If you receive drinking water from a municipal water provider, your water is tested and monitored to meet state and federal standards. If your home is served by a private well, you are responsible for monitoring your well water quality. Regular testing is the only way to know your water is safe – but resources are available to help.
Download an informational flyer.
Why is Testing Important?
Private wells are not regulated like public water systems. Water quality can be affected by:
- Naturally occurring minerals in soils
- Septic systems
- Flooding and heavy rainfall
- Agricultural or stormwater runoff containing chemicals or road salts
- Nearby landfills or hazardous waste sites
- Leaking underground storage tanks
- Aging well components, especially the wellhead covering, casing and cap
- Improper well construction
Some contaminants have no taste, smell, or color. This means just because your private well water is clear does not mean it is safe to drink, bathe or cook with.
How Often Should You Test?
The Virginia Department of Health recommends:
Every year
- Nitrates
- Total coliform bacteria
- E. coli
Every 3–5 years
- pH
- Hardness
- Iron & manganese
- Lead
- Arsenic
- Fluoride
Test immediately if:
- Your water changes in taste, smell, or color
- Your well floods
- You repair or replace well components
- Household members experience unexplained illness
Private Lab Testing
Testing services are available through multiple private labs and some municipal drinking water labs in Hampton Roads. Contact your locality’s water utility department to learn more about the services they offer. You can also review the Virginia Department of Consolidated Laboratory Services directory to identify a certified drinking water lab nearest you. Current lists of certified labs are available at the “Find a Lab” webpage of the Virginia Department of General Services.
Virginia Tech Household Water Quality Program
Virginia Tech offers affordable water testing clinics across Virginia, including events in Hampton Roads.
Clinics cost $70 and include:
- Local sample kit pick-up event or period
- Sample collection day on which all participants collect their water samples following instructions and drop off locally
- Sample transport to Virginia Tech for analysis
- About 4-5 weeks after sample collection, water test results are returned by email, mail or at a local meeting. A local in-person or virtual zoom results meeting may be offered along with a recorded presentation about well maintenance, water quality problems and solving problems.
For a limited time, Hampton Roads Sanitation District is providing sponsorship for select clinics in Hampton Roads, reducing the cost from $70/sample to $20/sample.
2026 Clinics in Hampton Roads:
Register here!
| Date | Location | Contact |
| July 22, 2026 | Isle of Wight | Livvy Preisser livvy16@vt.edu 757-365-6261 |
| July 22, 2026 | Chesapeake | Michael Andruczyk mikeand@vt.edu 757-382-6348 |
| July 22, 2026 | Suffolk | Andrea Slye awise@vt.edu 757-514-4337 |
| July 22, 2026 | Virginia Beach | Roy Flanagan royf@vt.edu 757-382-6348 |
| November 11, 2026 | Surry | Elizabeth Cooper elizp16@vt.edu 757-294-5303 |
*NOTE: The date listed is the sample drop-off date. Sample collection occurs beforehand. Drinking water clinics typically run from February – November each year. To learn more or to register for an upcoming clinic visit www.wellwater.bse.vt.edu.
After Flooding or Major Storms:
Because Hampton Roads experiences flooding and heavy rainfall:
- Assume your well may be contaminated after flooding.
- Do not use the water for drinking, cooking, or brushing teeth until it has been tested.
- Contact your local health department for guidance on disinfection and testing.
Questions?
For more information and helpful resources related to private wells, contact:
- Your local health department
- The Virginia Cooperative Extension
- Phone:540-231-9058
- Email:wellwater@vt.edu
- Online: https://www.wellwater.bse.vt.edu/contact.php
- WellOwner.org
For information about public water service areas, contact your municipal drinking water provider.