Well water testing in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Last verified: · 16 sources · What we couldn't verify
Nitrate and bacteria are the big issues for Lancaster County wells: in Penn State's lab data, 24.8% of tested samples exceeded the nitrate standard and 41.5% had coliform bacteria. Penn State's mail-in kits cost $60-$220, and two DEP-accredited labs sit in Leola and Lititz.
The PA Department of Health estimates that 26% of Pennsylvania adults rely on private well water as their main drinking water source (2020 survey data). USGS describes carbonate rocks as an important aquifer underlying about 70% of a 626-square-mile study area lying mostly in Lancaster County. We did not find a Lancaster County-specific count of private wells.[3][8]
Free and low-cost testing programs
Free private well testing through Penn State Extension (state-funded)
Free (with education requirement) · PA Department of Health (DEHE) with Penn State Extension
Cost: Free for eligible participants
The PA Department of Health partners with Penn State Extension's Drinking Water Program to offer free water testing for private well owners, funded by a CDC Environmental Health Capacity grant. In the 2025 program year, people who attended a webinar or workshop got a free test for bacteria, nitrate, manganese, lead, copper, arsenic, sodium and barium. Five webinars were open statewide; a county-based program was held in Lancaster County in 2021. Whether a program is running now is not confirmed, so contact DEHE.[3][4]
Contact: dehe@pa.gov, 717-787-3350
Penn State Extension Lancaster County office
Test kits and advice · Penn State Extension
Cost: Kit cost is the Penn State lab fee for the package you choose
Penn State says its drinking water test kits are available at many county extension offices. The Lancaster County office is at the Farm & Home Center; it asks visitors to call ahead to make sure someone is available. Call to confirm kits are in stock.[5][2]
Contact: 1383 Arcadia Road, Room 140, Lancaster, PA 17601-3184; 717-394-6851; LancasterExt@psu.edu
Bacteria test kits from PA DEP Reading District Office
Kits available for purchase · PA Department of Environmental Protection
Cost: Price not listed
DEP says bacterial test kits can be purchased from its regional and district offices. The Reading District Office (Southcentral Region) serves Berks and Lancaster counties.[6]
Contact: Reading District Office: 610-916-0100
Labs that serve the county
Waypoint Analytical - Pennsylvania, Inc.
Mail-in: not verifiedHomeowner samples: not verified
280 Newport Rd, Leola, PA 17540
717-656-9326
DEP-accredited (certificate expires 12/31/2026) for drinking-water nitrate, nitrite, pH, total coliform and E. coli. Its drinking-water instructions say every sample needs a completed chain-of-custody form, bacteria samples are accepted Monday-Thursday until 3:30 pm, and supplies can be requested by phone or email or picked up at the lab. Prices not published - call first.[9][10][11][7]
Owl Hill Laboratories LLC
Mail-in: not verifiedHomeowner samples: not verified
9 Cindy Circle, Lititz, PA 17543-9244
717-627-2520
Listed in DEP's June 2024 accredited-labs report for drinking-water total coliform and E. coli (presence/absence). We could not reach its website, so services, prices and homeowner policy are unconfirmed - call first.[7]
Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory
Mail-in: yesHomeowner samples: yes
720 Tower Rd., University Park, PA 16802
814-863-0841
Accredited by PA DEP for drinking water analysis. Get a kit (cooler, shipping box, bottles, form) from a county Extension office, then send it by overnight mail with payment. Bacteria samples must arrive within 30 hours of sampling and no later than Thursday; no bacteria samples accepted on Fridays. Results generally in 10-14 business days.[2][12]
Lancaster County has no county health department testing program that we could find. Pennsylvania accredits labs per test, so confirm the lab is accredited for each test you need; DEP publishes separate lists for chemical and bacteriological drinking-water labs. Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories Environment Testing (2425 New Holland Pike, Lancaster) appears on DEP's chemical list, but we found nothing on whether it takes homeowner samples.[6][7][13]
Local contaminants of concern
- Major concern Nitrate. 100 of 403 Lancaster County samples tested by Penn State's lab (Aug 2007 - Jun 2025), or 24.8%, exceeded the 10 mg/L nitrate standard; the median was 5.8 mg/L and the maximum 30.1 mg/L. USGS found more than 40% of wells in the carbonate and agricultural areas of the upper Conestoga River basin over 10 mg/L (1982-83 data), and 45% of samples from agricultural areas on carbonate bedrock in the Lower Susquehanna basin over the standard.[1][14][15]
- Major concern Coliform bacteria / E. coli. Of 532 Penn State samples, 221 (41.5%) had total coliform bacteria and 55 (10.3%) had E. coli.[1]
- Moderate concern Lead and corrosive water. 18 of 149 first-draw samples (12.1%) exceeded 0.015 mg/L lead, and 68.4% of 152 samples failed the corrosivity index. pH was outside 6.5-8.5 in 17.7% of 485 samples.[1]
- Moderate concern Manganese, iron and dissolved solids. 14.7% of 109 samples exceeded 0.05 mg/L manganese, 8.7% of 115 exceeded 0.3 mg/L iron, and 14.6% of 478 exceeded 500 mg/L total dissolved solids (aesthetic standards; staining, taste).[1]
- Local hot spots Herbicides. USGS found atrazine, simazine, alachlor and metolachlor almost exclusively in the agricultural and carbonate areas of the upper Conestoga River basin (1982-83 data). Penn State's standard packages do not include pesticides - ask an accredited lab.[14][2]
- Lower concern Arsenic. 1 of 122 Penn State samples (0.8%) exceeded 0.01 mg/L.[1]
- Not verified Radon, PFAS. We did not find Lancaster County private-well radon-in-water or PFAS data in the sources reviewed. Unverified.
A county rate can't tell you what's in your well. Only a test can. See what to test for.
Typical cost
| Test / item | Price |
|---|---|
| Penn State WD01 Standard (coliform, E. coli, pH, TDS)[2] | $60 |
| Penn State WD04 Agriculture/Septic (standard + nitrate), the package Penn State suggests near farms or septic systems[2] | $70 |
| Penn State WD02 Aesthetics/Corrosivity[2] | $85 |
| Penn State WD03 Aesthetics/Corrosivity plus lead[2] | $125 |
| Penn State WD07 Trace (metals incl. arsenic, lead)[2] | $130 |
| Penn State WD08 Extensive[2] | $220 |
| Penn State single tests: bacteria $40; arsenic $30; nitrate $15[2] | $15-$40 |
| Local labs (Waypoint Analytical, Owl Hill Laboratories) | Not published - call |
Prices are from the published lists cited, as of the last-verified date. Confirm before ordering.
How often to test
- PA DEP: test every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH; test for other contaminants if you suspect them.[6]
- Penn State: coliform bacteria annually; pH and TDS every three years; the Agriculture/Septic package adds nitrate for wells near intensively managed farmland or septic systems.[2]
How to collect a sample
Steps for the Penn State mail-in kit (other labs have their own bottles and instructions):
- First-draw lead bottle (only for lead tests): collect first thing in the morning from your usual drinking-water faucet after water has sat at least six hours, before running any water.
- Bacteria bottle: use an inside faucet, remove the aerator, run cold water about five minutes, then fill to the 100 mL line without touching the inside of the bottle or cap.
- General bottle: rinse three times with tap water, then fill.
- Refrigerate and ship so the cooler arrives within 30 hours of sampling and no later than Thursday.
Source[12][2]. General steps: How to test your well water.
After you get results
DEP compares results against Pennsylvania MCLs and suggests installing a treatment device for any contaminant above them. USGS found that cutting nitrogen (mostly manure) applications on a farm near Ephrata lowered nitrate in nearby wells, with a lag of about 4 to 19 months, so nitrate levels can change over time; retest after treatment or land-use changes.[6][16]
What we couldn't verify
- Whether Waypoint Analytical's Leola lab and Owl Hill Laboratories take homeowner well samples, accept mailed samples, and what they charge.
- Owl Hill Laboratories' current accreditation (DEP list dated June 2024; its website did not load).
- Whether the Penn State Extension Lancaster office currently stocks drinking water test kits.
- Whether the Penn State Extension free-testing program is running in the current year and open to Lancaster County residents.
- Price of DEP Reading District Office bacteria kits.
- Radon-in-water, uranium and PFAS occurrence in Lancaster County private wells.
- A Lancaster County count or share of homes on private wells.
Sources
- Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Lab: Summary of Drinking Water Samples - Lancaster County (8/15/2007 - 6/16/2025, 555 samples)
- Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Lab: Drinking Water Testing (packages, fees, kits)
- PA Department of Health: Well Water
- Penn State Extension: Extension Private Water Supply Education and Water Testing in 2025
- Penn State Extension: Lancaster County office
- PA Department of Environmental Protection: Private Wells: Water Testing
- PA Department of Environmental Protection: Accredited Labs Report - drinking water microbiology (June 13, 2024, PDF)
- U.S. Geological Survey: U.S. Geological Survey Ground-Water Studies in Pennsylvania (Open-File Report 88-149, PDF)
- Waypoint Analytical: Contact Us (Waypoint Analytical Pennsylvania, Inc.)
- PA DEP Laboratory Accreditation Program (posted by Waypoint Analytical): Certificate of Accreditation and Scope, Lab 36-05968 (PDF)
- Waypoint Analytical: Drinking Water Sample Submission - Client Instructions (PDF)
- Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Lab: How to Collect a Water Sample
- PA Department of Environmental Protection: Accredited Labs Report - drinking water chemistry (June 11, 2024, PDF)
- U.S. Geological Survey: Occurrence of nitrate and herbicides in ground water in the upper Conestoga River basin, Pennsylvania (WRI 85-4202)
- U.S. Geological Survey: Nitrate in ground water and stream base flow in the lower Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland (WRI 97-4146)
- U.S. Geological Survey: Effects of nutrient management on surface runoff and ground water at a carbonate-rock site near Ephrata, Pennsylvania, 1984-90 (WRI 95-4143)
All sources accessed on or before 2026-10-29.