Your county health department
Louisiana 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.
Louisiana Department of Health: private well testingGetting your well water tested in Louisiana
Use a lab Louisiana certifies, or a mail-in kit. Across the state, the ones worth testing for are manganese, plus bacteria and nitrate every year.
About 873,000 people in Louisiana get their water from a private well, about 2 in 10 residents.
Three ways to get tested, cheapest first.
A lab Louisiana 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 LouisianaWhat turns up in Louisiana 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.
Manganese21%121 of 566Arsenic4%10 of 260Lead1%3 of 258Nitrate1%3 of 381Fluorideunder 1%1 of 731Uranium0%0 of 243Radon0%0 of 166
GermsTest every year, whatever the chart says
Coliform bacteria17%19 of 115StainsNot a health risk
Iron stains36%201 of 565
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 Lafayette Parish (about 1 in 13 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 Louisiana: people on wells and typical depth
| County | People on private wells | Share of residents | Typical well depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Tammany Parish | 86,249 | 33% | 240 ft |
| Tangipahoa Parish | 51,989 | 39% | 120 ft |
| Livingston Parish | 41,265 | 29% | 290 ft |
| Lafayette Parish | 41,105 | 17% | 115 ft |
| Calcasieu Parish | 39,244 | 18% | 240 ft |
| Ascension Parish | 37,974 | 30% | 420 ft |
| Caddo Parish | 32,806 | 14% | 200 ft |
| Vermilion Parish | 27,548 | 48% | 120 ft |
| Bossier Parish | 24,617 | 19% | 195 ft |
| St. Landry Parish | 23,782 | 29% | 152 ft |
| Washington Parish | 23,572 | 52% | 109 ft |
| Rapides Parish | 22,864 | 18% | 130 ft |
| Ouachita Parish | 21,701 | 14% | 80 ft |
| Acadia Parish | 21,159 | 37% | 170 ft |
| Vernon Parish | 20,473 | 42% | 120 ft |
| Iberia Parish | 20,454 | 29% | 220 ft |
| Lafourche Parish | 18,484 | 19% | 215 ft |
| Beauregard Parish | 18,188 | 50% | 120 ft |
| St. Martin Parish | 16,006 | 31% | 145 ft |
| Avoyelles Parish | 14,229 | 36% | 126 ft |
| East Baton Rouge Parish | 13,330 | 3% | 327 ft |
| Sabine Parish | 12,902 | 58% | 173 ft |
| De Soto Parish | 12,165 | 45% | 210 ft |
| Union Parish | 11,614 | 55% | 193 ft |
| Webster Parish | 11,431 | 31% | 205 ft |
| Jefferson Davis Parish | 11,222 | 35% | 160 ft |
| Franklin Parish | 10,896 | 55% | 45 ft |
| Evangeline Parish | 10,128 | 31% | 158 ft |
| Natchitoches Parish | 9,906 | 26% | 130 ft |
| Grant Parish | 9,774 | 44% | 70 ft |
| Lincoln Parish | 9,744 | 20% | 370 ft |
| Richland Parish | 9,439 | 47% | 44 ft |
| East Feliciana Parish | 8,834 | 45% | 126 ft |
| Allen Parish | 8,213 | 36% | 100 ft |
| St. Helena Parish | 8,112 | 74% | 120 ft |
| Terrebonne Parish | 8,032 | 7% | 180 ft |
| Claiborne Parish | 7,496 | 53% | 280 ft |
| Morehouse Parish | 7,224 | 28% | 90 ft |
| Jackson Parish | 6,328 | 42% | 121 ft |
| Bienville Parish | 6,303 | 49% | 155 ft |
| Pointe Coupee Parish | 6,280 | 30% | 445 ft |
| Winn Parish | 6,064 | 44% | 155 ft |
| Iberville Parish | 6,009 | 20% | 176 ft |
| West Carroll Parish | 5,693 | 58% | 56 ft |
| Catahoula Parish | 5,436 | 61% | 104 ft |
| Caldwell Parish | 5,083 | 53% | 106 ft |
| LaSalle Parish | 5,037 | 34% | 85 ft |
| Red River Parish | 4,738 | 62% | 76 ft |
| West Feliciana Parish | 4,234 | 28% | 180 ft |
| Concordia Parish | 3,531 | 19% | 100 ft |
| Assumption Parish | 2,989 | 14% | 192 ft |
| West Baton Rouge Parish | 2,966 | 11% | 170 ft |
| Cameron Parish | 2,953 | 53% | 180 ft |
| St. Mary Parish | 2,860 | 6% | 250 ft |
| St. Charles Parish | 2,488 | 5% | 272 ft |
| Jefferson Parish | 2,369 | under 1% | 262 ft |
| Madison Parish | 1,771 | 18% | 70 ft |
| Tensas Parish | 1,429 | 34% | 93 ft |
| East Carroll Parish | 1,396 | 19% | 92 ft |
| Plaquemines Parish | 1,027 | 4% | 305 ft |
| St. John the Baptist Parish | 773 | 2% | 340 ft |
| St. James Parish | 600 | 3% | 280 ft |
| St. Bernard Parish | 521 | 1% | 95 ft |
| Orleans Parish | 286 | under 1% | 440 ft |
Questions people ask about well water in Louisiana
Does Louisiana require private wells to be tested?
Louisiana 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 Louisiana?
Otherwise, use a lab certified by Louisiana 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: Louisiana Department of Health.