Residential Drinking Water Testing | Vermont Department of Health

In This Section:

Test your drinking water on a regular basis.

It is important to test your private well or spring for contaminants on a regular basis to make sure that it is safe to drink. If you are on public water, the Health Department recommends testing for lead. Learn about testing recommendations for public water

Recommended Private Drinking Water Testing Schedule

The Health Department recommends testing your water for bacteria, inorganic chemicals and gross alpha radiation. See the table below for more information on these drinking water contaminants.

A lightbulb with the words Quick Tip under it.

The three test kits are called the Vermont Homeowner Testing Package:

Bacteria (Kit A) $14 – test every year
Inorganic chemicals (Kit C) $100 – test every five years
Gross alpha radiation (Kit RA) $45 – test every five years

If you divide this cost over the course of 5 years, it would equal $3.60 per month.

Order the Vermont Homeowner Testing Package from the Health Department Laboratory or from a certified drinking water lab. You can also order a test for an individual contaminant, such as lead.

Order Drinking Water Test Kits

Contaminants to Test for in Private Drinking Water

This table gives you an overview of the contaminants that are tested for in the Vermont Homeowner Testing Package, which are the Health Department's recommendations for private drinking water.

Click on the link for each contaminant for more detailed information on health concerns, sources of the contaminant, what your test results mean, and treatment options.

There are other drinking water contaminants you may want to test for. Learn more about other concerns for private drinking water

Contaminant	When to Test	Why You Should Test	Possible Cause(s)
Coliform Bacteria (Kit A)	Every year	Stomachaches, diarrhea, GI (gastrointestinal) diseases	Surface water intrusion, septic leachate, agriculture runoff
Arsenic (Kit C)	Every five years	Increases risk of bladder, lung or skin cancer	Naturally occurring in some bedrock and soils in Vermont
Chloride (Kit C)	Every five years	Chloride may indicate other contaminants are present in the water	Septic leachate, road salt
Copper (flush) (Kit C)	Every five years	Stomachaches, vomiting, diarrhea, liver damage in young children	Leaches from plumbing and fixtures due to corrosive water
Fluoride (Kit C)	Every five years	Fluoride levels above 4 mg/L can cause bone disease. Fluoride levels above 2 mg/L can cause staining or pitting of teeth. Optimal fluoride levels of 0.7 mg/L prevent tooth decay.	Naturally occurring in some bedrock and soils in Vermont
Hardness (Kit C)	Every five years	Causes scale buildup in pipes and fixtures, gray staining of washed clothes	Naturally occurring in some bedrock and soils in Vermont
Iron (Kit C)	Every five years	Unpleasant odors, stains and tastes	Naturally occurring in some bedrock and soils in Vermont
Lead (first draw and flush) (Kit C)	Every five years	Damage to brain, kidneys and nervous system	Leaches from plumbing and fixtures due to corrosive water
Manganese (Kit C)	Every five years	Damage to the nervous system (memory, attention and motor skills) when consumed over a long period of time, infants may develop learning and behavior problems	Naturally occurring in some bedrock and soils in Vermont
Nitrate/Nitrite (Kit C)	Every five years. If present above 5 mg/L: Every 3-6 months	Methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome) in infants	Fertilized agricultural fields, septic leachate, compost piles
Sodium (Kit C)	Every five years	Sodium may indicate other contaminants are present in the water, can be harmful to those on limited sodium diets	Septic leachate, road salt, water softeners
Gross Alpha Radiation (Kit RA)	Every five years	Cancer risk	Naturally occurring in some bedrock and soils in Vermont
Uranium (Kit C)	Every five years	Kidney damage	Naturally occurring in some bedrock and soils in Vermont

Other Concerns for Private Drinking Water

There are some contaminants in the table below that are not on a recommended schedule for testing by the Health Department, but may be a concern to you.

Click on the link for each contaminant for more detailed information on health concerns, sources of the contaminant, what your test results mean, and treatment options.

Contaminant	How to test	Why You Should Test	Possible Cause(s)
Hydrogen Sulfide (rotten egg smell)	Isolate the source of the smell	Gas in the air can be hazardous at high levels, can indicate sewage or other pollution intrusion in drinking water	Naturally occurring in some soil and rock as a byproduct of decay, produced by sulfur bacteria in the water system, water pollution (in rare cases)
PFAS (including PFOA)	Private labs can test for PFAS	Child development, infertility, increased cancer risk, and interference with hormones, the immune system and cholesterol levels	Chemicals used in industry and commercial products
Radon	Vermont Dept of Health Lab Kit RC (Learn more about testing for radon in air)	Stomach cancer, lung cancer	Naturally occurring in some bedrock and soils in Vermont
Organic Chemicals (volatile, synthetic, pesticides)	Vermont Dept of Health Lab Kit OL or Kit OA	Cancer, cardiovascular problems, reproductive issues, liver problems	Chemicals from human activities including agriculture, chemical spills, manufacturing sites