We take the sample, deliver it to an accredited laboratory and explain the result. Then, if needed, we clean the well, install a new spike well or fit a filter. The basic test costs from €35, with microbiology from €95.
Vecmīlgrāvis: housing estates, low-rise streets and the port
Vecmīlgrāvis is a large northern residential and port neighbourhood by the Mīlgrāvis canal. It has apartment block estates, low-rise houses and port, warehouse and industrial sites. Apartment blocks take water from the city network; your own source, if there is one, is usually in the low-rise streets.
In the 2025 contract performance report of Rīgas ūdens (Riga's water utility), Vecmīlgrāvis is on the list of neighbourhoods where services are unavailable or only partly available in certain areas or streets. In the Vecmīlgrāvis entry, the report adds that sewerage is not available in some streets. The streets are not named.
Source: Rīgas ūdens contract performance report for 2025, approved 23.03.2026 (rigasudens.lv). Checked 03.11.2026.
Why we start with the laboratory for a house with a well here
In streets without sewerage, each house manages its own waste water. In its explanation on private wells of 21.09.2026, Rīgas ūdens reminds owners that leaky septic tanks and cesspits can pollute groundwater and that clear, good-tasting water can contain microorganisms. A dug well (concrete-ring well) and a spike well draw precisely on the upper groundwater, so for drinking water we recommend the full test, not just chemistry.
- Microbiology: E. coli, coliforms and enterococci show whether surface water or waste water is getting into the well.
- Nitrates, nitrites and ammonium: nitrogen compounds that also point to pollution from the surface.
- Iron, manganese, pH, electrical conductivity: these decide whether a filter is needed, and which.
- Extended parameters, such as petroleum products: only if there is a specific reason, for example an industrial site or fuel storage near the well.
Source: lvportals.lv, “Water from a well or a public water main: three myths about water quality, safety and costs” (the Rīgas ūdens explanation, 21.09.2026). Checked 03.11.2026.
The result in your hands: what to do next
The laboratory compares the result with the values in Cabinet Regulation No. 547 on drinking water. These regulations are not mandatory for a single household's well, but they are the best benchmark. The most common cases and the next step:
| Result | What we do |
|---|---|
| E. coli or coliforms above 0 CFU/100 ml | We clean the well, seal the joints, check the lid and disinfect; once the well has refilled, we repeat the test |
| Bacteria remain even after cleaning | UV disinfection after a mechanical filter, or a new, deeper source further from waste water |
| Nitrates above 50 mg/l | We look for the source of pollution; for drinking water, a reverse osmosis filter in the kitchen |
| Iron above 200 µg/l, manganese above 50 µg/l | An iron removal filter with a filter medium that also removes manganese |
| All parameters below the reference values | Nothing needs buying; repeat the test after flooding or if the water's appearance changes |
More on sampling and test packages: well water testing. On treating bacteria: UV water disinfection.
Cabinet Regulation No. 547 of 26.09.2023 “Mandatory Safety and Quality Requirements for Drinking Water, and the Procedures for Monitoring and Control Thereof”, Annex 1 (E. coli and coliforms 0, nitrates 50 mg/l, iron 200 µg/l, manganese 50 µg/l) and sub-point 4.5 (does not apply to a source used by fewer than 50 people or with abstraction of up to 10 m³ per day). Source: likumi.lv/ta/id/345861, checked 03.11.2026.
For a flat in an estate: a filter based on a tap sample
In a flat, water comes from the city network, and the water company is responsible for it. If you still want to know what water runs from your own tap, the basic test from €35 also shows the effect of the building's risers. For drinking water in the kitchen, a reverse osmosis or carbon filter fitted under the sink is often enough; a reverse osmosis filter with installation costs from €250.
Towards Mangaļsala, and the networks
Streets lead from Vecmīlgrāvis to Mangaļsala and Vecāķi. The Rīgas ūdens project to connect Mangaļsala to the public networks starts from Laivinieku iela and joins the main networks on Atlantijas iela in Vecmīlgrāvis. On the water situation in Mangaļsala: Mangaļsala.
Source: the Rīgas ūdens news item “Connections to the public water supply and sewerage networks will be built in Mangaļsala” (rigasudens.lv). Checked 03.11.2026.
Work and prices in Vecmīlgrāvis
- Water testing in Vecmīlgrāvis: basic from €35, chemistry and microbiology from €95.
- Well cleaning: from €150, disinfection included.
- Well repair: joints, rings, lid, from €150.
- Spike well in Vecmīlgrāvis: from €350, if the well is no longer worth restoring.
- Water treatment: iron removal from €600, reverse osmosis from €250.
The nearby port and railway bring their own access quirks, so an exact address and a description of the access are useful in your request. There is no call-out fee in Riga. All prices: prices.