Your county health department
North Dakota 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 Quality: private well testingGetting your well water tested in North Dakota
Use a lab North Dakota certifies, or a mail-in kit. Across the state, the ones worth testing for are manganese and arsenic, plus bacteria and nitrate every year.
About 153,000 people in North Dakota get their water from a private well, about 2 in 10 residents.
Three ways to get tested, cheapest first.
A lab North Dakota 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 North DakotaA 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 North DakotaWhat turns up in North Dakota 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.
Manganese43%159 of 370Arsenic29%92 of 312Fluoride5%17 of 367Uranium4%5 of 125Nitrate3%7 of 237Lead2%5 of 246
GermsTest every year, whatever the chart says
Coliform bacteria0%0 of 6StainsNot a health risk
Iron stains49%178 of 365
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 Benson County (about 1 in 15 wells).
- Arsenic shows up most in Benson County (about 6 in 10 wells), Mountrail County (about 1 in 3 wells).
- Uranium shows up most in Mountrail County (about 1 in 20 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 North Dakota: people on wells and typical depth
| County | People on private wells | Share of residents | Typical well depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burleigh County | 10,498 | 11% | 104 ft |
| Ward County | 8,295 | 12% | 79 ft |
| Rolette County | 6,980 | 57% | 96 ft |
| Cass County | 6,843 | 4% | 192 ft |
| Grand Forks County | 6,708 | 9% | 54 ft |
| Williams County | 5,920 | 14% | 91 ft |
| McKenzie County | 5,901 | 40% | 125 ft |
| Morton County | 5,871 | 18% | 280 ft |
| McLean County | 5,304 | 54% | 120 ft |
| Richland County | 5,127 | 31% | 130 ft |
| Stark County | 4,913 | 15% | 165 ft |
| Stutsman County | 4,393 | 20% | 142 ft |
| Benson County | 4,181 | 70% | 122 ft |
| Ramsey County | 3,973 | 34% | 126 ft |
| Walsh County | 3,328 | 32% | 119 ft |
| Barnes County | 3,238 | 30% | 138 ft |
| Pembina County | 3,211 | 47% | 23 ft |
| Mountrail County | 3,197 | 33% | 146 ft |
| Cavalier County | 3,083 | 83% | 90 ft |
| Bottineau County | 3,076 | 48% | 82 ft |
| McHenry County | 3,002 | 56% | 72 ft |
| Dunn County | 2,848 | 70% | 82 ft |
| Sioux County | 2,750 | 71% | 140 ft |
| Traill County | 2,684 | 34% | 142 ft |
| LaMoure County | 2,366 | 58% | 198 ft |
| Ransom County | 2,293 | 40% | 70 ft |
| Mercer County | 2,188 | 26% | 175 ft |
| Dickey County | 1,840 | 37% | 187 ft |
| Divide County | 1,649 | 75% | 145 ft |
| Pierce County | 1,631 | 41% | 100 ft |
| Sargent County | 1,564 | 40% | 150 ft |
| Emmons County | 1,521 | 46% | 142 ft |
| Wells County | 1,503 | 38% | 100 ft |
| Grant County | 1,493 | 65% | 285 ft |
| Kidder County | 1,483 | 62% | 175 ft |
| Steele County | 1,317 | 73% | 44 ft |
| Oliver County | 1,282 | 68% | 140 ft |
| Foster County | 1,243 | 37% | 105 ft |
| Burke County | 1,185 | 54% | 147 ft |
| Nelson County | 1,156 | 38% | 58 ft |
| Griggs County | 1,103 | 48% | 146 ft |
| Bowman County | 1,076 | 36% | 241 ft |
| Hettinger County | 1,009 | 41% | 168 ft |
| Adams County | 976 | 44% | 135 ft |
| Renville County | 966 | 42% | 306 ft |
| Towner County | 941 | 44% | 150 ft |
| McIntosh County | 895 | 35% | 50 ft |
| Logan County | 890 | 47% | 130 ft |
| Sheridan County | 821 | 65% | 268 ft |
| Eddy County | 814 | 35% | 66 ft |
| Billings County | 811 | 86% | 1,045 ft |
| Golden Valley County | 689 | 40% | 412 ft |
| Slope County | 595 | 84% | 240 ft |
Questions people ask about well water in North Dakota
Does North Dakota require private wells to be tested?
North Dakota 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 North Dakota?
Otherwise, use a lab certified by North Dakota 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 Quality.