Well Maintenance & Water Testing

Well owners are responsible for the condition of their well and proper maintenance.

As your well ages, it may become damaged and allow harmful contaminants into your drinking water. Proper maintenance includes:

• ongoing observation of the state of the well, pump and other equipment
• keeping surface water or foreign materials from entering the well  (e.g., making sure the well cap is securely in place)
• ensuring the minimum casing height, usually 40 cm, above the surface of the well is maintained
• preventing contamination of the well from things such as vehicles, manure, pet waste, pesticides, salt or fertilizer
• noticing changes in the appearance of the water such as colour, taste or odour, especially after a rainstorm or snow melt
• testing water quality at least three times a year
• ensuring your septic tank system works properly and is pumped regularly
• identifying abnormal sounds which could indicate wear on the well’s pump, waterlines, electrical cables and associated equipment
• verifying the pump’s efficiency – if the pump is continually running or losing pressure it may be a sign of a crack or hole in the waterlines

Read about best practices for maintenance of wells  or pick up a copy of Best Practices for Well Maintenance at the Public Health Lab - 250 Fennell Avenue West, Hamilton. 

Check the directory of licensed well contractors before you get work done on your well.

Testing water from private wells is the responsibility of each well owner. To ensure your well water is safe to drink, Public Health Services recommends testing your well water at least three times each year for bacteria. About 28% of water samples from private residential wells and cisterns in Hamilton had unsafe levels of bacteria in 2023.

The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care provides free water testing for bacteria, including E.coli and total coliform, from private wells.

Well water test results

Private Citizen Drinking Water Report Pick Up:

• Clients may follow the request for records posted on the PHO website to receive a copy of their report by e-mail. 
• If the client ticked the “I will pick up report at the laboratory” box on the requisition, the test report will be mailed to the submitter’s mailing address that appeared on the form.
• Private Citizen Drinking Water Sample Drop Off / Collection Kit Pick Up:
• Regional laboratory sites: Designated refrigerator/cooler with ice packs have been made available to clients away from the laboratory area and staff (e.g., lobby/vestibule). Touch surfaces will be cleaned/disinfected often.

You will get your well water test results by mail if you completed the form in the testing kit or you can follow instructions on the blue card enclosed with your testing kit to get test results from the automated telephone system.

• How to interpret drinking water test results

How often to test well water

If you have not tested water from your well for over a year, we recommend you test it immediately:

• Follow instructions above for how to test well water, but take three water samples at least one week apart.
• If you have water treatment devices attached to your plumbing, you may choose to submit two drinking water samples: one from a tap used for drinking water and the other sample from a location prior to treatment. This helps determine the level of bacteria not only in your tap water but also in your well. 

After the initial testing, we recommend you test your well at least three times during the year: 

• immediately after the snow melts in spring
• in the middle of summer
• in the fall

The quality of your well may vary throughout the year, especially during periods of heavy rain.