People who drink water from wells and other nonpublic sources should test their water routinely to make sure it is safe to drink. If a water company supplies your water, they can usually give you information about its quality.

If you are testing the water because of illness in your family, you should contact your physician first and test the water based on his or her recommendations. If you are testing the water because you suspect a problem with your pets or livestock, we recommend that you contact a veterinarian or agricultural extension agent for advice.

If you need a water test as part of a mortgage or refinance, we'll need to know specifically which tests are required and if it is acceptable for you to collect your own sample. We do not collect residential water samples.

If you are testing your water at the request of the PA DEP or the Department of Agriculture, we need to know what analyses you must perform and additional information about your system.

Many of the other things we can test for on residential well samples are not considered by the EPA to be directly health threatening. Therefore we recommend that you only test for things like iron or hardness if you are having specific problems such as staining or odors. Because the character of water can vary from well to well we recommend that you discuss any specific problems with a water treatment professional to determine appropriate testing.

There is no single test that we can run to show "everything" that is in your water. Therefore it is important to consider your specific situation and concerns prior to ordering a water test.

Lancaster Laboratories uses methods that are approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. "We've been inspected and certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP)to perform this type of testing."

Listed below are links that will help you determine the type of testing you'll need to perform.