Free or low-cost state testing
Some county health departments may test for certain toxic substances free of charge.
Department of Health: private well testingGetting your well water tested in Florida
Florida has free or low-cost well testing. Across the state, the ones worth testing for are arsenic and lead, plus bacteria and nitrate every year.
About 2,017,000 people in Florida get their water from a private well, about 1 in 11 residents.
Three ways to get tested, cheapest first.
A lab Florida 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 FloridaA 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 Florida
Buying a house or drilling a new well in Florida?
No statewide rule, but Brevard, Broward, Citrus, Duval, Flagler, Highlands, Hillsborough, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Sarasota and Volusia counties require testing of new or repaired wells under local rules.
What turns up in Florida 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.
Arsenic11%368 of 3,325Lead11%364 of 3,401Nitrate3%111 of 3,501Radon2%6 of 271Fluoride2%73 of 4,059Manganese1%34 of 3,878Uraniumunder 1%2 of 474
GermsTest every year, whatever the chart says
Coliform bacteria46%892 of 1,936StainsNot a health risk
Iron stains42%1877 of 4,502
Rare: under 5%Worth checking: 5 to 15%Widespread: 15%+
Lab results: Water Quality Portal (USGS and EPA)
Where it shows up most
- Nitrate shows up most in Duval County (about 1 in 4 wells), Gilchrist County (about 2 in 10 wells), Alachua County (about 1 in 8 wells).
- Arsenic shows up most in Dixie County (about 5 in 10 wells), Bradford County (about 5 in 10 wells), Taylor County (about 4 in 10 wells).
Find your county.
17 counties have a full report with local test results and well depths.
AlachuaBrevardCitrusClayDuvalHillsboroughLakeMarionMiami-DadeNassauOrangePascoPolkPutnamSeminoleSt. JohnsVolusia
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 Florida: people on wells and typical depth
| County | People on private wells | Share of residents | Typical well depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duval County | 177,676 | 18% | – |
| Marion County | 137,486 | 37% | 80 ft |
| Brevard County | 102,099 | 17% | – |
| Volusia County | 88,379 | 16% | – |
| Hillsborough County | 81,928 | 6% | – |
| Monroe County | 69,079 | 84% | – |
| Lake County | 68,936 | 18% | – |
| Clay County | 67,217 | 31% | – |
| Pasco County | 61,620 | 11% | – |
| Orange County | 56,797 | 4% | – |
| Citrus County | 56,288 | 37% | – |
| Seminole County | 50,368 | 11% | – |
| Polk County | 50,232 | 7% | – |
| Putnam County | 49,014 | 67% | – |
| Miami-Dade County | 46,032 | 2% | – |
| Alachua County | 43,888 | 16% | 110 ft |
| St. Johns County | 41,186 | 15% | – |
| Nassau County | 37,738 | 42% | – |
| Indian River County | 34,233 | 21% | – |
| Leon County | 33,859 | 12% | 160 ft |
| Jackson County | 29,766 | 63% | 140 ft |
| Columbia County | 29,709 | 43% | 120 ft |
| Bay County | 29,387 | 17% | 200 ft |
| Collier County | 27,381 | 7% | – |
| Lee County | 26,316 | 3% | – |
| Walton County | 25,582 | 34% | 230 ft |
| Suwannee County | 25,145 | 58% | 120 ft |
| Sumter County | 24,720 | 19% | – |
| Palm Beach County | 23,523 | 2% | – |
| Levy County | 22,283 | 52% | 68 ft |
| Hernando County | 21,268 | 11% | – |
| Santa Rosa County | 19,753 | 11% | 120 ft |
| Gadsden County | 18,349 | 42% | 320 ft |
| Sarasota County | 18,162 | 4% | – |
| Highlands County | 17,385 | 17% | – |
| Washington County | 16,091 | 64% | 200 ft |
| Bradford County | 15,381 | 54% | 120 ft |
| DeSoto County | 15,258 | 45% | – |
| Wakulla County | 14,972 | 44% | 81 ft |
| Baker County | 14,756 | 52% | 180 ft |
| Holmes County | 13,537 | 69% | 230 ft |
| Okaloosa County | 13,504 | 6% | 280 ft |
| Okeechobee County | 13,127 | 33% | – |
| Osceola County | 12,885 | 3% | – |
| Martin County | 12,862 | 8% | – |
| Broward County | 12,082 | under 1% | – |
| Hendry County | 12,028 | 30% | – |
| Jefferson County | 10,762 | 74% | 180 ft |
| St. Lucie County | 10,092 | 3% | – |
| Gilchrist County | 9,995 | 56% | 85 ft |
| Hardee County | 9,858 | 39% | – |
| Calhoun County | 9,687 | 71% | 160 ft |
| Madison County | 9,313 | 52% | 120 ft |
| Taylor County | 9,292 | 43% | 44 ft |
| Escambia County | 8,938 | 3% | 120 ft |
| Flagler County | 8,430 | 7% | – |
| Dixie County | 8,412 | 50% | 57 ft |
| Manatee County | 6,895 | 2% | – |
| Union County | 6,822 | 42% | 140 ft |
| Hamilton County | 5,519 | 39% | 150 ft |
| Gulf County | 5,167 | 36% | 180 ft |
| Lafayette County | 4,532 | 55% | 75 ft |
| Liberty County | 4,229 | 53% | 200 ft |
| Glades County | 4,074 | 34% | – |
| Charlotte County | 3,197 | 2% | – |
| Franklin County | 2,371 | 19% | 100 ft |
| Pinellas County | 277 | under 1% | – |
Questions people ask about well water in Florida
Does Florida require private wells to be tested?
No statewide rule, but Brevard, Broward, Citrus, Duval, Flagler, Highlands, Hillsborough, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Sarasota and Volusia counties require testing of new or repaired wells under local rules.
Where can I get my well water tested in Florida?
Some county health departments may test for certain toxic substances free of charge. Otherwise, use a lab certified by Florida 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.