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Getting your well water tested in Kentucky

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

Compare lab tests Find my county

About 297,000 people in Kentucky get their water from a private well, about 1 in 15 residents.

Three ways to get tested, cheapest first.

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A lab Kentucky 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 Kentucky
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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 Kentucky

Look up a well's drilling report in Kentucky

What turns up in Kentucky 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
Manganese30%7 of 23Arsenic10%2 of 21Nitrate0%0 of 11Uranium0%0 of 11Lead0%0 of 11Fluoride0%0 of 23
GermsTest every year, whatever the chart says
Coliform bacteria10%1 of 10
StainsNot a health risk
Iron stains43%10 of 23

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

Lab results: Water Quality Portal (USGS and EPA)

Find your county.

We don't have full county reports for Kentucky yet. Type your county to see how many people there use wells and how deep they typically are. The statewide results above apply until then.

Every county in Kentucky: people on wells and typical depth
CountyPeople on private wellsShare of residentsTypical well depth
Pike County25,69644%85 ft
Letcher County14,13966%118 ft
Graves County14,10438%165 ft
Floyd County13,19337%92 ft
Calloway County10,94730%105 ft
Meade County10,56935%217 ft
Whitley County10,41028%130 ft
Perry County10,32636%120 ft
Knott County10,20672%102 ft
Harlan County9,12534%145 ft
Marshall County7,44124%70 ft
Breathitt County6,83650%82 ft
Hardin County6,7986%175 ft
Johnson County6,74330%97 ft
Lawrence County6,32139%100 ft
McCracken County5,9729%115 ft
Greenup County5,85216%75 ft
Leslie County5,54553%105 ft
Clay County5,30526%75 ft
Morgan County4,93336%185 ft
Bell County4,85320%120 ft
Breckinridge County4,41622%222 ft
Pulaski County4,3707%100 ft
Ballard County3,99952%140 ft
Martin County3,90835%82 ft
Knox County3,44511%100 ft
Casey County3,34921%95 ft
Wayne County3,26917%100 ft
Christian County3,2474%115 ft
Grayson County3,24012%200 ft
Bullitt County3,1704%120 ft
Laurel County3,1265%122 ft
Wolfe County3,10347%185 ft
Magoffin County2,85124%80 ft
Carter County2,75610%75 ft
Carlisle County2,69556%180 ft
Hickman County2,50255%150 ft
Jackson County2,50219%83 ft
Jefferson County2,346under 1%84 ft
Logan County2,3138%90 ft
Russell County2,26113%75 ft
Todd County2,15918%102 ft
McCreary County1,97112%108 ft
Elliott County1,79524%190 ft
Lincoln County1,6197%68 ft
Livingston County1,60218%160 ft
Adair County1,4418%82 ft
Hart County1,4357%200 ft
Henderson County1,4203%96 ft
Owsley County1,30132%65 ft
Daviess County1,2821%100 ft
Boyd County1,2563%139 ft
Lewis County1,1889%60 ft
Ohio County1,0664%100 ft
Crittenden County1,06412%174 ft
Larue County1,0467%110 ft
Taylor County9033%75 ft
Trigg County8886%148 ft
Lee County84911%80 ft
Fulton County84713%120 ft
Hopkins County7852%100 ft
Rockcastle County7335%90 ft
Rowan County7283%50 ft
Boone County691under 1%82 ft
Allen County6883%80 ft
Caldwell County6865%125 ft
Nelson County6791%83 ft
Lyon County6588%159 ft
Webster County5004%116 ft
Oldham County489under 1%70 ft
Barren County444under 1%90 ft
Boyle County4351%80 ft
Clinton County3924%94 ft
Woodford County3811%98 ft
Madison County351under 1%48 ft
Campbell County349under 1%84 ft
Union County3463%166 ft
Muhlenberg County3171%85 ft
Jessamine County309under 1%79 ft
Trimble County2703%80 ft
Menifee County2594%51 ft
Simpson County2401%69 ft
Powell County2122%60 ft
Metcalfe County1922%80 ft
Fayette County178under 1%92 ft
Montgomery County169under 1%30 ft
Garrard County158under 1%60 ft
Monroe County1481%85 ft
Franklin County144under 1%79 ft
Scott County138under 1%85 ft
Mercer County130under 1%95 ft
Green County1291%68 ft
Warren County126under 1%100 ft
Butler County1251%76 ft
Clark County110under 1%98 ft
McLean County1041%50 ft
Bath County99under 1%30 ft
Cumberland County892%60 ft
Spencer County81under 1%30 ft
Hancock County74under 1%76 ft
Kenton County71under 1%81 ft
Owen County50under 1%90 ft
Washington County46under 1%25 ft
Fleming County45under 1%65 ft
Bourbon County44under 1%90 ft
Estill County43under 1%48 ft
Henry County41under 1%80 ft
Edmonson County36under 1%114 ft
Anderson County31under 1%103 ft
Marion County27under 1%20 ft
Shelby County27under 1%41 ft
Grant County21under 1%–
Robertson County21under 1%–
Bracken County20under 1%107 ft
Nicholas County20under 1%–
Mason County19under 1%205 ft
Pendleton County15under 1%80 ft
Harrison County10under 1%103 ft
Carroll County7under 1%90 ft
Gallatin County6under 1%92 ft

Questions people ask about well water in Kentucky

Does Kentucky require private wells to be tested?

Kentucky 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 Kentucky?

Otherwise, use a lab certified by Kentucky 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: Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, Division of Water.