We take a sample from the well or the tap, deliver it to an accredited laboratory and explain the result. Chemistry together with microbiology costs from €95. Send a request with your address and the reason you want the well tested.
How well water differs from borehole water
A dug well is meant for groundwater that usually lies no deeper than 10 m below the ground surface. This water is covered only by a layer of soil and sand, so rain and snowmelt, fertiliser, manure and wastewater can get into it. Borehole water comes from a deeper layer, and there the most common problems are iron and hardness, not bacteria.
Cabinet Regulation No. 326 of 30.06.2015 “Regulations on Latvian Building Code LBN 222-15 'Water Supply Structures'”, point 84: dug wells are used mainly for aquifers lying no deeper than 10 m below the ground surface. Source: likumi.lv, checked 03.11.2026.
What to test in well water
| Parameter | Cabinet Regulation No. 547 value | What it means in a well |
|---|---|---|
| E. coli, intestinal enterococci | 0 CFU/100 ml | Contamination from wastewater, manure or animals is getting into the well |
| Coliform bacteria | 0 CFU/100 ml | Surface water gets into the well through the joints, the cover or the top of the rings |
| Nitrates | 50 mg/l | Fertiliser or wastewater in the groundwater; boiling does not remove them |
| Nitrites | 0.50 mg/l | Fresh contamination that has not yet turned into nitrates |
| Ammonium | 0.50 mg/l | Organic contamination close to the well |
| Oxidisability | 5.0 mg/l O₂ | A lot of organic matter, for example from silt on the well bottom |
| Turbidity, colour, odour | acceptable, no abnormal change | Clay, silt, rotting matter |
Iron and hardness can also be tested in a well, and they are in the basic chemistry package. If you use the well only for watering the garden, microbiology matters less, and basic chemistry is enough.
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, intestinal enterococci, coliforms 0 CFU/100 ml; nitrates 50 mg/l; nitrites 0.50 mg/l; ammonium 0.50 mg/l; oxidisability 5.0 mg/l O₂. The regulation does not apply to wells used by fewer than 50 persons or supplying up to 10 m³ a day on average (sub-point 4.5), so these are reference values. Source: likumi.lv, checked 03.11.2026.
When to test well water
- In spring after the snowmelt and after long spells of rain, when the groundwater is higher and contamination gets into the well most easily.
- After flooding or if surface water has flooded the well: before you start drinking the water again.
- After well cleaning and disinfection, once the chlorine smell has gone and the well has been pumped out several times. If the sample is taken earlier, residual chlorine in the bottle kills the bacteria, and the result looks better than it really is.
- When the water's appearance, smell or taste changes.
- When buying a house with a well.
- If you drink the well water, regularly; once a year in spring is a sensible rhythm.
How we take a sample from a well
We take the sample from the point where you draw water. If the water comes to the house through a pump, it is taken from a tap before the filters, after letting the water run first. If the water is drawn with a bucket, the sample is taken straight from the well with a sterile container, without touching the ring walls.
At the well we also note what we see: the state of the cover and the ring joints, whether rainwater runs towards the well, and the distance to a barn, compost heap or septic tank. This helps explain the result and choose the right solution.
If the well water quality is poor
- Bacteria: first well cleaning and well disinfection, sealing the ring joints and a cover that keeps rainwater out. Then a repeat test. If the bacteria come back, UV water disinfection.
- Nitrates: disinfection does not remove them. The source around the well has to be found; for drinking water a reverse osmosis filter works. If nitrates stay high, consider a deeper source: borehole.
- Cloudy water or a smell: cloudy well water and well water smells.
How much does well water testing cost
For a well we recommend chemistry together with microbiology: from €95. If you need only the basic chemical parameters, for example for a watering well, they cost from €35. For a follow-up test after disinfection you can choose a shorter list of parameters, and we name the price accordingly. All prices: prices.