Private wells
If you are on a well, most pages on this site are not about your water. Start here.
Public system
records we summarize
Not the same
separate worlds
Your well
you test and maintain
The short version
- Public system records do not describe a private well.
- Well owners are their own water system: testing and treatment choices are yours.
- In Ontario, bacterial testing of private well water is often free through public health — ask your local health unit how to submit samples.
A simple routine
- Bacterial tests several times a year, and after floods, repairs, or any change in taste, smell, or clarity.
- Periodic nitrate (and other) tests through a lab — especially with infants in the house.
- Wellhead care: solid cap, ground sloping away, no chemicals stored nearby.
Treatment should follow test results, not worry alone. See
filter basics for education only.