Use a lab Hawaii certifies, or a mail-in kit. Test for bacteria and nitrate every year, the CDC's advice for every private well.
About 65,000 people in Hawaii get their water from a private well, about 1 in 22 residents.
Hawaii doesn't run a statewide free testing program that we know of. Some county health departments still test wells or sell kits, so call yours first.
Department of Health, Safe Drinking Water Branch: 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 HawaiiOrder 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 HawaiiShare 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)
2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii County | 44,908 | 22% | – |
| Maui County | 10,656 | 6% | – |
| Honolulu County | 6,214 | under 1% | – |
| Kauai County | 2,719 | 4% | – |
| Kalawao County | 27 | 33% | – |
Hawaii 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.
Otherwise, use a lab certified by Hawaii for drinking water. The state's list is linked on this page.