Delaware has free or low-cost well testing. Across the state, the ones worth testing for are nitrate, arsenic, manganese and lead, plus bacteria every year.
About 235,000 people in Delaware get their water from a private well, about 1 in 4 residents.
DPH offers free test kits for bacteria and ten chemical parameters, and DNREC and DHSS offer free sampling for PFAS and other contaminants to private well users.
Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health (with DNREC): private well testingThe 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 DelawareOrder 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 DelawareShare 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.
Rare: under 5%Worth checking: 5 to 15%Widespread: 15%+
Lab results: Water Quality Portal (USGS and EPA)
3 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.
| County | People on private wells | Share of residents | Typical well depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sussex County | 116,352 | 49% | 70 ft |
| Kent County | 71,668 | 39% | 50 ft |
| New Castle County | 47,474 | 8% | 160 ft |
Delaware 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.
DPH offers free test kits for bacteria and ten chemical parameters, and DNREC and DHSS offer free sampling for PFAS and other contaminants to private well users. Otherwise, use a lab certified by Delaware for drinking water. The state's list is linked on this page.