Use a lab West Virginia 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 427,000 people in West Virginia get their water from a private well, about 1 in 4 residents.
West Virginia 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, Office of Environmental Health Services, with local health departments: 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 West VirginiaOrder 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 West VirginiaShare 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)
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.
| County | People on private wells | Share of residents | Typical well depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanawha County | 25,699 | 14% | – |
| Berkeley County | 25,057 | 21% | – |
| Jefferson County | 23,753 | 41% | – |
| Boone County | 16,089 | 74% | – |
| Hampshire County | 15,730 | 68% | – |
| Preston County | 14,604 | 43% | – |
| Greenbrier County | 14,078 | 43% | – |
| Morgan County | 13,621 | 80% | – |
| Cabell County | 11,819 | 13% | – |
| Logan County | 11,700 | 36% | – |
| Raleigh County | 11,390 | 15% | – |
| Lincoln County | 11,133 | 54% | – |
| Mercer County | 11,097 | 19% | – |
| Fayette County | 10,449 | 26% | – |
| Mason County | 10,260 | 40% | – |
| Putnam County | 9,896 | 17% | – |
| Hardy County | 9,626 | 67% | – |
| Wayne County | 9,027 | 23% | – |
| Lewis County | 8,590 | 50% | – |
| Jackson County | 8,430 | 30% | – |
| McDowell County | 8,105 | 42% | – |
| Wyoming County | 8,100 | 38% | – |
| Harrison County | 7,485 | 11% | – |
| Mingo County | 7,365 | 31% | – |
| Mineral County | 7,232 | 27% | – |
| Randolph County | 6,996 | 25% | – |
| Monroe County | 6,583 | 53% | – |
| Summers County | 6,532 | 55% | – |
| Roane County | 6,093 | 43% | – |
| Grant County | 6,017 | 55% | – |
| Doddridge County | 5,616 | 72% | – |
| Pocahontas County | 5,586 | 71% | – |
| Braxton County | 5,374 | 43% | – |
| Monongalia County | 4,882 | 5% | – |
| Clay County | 4,878 | 61% | – |
| Pendleton County | 4,712 | 77% | – |
| Nicholas County | 4,591 | 19% | – |
| Ritchie County | 4,284 | 51% | – |
| Webster County | 4,073 | 49% | – |
| Wetzel County | 3,769 | 26% | – |
| Calhoun County | 3,639 | 58% | – |
| Tyler County | 3,437 | 41% | – |
| Marion County | 3,225 | 6% | – |
| Wood County | 3,129 | 4% | 70 ft |
| Gilmer County | 3,007 | 41% | – |
| Upshur County | 2,440 | 10% | – |
| Hancock County | 2,410 | 8% | – |
| Tucker County | 2,406 | 36% | – |
| Pleasants County | 2,362 | 31% | – |
| Barbour County | 2,196 | 14% | – |
| Ohio County | 2,131 | 5% | – |
| Marshall County | 2,047 | 7% | – |
| Wirt County | 1,577 | 30% | – |
| Brooke County | 1,228 | 5% | – |
| Taylor County | 1,007 | 6% | – |
West Virginia 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 West Virginia for drinking water. The state's list is linked on this page.