Use a lab Wyoming certifies, or a mail-in kit. Across the state, the ones worth testing for are uranium, manganese, nitrate, radon and arsenic, plus bacteria every year.
About 161,000 people in Wyoming get their water from a private well, about 3 in 10 residents.
Wyoming 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 (DEQ), Know Your Well program: 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 WyomingOrder 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 WyomingShare 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laramie County | 20,492 | 20% | 380 ft |
| Sweetwater County | 20,111 | 48% | 185 ft |
| Fremont County | 15,974 | 41% | 100 ft |
| Park County | 14,935 | 50% | 57 ft |
| Campbell County | 8,920 | 19% | 450 ft |
| Lincoln County | 8,765 | 45% | 118 ft |
| Sheridan County | 8,243 | 27% | 120 ft |
| Teton County | 7,805 | 33% | 67 ft |
| Natrona County | 7,229 | 9% | 60 ft |
| Big Horn County | 5,617 | 49% | 29 ft |
| Sublette County | 5,093 | 58% | 130 ft |
| Albany County | 4,855 | 13% | 105 ft |
| Goshen County | 4,575 | 37% | 80 ft |
| Uinta County | 4,527 | 22% | 67 ft |
| Crook County | 4,382 | 61% | 230 ft |
| Converse County | 4,031 | 29% | 170 ft |
| Johnson County | 3,671 | 43% | 200 ft |
| Platte County | 3,034 | 35% | 200 ft |
| Washakie County | 2,416 | 31% | 40 ft |
| Carbon County | 2,286 | 16% | 90 ft |
| Weston County | 1,989 | 29% | 230 ft |
| Hot Springs County | 1,291 | 28% | 71 ft |
| Niobrara County | 824 | 33% | 115 ft |
Wyoming 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 Wyoming for drinking water. The state's list is linked on this page.