Guide
Buying a home with a well in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania doesn't regulate private wells or require a test at sale. What to test, where to find a certified lab, and the common Chester County well problems to watch for.
Pennsylvania has more than a million private wells serving about 3.5 million people, and the state doesn't regulate them[1][2]. Unlike New Jersey, there's no statewide requirement to test a well when a home is sold, so it's up to you as a buyer to ask for one.
What to test before you buy
Make well testing part of your inspection contingency, and use a state-accredited lab. Chester County publishes a list of certified labs[3]. In southeastern Pennsylvania, consider:
- Total coliform and E. coli, the basic safety test. See bacteria in well water.
- pH and corrosivity. 83.3% of Penn State well samples from Chester County tested for corrosivity were outside the non-corrosive range[4]. Corrosive water can leach metals from plumbing[5].
- Nitrate, especially near farm fields. See nitrate.
- Radon: 14% of 1,041 USGS-sampled Pennsylvania wells exceeded 4,000 pCi/L[6]. See radon in well water.
- Iron, manganese, and hardness, which drive treatment equipment choices.
- PFAS, if the home is near a known source.
Reading the results
Compare results to EPA drinking water standards[7]. Public water limits don't legally apply to private wells, but they're the best benchmark. If something is high, ask the seller for a credit or for treatment to be installed and verified with a retest before closing.
After you move in
Test every year for bacteria and nitrate, and after any flooding or work on the well[8]. A free in-home test from WÜDR covers treatment-design basics like hardness, iron, and pH; we'll point you to a certified lab for health-related items.
More guides
Common questions
Is a well test required to sell a house in Pennsylvania?
No statewide law requires it. Lenders for some loan types may require a test, and buyers can make one part of the inspection contingency.
How long do well test results take?
It depends on the lab and the tests. Bacteria results are usually quickest; ask the lab for its turnaround before you set inspection deadlines.
Clean water starts with knowing what's in it.
Sources
- Penn State Extension: Private water systems FAQs. extension.psu.edu/private-water-systems-faqs
- PA DEP: Private wells. www.pa.gov/agencies/dep/residents/my-water/private-wells
- Chester County Health Department: Well water test labs. www.chesco.org/978/Well-Water-Test-Labs
- Penn State AASL: Chester County drinking water test summary. agsci.psu.edu/aasl/water-testing/drinking-water-testing/drinking-water-test-summaries/chester
- Penn State Extension: Corrosive water problems. extension.psu.edu/corrosive-water-problems
- USGS: High levels of radon found in some wells across Pennsylvania. www.usgs.gov/news/state-news-release/high-levels-radon-found-some-wells-across-pennsylvania
- U.S. EPA: National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/national-primary-drinking-water-regulations
- U.S. EPA: Private drinking water wells. www.epa.gov/privatewells
EPA records retrieved Oct 2026 from the EPA SDWIS and UCMR 5 public datasets. Utility records describe a water system, not the tap in your home. Records can lag and may be incomplete.