Well Water Testing (Private Drinking Water)

How to Collect a Well Water Sample

1. Get a well water sample collection kit. 
   Water collection kits are available from your nearest PHO laboratory, public health unit or designated pickup location in your area. Collection kits are not available at 661 University Avenue, Toronto.
   
   
2. Use the sample bottle from the kit.
   We only accept drinking water collected directly into the bottle provided in the kit. Be sure to check the lid of the bottle. If the seal is broken, use a new collection kit. 
   
   
3. Sample your well water when you are sure it can be delivered to the PHO laboratory in time. 
   We will not test a sample if it is too old by the time it is received by the laboratory. Contact your local public health unit for sample drop-off locations in your community. Confirm how soon a sample must be submitted after collection to ensure it is tested within the required 48 hour limit. 
   
   
4. Remove any aerator, screen or other attachment from your kitchen faucet.
   If you cannot do this, take a sample from an inside tap with no aerator, such as the bathtub. Do not take a sample from an outside faucet or the garden hose.
   
   
5. Turn on the cold water for two to three minutes. 
   This will help remove standing water from your plumbing system.
   
   
6. Disinfect the end of the faucet spout with an alcohol swab or diluted bleach solution.
   Use a diluted bleach solution (1 part household bleach to 10 parts water) or an alcohol prep pad to remove debris or bacteria. Do not disinfect the spout with a flame because this can damage the faucet. 
   
   
7. Turn on the cold water again. 
   Let the tap run for another two to three minutes.
   
   
8. Remove the lid of the sample bottle.
   If the “tamper proof” ring on the lid is broken, use another PHO collection bottle.  Do not touch the inside of the lid, put down the lid or rinse out the bottle since it contains a preservative to neutralize any chlorine that may be in the sample.  
   
   
9. Fill the bottle to the level that is marked.
   If the water level is below the fill line there may not be enough volume to perform the test.  If there is too much water, the sample cannot be mixed properly. Close the lid firmly and keep it cold but not frozen until it can be delivered to the drop off location.
   
   

Submitting Well Water Samples

Learn how to collect a well water sample and submit it to a PHO laboratory by watching this video from Grey Bruce Public Health Unit

Watch now

Submit Your Information

You can now submit your drinking water sample information online on the Water Testing Portal.

This secure, streamlined platform allows you to enter your information and sample details online and receive your test report electronically. Mandatory fields are clearly indicated and include:

• Last name
• Barcode (from collection bottle)
• Date and time of collection
• Address
• Municipality
• Public health unit

Be sure to keep the barcode from your collection bottle as this is required to access your test report online.

For more information, including step-by-step instructions and FAQs, visit the Water Testing Portal page.

The paper submission and reporting processes will remain available for those who prefer not to use the portal. If you choose the paper method, please be sure to:

• Include the mandatory information on the requisition
• Write your name on the nametag that is on the plastic bag
• Access your test report in-person (except at the 661 University Avenue location), by mail, or request an electronic copy via PHO’s Laboratory Customer Service Centre. You can also access the results over the telephone by calling the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) at 1-877-723-3426 (TTY call 711).

Follow these instructions to make sure your sample does not degrade before you submit it to the laboratory:

1. Drop off the sample as soon as possible. Samples must be tested within 48 hours of collection.
   Contact your local public health unit for sample drop-off locations in your community. Confirm how soon a sample must be submitted after collection to ensure it is tested within the required 48 hour limit. Alternately, drop the sample directly off at the laboratory:
   

Drop-Off Hours

PHO’s regional laboratory locations
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Closed Saturday, Sunday and statutory holidays* 

PHO laboratory - Toronto (For private citizen drinking water samples only)
81 Resources Road, Etobicoke, ON 
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Closed Saturday, Sunday and statutory holidays*
Please note, PHO’s Toronto laboratory at 661 University Avenue is not accepting private drinking water samples dropped off in person.

* If the statutory holiday falls on a week day, samples will not be accepted the day before the holiday as well

2. Keep the sample cool (not frozen) until you drop it off.
   Do not store the sample at room temperature or in a warm place as this can affect the accuracy of your results.

Get and Understand Your Results

You can access your drinking water test report online on the Water Testing Portal.

After submitting your sample and completing the electronic requisition, your report will be available within 2 to 4 business days. To view your report, visit the Water Testing Portal and enter:

• The barcode from your collection bottle
• The last name used on your submission

Your report can be viewed, downloaded or printed directly from the portal.

For more information, including step-by-step instructions and FAQs, visit the Water Testing Portal page. If you submitted a paper requisition, your report will not be available on the portal. You will be able to get our results by:

• By Phone:
• Call the toll-free automated line at 1-877-723-3426 (24/7). Enter the barcode (PIN) from your collection bottle to hear your results.
  For TTY users: Dial 711 and ask the operator to call the number above and follow the prompts.

• By Mail:
• If you selected mail delivery or made no selection, your report will be mailed to the address on your form.

• In Person:
• Visit your PHO lab with photo ID during business hours (Mon–Fri, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.).
• If someone else is picking it up, they must bring signed Potability of Water Release form and their own photo ID

• By Email:
• Contact customerservicecentre@oahpp.ca and include:
• Timeframe of results
• Barcode(s) if available
• Water source location (address or lot/concession, township, county, postal code)

Private well owners are responsible for preventing surface water and other foreign materials from entering their systems. You can protect the long-term quality of your drinking water by protecting the water source and properly maintaining your well.

If you have had unacceptable test results in the past, take action to improve the long-term quality of your drinking water:

• Disinfect your well and entire household plumbing system if test results show significant bacterial contamination. Contact your local public health unit. Refer to the Well Disinfection Tool or Technical Bulletin Wells Regulation - Well Disinfection.
• Re-test your well water to make sure it does not contain significant amounts of bacterial contaminants.
• Get your well and plumbing system professionally inspected if the quality of your well water does not improve. Contact your local public health unit.

For more information on protecting your well and drinking water, contact your local public health unit or the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.