Well water testing in York County, Maine

Last verified: 2026-10-27 · 25 sources · What we couldn't verify

Arsenic is the main worry in York County wells: 23.1% of wells tested at the state lab were over Maine's 10 µg/L guideline, second only to Kennebec County, with hot spots in Buxton, Eliot, Hollis, Dayton and Saco. Maine DEP has also found PFAS over 20 ng/L in some wells in Kittery and Buxton. Nelson Analytical Lab in Kennebunk and the state lab in Augusta both test homeowner wells.

In Maine CDC's telephone survey (BRFSS, 2017-2019, 2021 and 2023 combined), an estimated 52.6% of York County adults get their water from a well (54.2% statewide). Among well users, about 83% have ever tested their well and about 56% have tested it for arsenic (53.2% statewide). Well use is highest in the inland towns: USGS estimates (from 1990 census shares) put nearly every household in Buxton, Limington, Newfield, Dayton, Lyman, Shapleigh, Hollis and Acton on its own well, versus small shares in Biddeford, Old Orchard Beach and Ogunquit. Maine does not regulate private wells; owners are responsible for testing and treating their water.^[4][6][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. Eurofins Portland is also on the list but for bacteria only. 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.^[7]

Local contaminants of concern

• Major concern Arsenic. 23.1% of York County private wells tested at the state lab exceeded Maine's 10 µg/L guideline, the second-highest share of Maine's 16 counties after Kennebec (data updated 5/2023). In USGS's town-by-town review of 2005-09 state lab results, 41% of sampled wells in Buxton were over 10 µg/L (11% over 50 µg/L), along with 38% in Eliot, 35% in Hollis, 33% in Dayton, 30% in both Saco and Arundel and 27% in Limington; towns such as Kennebunkport, Lyman, Wells and Sanford had few or no wells over 10 µg/L. The highest results in the county were 410 µg/L in Biddeford, 350 µg/L in Saco and 270 µg/L in Buxton. USGS identified southern coastal Maine as one of three large high-arsenic areas in the state. Statewide, Maine CDC says about 1 in 10 wells has too much arsenic.^{[3][5][6][23]}
• 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 10 of 54 wells in Kittery, 8 of 47 in Buxton, 3 of 30 in Saco, 2 of 66 in Dayton, 2 of 10 in Kennebunkport, 1 of 4 in Arundel and 1 of 2 in Limerick, and none in the few wells sampled in Biddeford, Lebanon, Ogunquit and York. DEP's sampling focuses on suspected source areas such as 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.^[17][18][20]
• Lower concern Manganese. 4.5% of York County wells tested at the state lab exceeded Maine's 0.3 mg/L manganese guideline (data updated 5/2023).^[3]
• Lower concern Fluoride. 2.7% of York County wells tested at the state lab exceeded Maine's 2 mg/L fluoride guideline (data updated 5/2023).^[3]
• Lower concern Uranium. 1.8% of York County wells tested at the state lab exceeded Maine's 30 µg/L uranium guideline (data updated 5/2023), well below neighboring Cumberland County (19.8%). Maine CDC advises not drinking water at 30 µg/L or higher and, above 130 µg/L, not cooking with it either.^[3][22]
• Lower concern Nitrate. 0.7% of York 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]
• Not verified Radon in water. We found no York 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.^[21][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 USGS town figures are from 2005-09, and 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^[12][8][19]. 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.^{[23][22][24][25]}

What we couldn't verify

• Nelson Analytical Lab's current prices and whether it accepts shipped samples: its price list and kit order pages returned errors, and search snippets showed two conflicting price lists, so we used neither.
• The dates and discount amount for Kennebunkport's next testing day (the town notice we found gives June 1-15 but no year).
• Homeowner services, prices, mail-in policy and street address for Katahdin Analytical Services (SGS Scarborough); its listed website returned an error or redirected to a general SGS page.
• Whether Nova EnviroLabs accepts samples by mail (its site mentions free kit shipping but not return shipping).
• A York 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 York County or municipal well-testing program besides Kennebunkport's; we found none current.

Sources

1. Maine CDC: Private Well Water (testing recommendations, free help, low-income test kit form)
2. Maine CDC: Well Water Information Request (low-income free test kit, how to test)
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 Tracking Network, Maine CDC: Private Well Water (data definitions and limitations)
6. 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 and appendix town tables
7. Maine CDC Laboratory Accreditation: Maine In-State Commercial Drinking Water Labs (last updated 5/16/2026)
8. Maine CDC Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory: Water (submit and ship samples to the state lab)
9. Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory: Maine Private Well and Radiological Water and Air Test (online kit store and prices)
10. Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory: Well Evaluation (product page: kit contents, $2 Private Well Safe Drinking Water Fund fee)
11. Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory: HETL Water Testing Kits Available (kit contents)
12. Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory: Sample Acceptance Policy (FM-QA-037, rev. May 13, 2022)
13. Nelson Analytical Lab: Nelson Analytical Lab (locations and residential drinking water testing)
14. Town of Kennebunkport Public Health: Well Water Testing (annual testing day with Nelson Analytical Lab)
15. Town of Kennebunkport: Reduced Rate Well Water Testing, June 1st-15th
16. Nova EnviroLabs: Maine PFAS Testing Lab (EASYCheck and EPA 533 test kits and prices)
17. Maine DEP PFAS Investigation: Preliminary Private Drinking Water Well Results by Town (as of June 12, 2023)
18. Maine DEP: PFOA and PFOS (PFAS) FAQ: how DEP decides where to sample wells
19. Maine DEP: PFAS Water Sampling for Homeowners
20. Maine CDC: PFAS and Well Water
21. Maine CDC: Radon (radon in air and water, Maine guidelines)
22. Maine CDC: Uranium in Your Well Water (January 2022)
23. Maine CDC: Have You Tested Your Well Water for Arsenic? (March 2020)
24. Maine CDC: Quick Guide to Well Water Treatment
25. MaineHousing: Well Water Abatement Program

All sources accessed on or before 2026-10-27.

More useful links

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

Other Maine counties

• Kennebec County

All Maine county guides