Well water testing in Kennebec County, Maine

Last verified: 2026-10-26 · 22 sources · What we couldn't verify

Arsenic is the big one: 28% of Kennebec County wells tested at the state lab were over Maine's 10 µg/L guideline, the highest share of any Maine county. PFAS has been found over Maine's 20 ng/L level in many wells Maine DEP sampled in Benton, Albion and Monmouth. The state lab in Augusta charges $127 (plus a $2 fee) for its standard well test.

In Maine CDC's telephone survey (BRFSS, 2017-2019, 2021 and 2023 combined), an estimated 55.5% of Kennebec County adults get water from a well (54.2% statewide). Among them, about 83% have ever tested their well and about 65% have tested it for arsenic. Maine does not regulate private wells; owners are responsible for testing and treating their water.^[4][1]

Free and low-cost testing programs

Labs that serve the county

Maine CDC's in-state accredited lab list was last updated 5/16/2026. Labs are accredited test by test, so confirm a lab is accredited for every test you need (Maine Drinking Water Program, 207-287-2070, ask for the Laboratory Accreditation Officer). If you mail samples, check that the lab can receive bacteria samples within the holding time from your area; many labs offer statewide service.^[5]

Local contaminants of concern

• Major concern Arsenic. 28.1% of Kennebec County private wells tested at the state lab exceeded Maine's 10 µg/L guideline, the highest of Maine's 16 counties (data updated 5/2023). In USGS's town-by-town review of 2005-09 state lab results, 62% of sampled wells in Manchester were over 10 µg/L (19% over 50 µg/L), along with 49% in Readfield, 46% in Winthrop, 45% in Monmouth and 42% in Litchfield; the highest single result in the county was 400 µg/L (Litchfield). USGS identified central Kennebec County, west of Augusta, as one of three large high-arsenic areas in Maine. Statewide, Maine CDC says about 1 in 10 wells has too much arsenic.^{[3][2][12][20]}
• Local hot spots PFAS. Maine DEP's preliminary results (as of June 12, 2023) for residential wells it sampled or validated found the sum of six PFAS over 20 ng/L in 29 of 43 wells in Benton, 19 of 80 in Albion, 18 of 37 in Monmouth, 12 of 47 in Oakland, 10 of 22 in Sidney and 9 of 18 in Unity Township, with fewer exceedances elsewhere in the county (e.g. 2 of 19 in Chelsea, 0 of 21 in Waterville). DEP's sampling focuses on areas near licensed sludge/septage land-application sites. Maine CDC says PFAS testing is expensive and offered by few labs, and suggests calling its toxicologists to decide whether testing makes sense.^[13][15][16]
• Moderate concern Uranium. 5.8% of Kennebec County wells tested at the state lab exceeded Maine's 30 µg/L uranium guideline (data updated 5/2023). Maine CDC advises not drinking water at 30 µg/L or higher and, above 130 µg/L, not cooking with it either.^[3][18]
• Not verified Radon in water. We found no Kennebec County radon-in-water rate. Maine CDC says some Maine wells have too much radon; Maine's guideline for radon in private well water is 4,000 pCi/L, and radon from water is released into indoor air during showering and dishwashing.^[17][1]
• Lower concern Manganese. 4.1% of Kennebec County wells tested at the state lab exceeded Maine's 0.3 mg/L manganese guideline (data updated 5/2023).^[3]
• Lower concern Fluoride. 2.4% of Kennebec County wells tested at the state lab exceeded Maine's 2 mg/L fluoride guideline (data updated 5/2023).^[3]
• Lower concern Nitrate. 0.3% of Kennebec County wells tested at the state lab exceeded the 10 mg/L nitrate guideline (data updated 5/2023). Maine CDC still recommends testing bacteria, nitrate and nitrite every year.^[3][1]

The county percentages are from wells whose owners chose to test at the state lab, not a random sample. Maine Tracking Network warns that hot-spot areas for arsenic and uranium may be tested more often, so these shares may overstate the true rate. The PFAS figures are preliminary DEP data focused on suspected contamination areas.

A county rate can't tell you what's in your well. Only a test can. See what to test for.

Typical cost

Prices are from the published lists cited, as of the last-verified date. Confirm before ordering.

How often to test

• Every year: coliform bacteria, E. coli, nitrate and nitrite.^[1]
• Every 3-5 years: arsenic, chloride, copper, fluoride, hardness, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, pH, radon, sodium and uranium. If you have never tested, Maine CDC recommends a comprehensive or standard test covering all of these.^[1]
• Also test when you're expecting a baby, the water changes in smell, taste or color, the well runs dry and comes back, you buy a home, you install or change a treatment system, or after any work on the well.^[1]

How to collect a sample

General rules from the Maine state lab (HETL). Always follow the instructions that come with your kit:

1. Order a kit from the lab and use only the lab's containers. Don't rinse the bottles (some are pre-treated or sterilized) and don't touch the lip or the inside of the cap.
2. Collect early in the week: HETL must receive bacteria samples within 30 hours, and it is closed weekends and holidays, so don't collect or mail on a Friday, Saturday or the day before a holiday.
3. Fill out the chain-of-custody form completely in blue or black ink, and make sure the bottle labels match the form.
4. Keep most samples chilled below 6°C (not frozen) with ice packs on the way to the lab; radon-in-water samples must arrive within 4 days.
5. Ship to HETL, 47 Independence Drive, State House Station #12, Augusta, or drop off in person (questions: 207-287-1717).
6. For PFAS, Maine DEP advises washed, lotion-free hands, nitrile gloves, no waterproof clothing, and running cold water for about ten minutes at high flow before sampling.

Source^[8][6][14]. General steps: How to test your well water.

After you get results

If a result is high, Maine CDC suggests switching to bottled water for drinking and making drinks while you choose a treatment system, and offers free advice at 866-292-3474. Its Quick Guide to Well Water Treatment matches each contaminant to treatment types. Income-qualified households can apply to MaineHousing's Well Water Abatement Program for help paying for treatment.^{[20][18][21][19]}

What we couldn't verify

• Eligibility rules for Maine CDC's low-income test kit request, and whether the kit is free (the request form needs JavaScript and we couldn't read it).
• NELAnalytical's test prices (its online order form didn't load for us); prices quoted in third-party listings were not used.
• Homeowner services, mail-in policy, prices and street addresses for Eurofins Auburn and Maine Laboratories (PFAS only); Eurofins Auburn's listed website didn't load.
• A Kennebec County radon-in-water rate; we found no published county figure.
• Current PFAS well results by town: the DEP town table we found is preliminary and dated June 12, 2023.
• Any Kennebec County or municipal well-testing program; we found none (Maine CDC and the state lab handle private well help).

Sources

1. Maine CDC: Private Well Water (testing recommendations, free help, low-income test kit form)
2. Maine Tracking Network, Maine CDC: Private Well Water (data definitions and limitations)
3. Maine Tracking Network, Maine CDC: Private Well Water Quality: Percent Above Guideline by County (HETL data, updated 5/2023)
4. Maine Tracking Network, Maine CDC: Well Water Use and Testing Behavior by County (BRFSS 2017-2019, 2021, 2023)
5. Maine CDC Laboratory Accreditation: Maine In-State Commercial Drinking Water Labs (last updated 5/16/2026)
6. Maine CDC Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory: Water (submit and ship samples to the state lab)
7. Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory: Maine Private Well and Radiological Water and Air Test (online kit store and prices)
8. Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory: Sample Acceptance Policy (FM-QA-037, rev. May 13, 2022)
9. Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory: HETL Water Testing Kits Available (kit contents)
10. NELAnalytical: Order Testing Kits
11. NELAnalytical / AnalytiChem USA: Contact Us
12. U.S. Geological Survey: Assessment of Arsenic Concentrations in Domestic Well Water, by Town, in Maine, 2005-09 (SIR 2010-5199), tables 3 and 5
13. Maine DEP PFAS Investigation: Preliminary Private Drinking Water Well Results by Town (as of June 12, 2023)
14. Maine DEP: PFAS Water Sampling for Homeowners
15. Maine DEP: PFOA and PFOS (PFAS) FAQ: how DEP decides where to sample wells
16. Maine CDC: PFAS and Well Water
17. Maine CDC: Radon (radon in air and water, Maine guidelines)
18. Maine CDC: Uranium in Your Well Water (January 2022)
19. MaineHousing: Well Water Abatement Program
20. Maine CDC: Have You Tested Your Well Water for Arsenic? (March 2020)
21. Maine CDC: Quick Guide to Well Water Treatment
22. Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory: Well Evaluation (product page: kit contents, $2 Private Well Safe Drinking Water Fund fee)

All sources accessed on or before 2026-10-26.

More useful links

• Maine Tracking Network: private well data by town and county
• Maine CDC: Laboratory Accreditation (all lists, including PFAS labs)

All Maine county guides