County | 737 | 9% | 314 ft |
| Johnson County | 734 | 3% | 125 ft |
| Desha County | 732 | 6% | 460 ft |
| Newton County | 732 | 10% | 506 ft |
| Howard County | 729 | 6% | 145 ft |
| Logan County | 726 | 3% | 130 ft |
| Van Buren County | 715 | 5% | 120 ft |
| Lincoln County | 695 | 5% | 102 ft |
| Poinsett County | 676 | 3% | 125 ft |
| Independence County | 654 | 2% | 134 ft |
| Craighead County | 628 | under 1% | 135 ft |
| Cleburne County | 621 | 3% | 200 ft |
| Grant County | 566 | 3% | 125 ft |
| Sevier County | 564 | 4% | 145 ft |
| Hot Spring County | 510 | 2% | 125 ft |
| Franklin County | 509 | 3% | 165 ft |
| Jefferson County | 500 | under 1% | 132 ft |
| Perry County | 477 | 5% | 152 ft |
| Lee County | 457 | 5% | 120 ft |
| Prairie County | 446 | 5% | 122 ft |
| Cleveland County | 430 | 6% | 133 ft |
| Dallas County | 422 | 7% | 120 ft |
| Jackson County | 415 | 2% | 120 ft |
| Conway County | 388 | 2% | 145 ft |
| Greene County | 324 | under 1% | 150 ft |
| Calhoun County | 321 | 7% | 151 ft |
| Arkansas County | 316 | 2% | 123 ft |
| Monroe County | 312 | 5% | 108 ft |
| Woodruff County | 303 | 5% | 80 ft |
| Bradley County | 271 | 3% | 150 ft |
| Clay County | 230 | 2% | 180 ft |
| Cross County | 210 | 1% | 125 ft |
Questions people ask about well water in Arkansas
Does Arkansas require private wells to be tested?
Arkansas 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 Arkansas?
The state Public Health Laboratory tests private well samples for total coliform and E. coli for $17 per sample, with kits from local health units. Otherwise, use a lab certified by Arkansas 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 Health.