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If your home near West Chester runs on a private well, nobody tests that water but you. Here is what Pennsylvania’s own agencies recommend, what your water may be telling you, and what to do after a flood.
Key takeaway: Pennsylvania does not test private wells after they are drilled. The state DEP recommends testing every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH, plus anything else you suspect, using a certified laboratory.
Homes inside the West Chester borough get treated water from Aqua Pennsylvania. Step out into the townships, into parts of the Bradfords, Thornbury, Birmingham, and farther out toward Chadds Ford and Kennett Square, and many homes draw from their own wells. That water can be excellent. It is also entirely the homeowner’s responsibility.
Who is responsible for well water in Pennsylvania?
You are. The Chester County Health Department permits new wells and licenses well drillers and pump installers, but once a well is in service, no agency monitors the water coming out of it. Nobody will send you a notice if something changes underground. Testing is how you find out.
What to test for, and how often
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection recommends testing every year for:
- Total coliform bacteria, the main indicator that surface water or waste may be getting into the well.
- Nitrates, often linked to fertilizer, septic systems, and agriculture.
- Total dissolved solids, a general measure of what is dissolved in the water.
- pH, which affects both taste and how the water treats your pipes.
DEP also advises testing for anything else you have reason to suspect. Penn State Extension, which works closely with homeowners on wells, puts it as a minimum of coliform bacteria every year and pH and total dissolved solids every three years. Either way, the message is the same: at least one test a year, every year.
Use a laboratory certified by the state for drinking water testing, and follow its sampling instructions exactly. Bacteria samples in particular have to reach the lab quickly.
What your water may be telling you
Some problems show themselves. Penn State Extension links common symptoms to specific tests:
- Orange or black stains on fixtures point to iron or manganese.
- Soap that will not lather and white crust point to hardness.
- Salty taste points to chloride, sodium, and dissolved solids, which can come from road salt near busy roads.
- Pinhole leaks or bluish stains point to low pH, which can corrode copper and release metals into the water.
- Stomach illness in the household is a reason to test for bacteria right away.
Many contaminants give no warning at all. Bacteria, nitrates, and arsenic are all colorless and odorless at levels that matter, which is why routine testing is recommended even when the water looks and tastes fine.
Protect the well between tests
Testing tells you what is in the water. Protecting the wellhead helps keep problems out in the first place. Pennsylvania health guidance recommends keeping the well properly maintained, especially the well cap, so insects, runoff, and small animals cannot get in. Keep the area around the wellhead clear and sloped away from the casing. Store fuel, paint, pesticides, fertilizer, and solvents well away from it, and never dispose of them in a septic tank, a dry well, or an abandoned well. If you have an old, unused well on the property, have it properly sealed by a licensed contractor, since an open well is a direct path into the groundwater you drink.
After a flood
The remains of Hurricane Ida caused the worst flooding in the Brandywine watershed in 200 years in 2021, and floodwater can carry bacteria and contaminants straight into a well. Pennsylvania health guidance is clear: stay away from the well pump while it is flooded to avoid electric shock, do not drink or wash with water from a flooded well, and have a well or pump contractor clean and disinfect the well before you turn the pump back on. Then test the water before drinking it again.
Buying a home with a well
Test the well before you buy, as part of your inspection period. Ask the seller for past test results and any records of treatment equipment. A home with a well usually has a septic system too, so read our guide to sewer, septic, and wells in the West Chester area before closing.
Where plumbing fits in
Water testing is a lab’s job, but the equipment that moves and treats well water is plumbing. If your test shows hardness or iron, a softener or filter may help. If pressure sputters, the pump, pressure tank, or pressure switch may be failing. And if the buried line from the well to the house is leaking, that is the same kind of repair as a public water service line. Low pH that is corroding copper can also cause hidden leaks, which leak detection can find.
Well water questions
How often should I test my private well in Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania DEP recommends testing every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH, and for anything else you suspect. Penn State Extension recommends coliform bacteria every year and pH and total dissolved solids every three years at a minimum.
Does Chester County test private wells?
No routine testing is done for you. The Chester County Health Department permits new wells and licenses drillers and pump installers, but once a well is in service, testing the water is the homeowner’s responsibility.
What should I do if my well was flooded?
Stay away from the pump while it is flooded, do not drink or wash with the water, and have a well or pump contractor clean and disinfect the well before turning the pump back on. Test the water before drinking it again. For pump and plumbing work, call (610) 788-0057.