Last checked: October 21, 2026

Well water testing in Hunterdon County, New Jersey

Who to contact locally, what New Jersey's Private Well Testing Act requires (and when), how to find a certified lab, and what testing may cost, with a source for every fact.

Local health department

Hunterdon County Department of Health¹

The county says that specific questions about testing the quality of your well water should go to the Hunterdon County Department of Health.¹

After a flood: the county says that a private well reached by floodwaters will need to be tested and disinfected after the water recedes.¹

Local well conditions

The county's homeowner guide says Hunterdon has "very complex geology," with most aquifers in fractured rock and well depths ranging from about 50 feet to more than 1,000 feet depending on the area.²

Arsenic in New Jersey: NJDEP says arsenic is the second most common reason private wells fail a primary drinking water standard in New Jersey. The Piedmont region is the highest-risk area, with about 17% of its private wells over the state arsenic standard, compared with about 2% in Valley and Ridge, about 1% in the Highlands, and under 1% in the Coastal Plain.⁶ NJDEP's arsenic page has an interactive map showing where your property falls.

New Jersey's Private Well Testing Act (PWTA)

When testing is required

The PWTA is a consumer-information law. It requires testing of untreated well water for up to 43 parameters when:³

• A property with a potable well is sold. The seller or buyer tests, and both parties must review the results before closing.
• A property with a private well is leased. Landlords must test every five years and give each tenant a copy of the results.

Certified laboratories submit PWTA results to NJDEP, which sends them on to local health authorities.³

What must be tested in Hunterdon County

Statewide, the PWTA requires:³⁴

• Total coliform bacteria (and E. coli if coliform is present)
• Nitrate
• Iron, manganese, and pH
• Lead and arsenic
• Gross alpha particle activity (48-hour rapid test)
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• Three synthetic organic compounds: 1,2,3-trichloropropane, ethylene dibromide, and 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
• PFAS: PFOA, PFOS, and PFNA

Hunterdon-specific: Hunterdon is one of the counties where samples must also be tested for uranium. Mercury testing is required only in a different group of counties, and Hunterdon isn't one of them.³⁴

Who collects the sample and who pays

• Samples must be collected by someone certified to collect PWTA samples or by an authorized representative of a certified laboratory. pH samples must be collected by an employee of a lab certified for pH.³
• On a sale, the buyer and seller negotiate who pays. On a lease, the landlord must arrange and pay for testing and give the results to the tenant.³
• PWTA results can generally be used for one year after sampling, but total coliform results are valid for only six months.³
• Local rules can add to state requirements. Where they overlap, NJDEP says to follow the stricter of the two.³

What it may cost

NJDEP estimates the average price of a full PWTA test at $1,200–$1,500. Prices vary with how hard the sample is to collect, how far the property is from the lab, and the parameters required. Analyzing the field blank needed for PFAS and VOCs can add cost.³

For testing you do on your own (not for a sale or lease), NJDEP says prices vary by lab and most labs offer à la carte testing.⁵ We haven't found a published price for individual tests from a Hunterdon County source, so we don't list one.

How often to test (when you're not selling or renting)

NJDEP relays this New Jersey Department of Health guidance for well owners:⁵

For arsenic, NJDEP suggests yearly testing if a past result was above 2.5 µg/L, and at least every five years if it was below.⁶

Hunterdon County's homeowner guide (undated) also recommends a yearly bacteria test, plus nitrate, arsenic, and VOC tests every five years.²

Finding a certified laboratory

NJDEP's Office of Quality Assurance certifies the labs that do PWTA testing.³ NJDEP publishes the official lists here:

• NJDEP list of certified laboratories (DataMiner search, linked from the PWTA page)³
• Laboratories certified for PWTA sample collection (linked from NJDEP's well testing page)⁵

For gross alpha, NJDEP notes that most certified labs are out of state, but a New Jersey lab can arrange collection and shipping to one.⁷

Questions about lab certification go to the NJDEP Office of Quality Assurance: 609-292-3950, oqa@dep.nj.gov.³

Understanding results

• New Jersey's PWTA standards (including the 5 µg/L arsenic limit, stricter than the federal 10 µg/L) are in NJDEP's standards table.⁸
• Gross alpha: NJDEP recommends further testing for uranium, radium-226/228, and radon above 15 pCi/L, and radium-226/228 testing between 5 and 15 pCi/L.⁷
• For the common parameters (iron, manganese, pH, nitrate, bacteria, arsenic), see our guide: How to read your well water test results.

Financial help listed by NJDEP

NJDEP's PWTA page lists these programs. Eligibility rules apply, so check with each program:³

• NJHMFA Potable Water Loan Program, for owners of single-family homes whose water exceeds state primary standards (also covers sodium, chloride, iron, and manganese). Hotline: 1-800-654-6873.
• NJ Spill Compensation Fund (Environmental Claims Administration), for innocent parties harmed by human-caused discharges of hazardous substances. 609-984-2076.

Where to get tested and treatment options

Related guides

• How often to test a private well
• Arsenic in well water
• Uranium and radon in well water
• Nitrate in well water