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Private well testing in Michigan
A state overview with links to every Michigan county page we've published. Every fact has a source.
County pages
- Well water testing in Genesee County, MIGenesee County Health Department well bacteria testing, other labs the county lists, Michigan's recommended testing schedule, and arsenic in eastern Michigan, with sources.
- Well water testing in Livingston County, MILivingston County Health Department well testing rules, Michigan's recommended testing schedule, arsenic in southeast Michigan, certified labs the county lists, and how to disinfect a well, with sources.
- Well water testing in Oakland County, MIWhere Oakland County well owners can get water tested, Michigan's recommended testing schedule, arsenic in southeast Michigan, and what EGLE recommends if arsenic is high, with sources.
Michigan at a glance
- Who's on a well: USGS estimates about 2.6 million Michigan residents supplied their own household water in 2015, about 26% of the state's population.1
- New wells: wells must be tested when installed or repaired. Most new wells must test negative for bacteria, with nitrate at 10 ppm or less and arsenic at 10 ppb or less.2
- After that, it's on you: EGLE says the well owner is responsible for protecting their drinking water quality.3
- Recommended schedule (MDHHS): coliform bacteria, nitrate and nitrite every year; arsenic, lead and copper every 3 to 5 years.2
- Arsenic: EGLE says Michigan has naturally higher arsenic levels in groundwater and recommends homeowners test their wells for it.4 A USGS study found arsenic above 10 µg/L in hundreds of private wells across ten counties in eastern and southeastern Michigan.5
Where Michigan well owners can test
EGLE lists health departments with onsite testing (Washtenaw, Oakland, Kalamazoo, Saginaw, Luce, Mackinac, Alger and Schoolcraft counties, plus a lab serving the western Upper Peninsula). Elsewhere, you can request a test through the EGLE Laboratory.3 For arsenic specifically, EGLE's Drinking Water Laboratory is 517-335-8184.4
Guides for Michigan well owners
- Arsenic in well water: testing and treatment options
- Shock chlorinating a well
- How often to test a private well
- Iron in well water: what to buy
- How to read your well water test results
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Dieter, C.A., and others, 2018, Estimated Use of Water in the United States County-Level Data for 2015 (ver. 2.0), U.S. Geological Survey data release. https://doi.org/10.5066/F7TB15V5 ↩
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Livingston County, MI, Environmental Health, "Water Quality Testing for Wells." https://milivcounty.gov/environmental-health/wells/water-quality/ ↩↩
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Michigan EGLE, "Private Residential Water Well Testing." https://www.michigan.gov/egle/about/organization/drinking-water-and-environmental-health/water-well-construction/private-well-testing ↩↩
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Michigan EGLE, "Arsenic in well water." https://www.michigan.gov/egle/about/organization/drinking-water-and-environmental-health/water-well-construction/guidance-materials/arsenic-in-well-water ↩↩
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Kolker, A., and others, 2003, "Arsenic in southeastern Michigan," in Arsenic in Ground Water, p. 281–294. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70199413 ↩