Schedule a Test
If you wish to have your private well tested for nitrate, sulfate, bacteria, or arsenic please contact the county Environmental Health Specialist at 641-849-7372 or, preferably, request a water test here. Water testing is only available Monday through Wednesday, due to the time sensitivity of getting the water samples to the lab.
Visiting the Property
Once an appointment is scheduled, the Sanitarian will visit your property and perform a free water test. No one need be present at the home if an outside water source is available. The test will be sent to a certified laboratory for analysis.
Testing Fees
The Hardin County Environmental Health Department is currently utilizing Grants to Counties funds to test for arsenic as part of its water testing regimen. This may change in the future, depending on the relevance of the arsenic problem in Hardin County.
Each private well owner is entitled to have their well water tested once per year for bacteria and nitrate, free of charge. However, the Sanitarian will only test wells for arsenic one time during the lifetime of the well, unless it has previously tested positive.
Where does arsenic come from?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), arsenic can come from natural deposits in the earth or from industrial and agricultural pollution. However, it can also be indicative of discrepancies in your well.
Testing Positive?
If your well tests positive for arsenic, you may wish to install a filtration system such as reverse osmosis, distillation, or ion exchange.