Part of being a responsible well owner is getting your well water tested at least once a year for bacterial contamination. But where should you get your water tested? As a well owner, you have some options.

If you have questions about the basics of testing well water (including why you should test, when you should test, and how to test) ​visit our list of resources.

County Health Department

A simple way to get your well water tested for bacterial contamination (total coliforms, fecal coliforms) is to contact your county health department office. You can reference the laboratory identification map below to find contact information for a health department near you. Tests provided by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) may differ in price depending on where you live but are usually very affordable. If you would like to perform a more comprehensive test for substances like nitrates or alkalinity, you may need to reach out to a certified drinking water lab and see what testing services they offer for private well owners.

Certified Drinking Water Lab

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) has a comprehensive list available of all certified laboratories in the State. 

So, what does this mean for you? A lab is deemed certified after an inspection by a government agency. ADEM certifies labs in Alabama to test drinking water, and public water systems must use these labs or labs certified by the EPA for nearly all of their monitoring. labs certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must use approved methods, successfully analyze proficiency testing samples at least annually for each method and analyte of the desired certification and pass periodic on-site inspections.

If you would like to perform a more comprehensive analysis of your well water, you may want to reach out to a certified drinking water lab. The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) certifies private laboratories in the state to analyze water for drinking after they pass a set of requirements.

To receive information about sampling procedures and shipping methods, you will need to contact the laboratory. If you are sampling water to be analyzed at the ADPH state lab,​ contact your local health department office for sampling instructions.

Contact Information

To view contact information for ADPH offices and private water testing facilities by county, click on the area of interest on the map below.

More Information

For more resources for private well owners, visit the Private Well Program webpage. For further information, download a PDF of the Need Your Well Water Tested handout.

For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations, contact Extension Communications and Marketing at 334-844-5696 or extcomm@aces.edu.