Information Regarding Private Well Water Sampling
The Harford County Health Department realizes the importance of having a safe drinking water source for residents of the county and their families. In large areas of Harford County, public water utilities are not available, resulting in the prevalence of private drinking water wells. Many homeowners with wells may wish to test the quality of their drinking water periodically to ensure its safety and potability.
While the Health Department does collect water samples at the time of a new well construction permit in order to issue a Certificate of Potability, many water quality parameters can fluctuate over time, and if water sampling is not associated with a well construction permit or a new Single Family Dwelling permit, the Health Department does charge a fee to collect and test samples.
Payment for the collection of samples, whether associated with an active building permit or not, will require a check to be made out to “Harford County Health Department” for a $50.00 collection fee which a Health Department employee will accept during the water sampling appointment.
For the collection of samples not associated with an active building permit a second check must be made out to “Laboratories Administration” and is for the total combined amount of the selected tests. This second check must be mailed by the homeowner with the appropriate carbon copy of the sampling form to:
Laboratories Administration
P.O. Box 2355
Baltimore, Maryland 21203-2355
The pricing for samples collected by the Health Department not associated with a building permit is as follows:
- Bacteriology – $41.00
- Nitrate – Nitrite – $18.00
- Turbidity – $15.00
- Lead – $20.00
- Copper – $20.00
- Iron – $20.00
- Hardness – $23.00
- Alkalinity – $23.00
- Chlorides – $29.00
- Regulated Metals (As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Hg, Se) – @ $20.00 each
- Volatile Organics Compounds (VOC’s) – $50.00
Since all water samples taken by the Health Department are processed through the State Laboratory, turnaround times may be extended for a number of reasons. If turnaround time is important to a homeowner, the Health Department would recommend contacting a Certified Private Water Testing Laboratory, as most Private Labs can offer significantly quicker results reporting. If utilizing a Private Lab, it is important to ensure that the laboratory is a Maryland Certified Water Testing Lab and that the individual collecting the samples possesses a Maryland Water Sampler Certification. The Health Department can provide a list of local Certified Water Testing Labs operating in Harford County upon request.
