In-Depth Well Water Testing: Bacteria, Nitrates, Iron and Sulphur
A well is not town water. Nobody tests it but you. We test the whole well, explain the numbers in plain language, then treat only what is actually there.
The free public test checks bacteria. That is it.
Public health tests private wells for bacteria free of charge. In York Region that runs through Public Health Ontario sample bottles, as set out on the York Region private well water testing page. In Simcoe County it is the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, and in Durham it is the Region of Durham Health Department. Use it. But know what it is: a bacteria test. York says Public Health Ontario labs no longer test for nitrates or sodium, so those need a private lab.
We test the rest. On site: hardness, iron, manganese, pH, total dissolved solids and hydrogen sulphide. Through an Ontario laboratory: total coliforms, E. coli, nitrate, nitrite, sodium, metals, lead and arsenic, with PFAS on request. Health Canada's maximum acceptable concentration for E. coli in drinking water is none detectable per 100 mL (see the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality summary table).
We test. We tell. You decide. You get the results in plain language: what is in the well, what matters and what does not. If treatment makes sense, it goes in the right order: sediment, then iron and sulphur, then a softener, then UV. No system until the numbers say so.
- Free on-site chemistry: hardness, iron, manganese, pH, dissolved solids and hydrogen sulphide
- Lab panels through an Ontario laboratory: coliforms, E. coli, nitrate, nitrite, sodium, metals, lead and arsenic
- PFAS and pharmaceutical panels on request
- Real estate and pre-purchase well water testing
- Retest after any system is installed
- Plain-language written report you keep
Related water treatment services
Well Water Testing: systems built in Barrie, Ontario
We standardize on one Canadian manufacturer so parts, media and warranty support are one call away.
Honest Water systemHonest Water SoftenersEnds scale on fixtures, kettles and water heaters. Five series, 7 to 20-year warranties, sized to your hardness, your iron and your household.See the system →
Honest Water systemHonest Water Iron & Sulphur FilterChemical-free fix for orange stains and the rotten-egg smell on wells. Up to 8 ppm, 20-year warranty on the Premium.See the system →
Where wells are common in our area
Outside the serviced areas, most homes in our area are on wells. That means the countryside of East Gwillimbury beyond Sharon, Queensville and Holland Landing, the farms and side roads around Mount Albert, the Pefferlaw and Udora side of Georgina, and King Township around Nobleton and Schomberg near King City.
Durham has its share too: the countryside around Uxbridge and Port Perry, and rural Brock from Sunderland to Cannington. In Simcoe County, rural New Tecumseth around Alliston and rural Innisfil rely on wells, and shoreline homes and cottages along Lake Simcoe draw straight from the lake. Lake intakes get their own design on our cottage and lake water systems page.
What a test visit looks like
A test visit is quick. We sample raw water as close to the well as we can, before any existing treatment, and after it too if you have a system, so we can see whether it is doing its job. On-site results come back while we are there. Lab samples go to an Ontario laboratory, results take a few days, and we go through them with you by phone or on a second visit. If a system makes sense we quote it then, with the results attached. If it does not, we say so.
How testing is quoted
- Public health bacteria bottles cost you nothing; we show you how to use them
- Lab panels quoted by the parameters you need, before we sample
- Real estate well testing quoted as a package
- Retest after any system is installed, quoted with the system
- No pressure to buy anything from the results
We quote a fixed written price after the well test, for only the stages the results call for.
Town water comes with a published number. A well does not. Nobody publishes your well's number but you.
How Our Well Water Testing Service Works
Test the whole well, explain the numbers, treat what is there, then verify it worked.
Sample
We collect raw water at the source and, if you have treatment already, after it as well.
Test
Free on-site results before we leave. Lab samples go to an Ontario laboratory.
Explain
A written report in plain language: what is in the well, what matters, what does not.
Recommend
Only the stages your results call for, in the right order, sized to your household, with a fixed written price.
Well Water Testing Questions, Answered
What homeowners ask before booking.
Is well water testing free? +
How often should I test my well? +
Can you test for PFAS and pharmaceuticals? +
I only want a softener. Do I still need well testing? +
I am on town water. Do I need this? +
Further reading
Well Water Testing across York, Simcoe and Durham
Available in every town we serve.
On a well? Test the whole thing first.
Bacteria, nitrates, iron, sulphur and hardness. Plain-language results, then only the treatment your well needs.
289-221-5382Call or text to book a time that suits you.Book well water testing
Tell us where the well is and what the water is doing. The on-site test is free. Lab panels are quoted before we sample.
Prefer to talk now? Call 289-221-5382.