What does a positive bacteria result mean for my well?

It means coliform bacteria reached the water, which signals a pathway from the surface or a problem in the plumbing. The usual next steps are disinfecting the well, checking the cap and casing, and testing again. Until a clean result comes back, use bottled or boiled water for drinking.

Should I test my well after a flood?

Yes. Floodwater can carry surface contamination into the well, especially in karst ground. Disinfect the well after the water goes down and test before drinking from it again.

Can a well be disinfected?

Yes. Shock chlorination puts a strong chlorine solution down the well and through the plumbing, lets it sit, then flushes it out. A test afterward shows whether it worked.

Who should collect the water sample?

Anyone who follows the lab's instructions closely can, but a careless sample can show bacteria that is not really in the well. We can collect it during a visit if you prefer.

Well Water Testing in Springfield, Missouri

The ground around Springfield, MO is karst, which is why well water testing matters so much here. A USGS study mapped about 2,500 sinkholes in Greene County, and Missouri DNR notes that sinkholes and losing streams let surface water reach groundwater fast. A lab test shows what is in your water, and the results point to whether the well needs disinfection, treatment or repair.

Gloved hands drawing a sample from a brown lab bottle with a pipette

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What should a Springfield-area well be tested for?

A basic household well test looks for coliform bacteria and nitrate, and a broader panel makes sense when you buy a home or notice a change in the water. Bacteria in a sample usually leads to disinfecting the well and checking the cap and casing for a way in. Other results may call for treatment at the tank or the tap. We price testing by the tests you need, and the pricing guide covers what changes the cost.

Why Karst Makes Well Testing Matter Here

Karst is ground full of sinkholes, caves, springs and losing streams. Missouri DNR counts more than 16,000 known sinkholes, 7,500 caves and 4,400 springs statewide, and a 1993 USGS study mapped about 2,500 sinkholes in Greene County alone. Those openings can carry surface water, and whatever is in it, into the aquifer with little filtering.

Local history shows the risk. In 1968 a sinkhole collapse under Republic's sewage lagoon, documented in the Missouri Geological Survey's 1972 Engineering Geology Series 5 report, sent effluent into the shallow aquifer and contaminated at least two household wells. In 1973 a leaking lagoon southeast of Willard, probably built over a sinkhole, polluted a spring and a pond, according to the 1993 USGS study.

In 2010 the state found TCE in a few wells on the west edge of Rogersville. EPA lists the area as the Compass Plaza Well TCE Superfund site, and the remedial program continues. Rogersville's city wells have not shown TCE. Owners near the west edge can ask a lab to add a VOC test. Testing is how a well owner finds out about problems like these.

Benefits of Well Water Testing

Know what you are drinking: A lab result replaces guesswork about taste, smell or color.
Catch bacteria early: A positive bacteria test points to a way in, such as a cracked cap or a casing problem, that can be fixed.
A baseline for later: A clean result on file makes it easy to spot a change after heavy rain or nearby construction.
Treatment that fits: Results show whether you need disinfection, a filter or nothing at all, so you do not buy equipment you do not need.
An answer for buyers: A recent result answers one of the first questions asked about a home with a private well.
Proof after repairs: Testing after pump or well work confirms the disinfection worked.
A check on nearby changes: A test before and after nearby construction, a new septic system or a spill shows whether anything changed in your water.

Our Well Water Testing Process

Choose the tests. We start with bacteria and nitrate, and add other tests if there is a reason, such as a nearby spill or a change in the water.
Collect the sample. Samples are taken from a cold tap after running the water, in the bottles the lab provides and following its instructions.
Get it to the lab. Bacteria samples have to reach the lab quickly, so collection is timed around the lab's hours.
Read the results. We explain what the numbers mean and what, if anything, needs to happen next.
Fix the source. If bacteria shows up, the well is disinfected and the cap, casing and seal are checked for a way in.
Treat and retest. Treatment is chosen to match the result, and a follow-up test confirms it worked.

Cost of Well Water Testing

We price testing by the lab work involved, so there is no flat figure here. The cost depends mostly on how many things the lab is asked to look for. A bacteria and nitrate test is the usual starting point, and broader panels add to the price.

Number of tests: Each added contaminant or panel adds lab cost.
Sampling: Having us collect the sample adds a visit.
Follow-up: Retesting after disinfection or treatment is a second lab fee.
Treatment: Any treatment equipment is a separate cost from the test itself.

Test, Treat or Fix the Well?

A bad result does not always mean buying treatment equipment. Bacteria often traces to a loose or damaged well cap, a cracked casing or surface water reaching the well, and fixing that source matters more than filtering the water afterward.

If the well is old, shallow or poorly sealed, well rehabilitation or a new well through water well drilling may be the long-term fix. For a home sale, testing is usually part of a well inspection.

When treatment is the right answer, it is chosen to match the result. Shock chlorination clears bacteria after a one-time event, while a recurring bacteria problem may call for continuous disinfection such as an ultraviolet unit. Sediment and some minerals are handled with filters, and other contaminants need equipment rated for that specific problem. Retest after any treatment goes in to confirm it is working.

Local Water Testing Considerations

USGS places most karst features around Springfield in the shallow Springfield Plateau aquifer, a layer Missouri DNR calls a common target for household wells. A well cased deeper into rock is less exposed, but no well is immune to a cracked cap or a failed seal.

Test after flooding or very heavy rain, after any work that opens the well, and whenever the water changes taste, color or smell. DNR's point about losing streams and sinkholes carrying surface water fast is the reason heavy rain deserves a follow-up test here.

Nitrate is worth watching on rural land. It can come from septic systems, fertilizer and livestock, and it has no taste or smell to warn you. A test is the only way to know the level in your water.