Your county health department
New Hampshire 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 Environmental Services: private well testingGetting your well water tested in New Hampshire
Use a lab New Hampshire certifies, or a mail-in kit. Across the state, the ones worth testing for are arsenic, radon and manganese, plus bacteria and nitrate every year.
About 584,000 people in New Hampshire get their water from a private well, about 4 in 10 residents.
Three ways to get tested, cheapest first.
A lab New Hampshire 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 New HampshireA 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 New HampshireWhat turns up in New Hampshire 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.
Arsenic17%32 of 185Radon10%3 of 30Manganese5%10 of 185Fluoride4%2 of 49Uranium3%5 of 180Nitrate2%1 of 50Lead0%0 of 96
GermsTest every year, whatever the chart says
Coliform bacteria41%9 of 22StainsNot a health risk
Iron stains16%30 of 185
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 Rockingham County (about 3 in 10 wells), Hillsborough County (about 2 in 10 wells).
- Uranium shows up most in Rockingham County (about 1 in 16 wells).
Find your county.
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.
Every county in New Hampshire: people on wells and typical depth
| County | People on private wells | Share of residents | Typical well depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockingham County | 165,527 | 53% | – |
| Hillsborough County | 134,778 | 32% | – |
| Merrimack County | 65,314 | 42% | – |
| Grafton County | 42,020 | 46% | – |
| Strafford County | 41,099 | 31% | – |
| Cheshire County | 38,085 | 50% | – |
| Belknap County | 32,887 | 52% | – |
| Carroll County | 32,226 | 64% | – |
| Sullivan County | 22,097 | 51% | – |
| Coos County | 9,872 | 32% | – |
Questions people ask about well water in New Hampshire
Does New Hampshire require private wells to be tested?
New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire?
Otherwise, use a lab certified by New Hampshire 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 Environmental Services.