Water Tests

CHANGE IN SERVICES UNDER COVID-19

Public-facing services, such as water testing services, at Washington County facilities have been suspended at this time, due to COVID-19. While water testing kits can still be requested as usual, the Department of Public Health and Environment is unable to accept water samples at County facilities until further notice. Please note that residential well and water testing services are considered a Critical Sector in the Stay at Home Executive Order 20-20 and are deemed essential. The Minnesota Department of Health maintains a list of Accredited Labs in Minnesota Accepting Samples from Private Well Owners, as well as a Licensed Well Contractor Directory that can be contacted for associated services. Please contact the department at 651-430-6655 or PHE@co.washington.mn.us with any additional questions.

Well Water Testing Services

Private well water users should test their water regularly to ensure clean water. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recommends well users test their water for coliform bacteria, nitrate, arsenic, lead, and manganese. The Department of Public Health and Environment provides well water testing services to county residents for a modest fee.

Get a Test Kit

To order a test kit contact the department by calling 651-430-6655 or by email. The following fees must be paid when you submit your sample to the department. All test fees are subject to change.

Recommended Water Test	Fee
Standard Drinking Water Test (Coliform Bacteria and Nitrate)	$44
Coliform Bacteria	$22
Nitrate	$22
Arsenic	$38*
Lead	$38*
Manganese	$38*

* The water drawn for these tests must not go through a water softener.
** This test requires a special sampling container.

Drop Off Your Test Kit

All water samples to be tested must be dropped off in the container provided by the department. Test kits can be dropped off at the following times and locations:

Cottage Grove Tuesdays 8 am - 10:30 am	Forest Lake Tuesdays 8 am - 10 am	Stillwater - Room 4600 Tuesdays 8 am - 10:30 am

Understand Your Results

Results from the department’s testing services are mailed within 7-10 days. Please contact Public Health and Environment (651-430-6655 or email) or MDH (651-201-4600 or email) with any further questions about your results. Additionally, MDH’s Well Testing, Results and Options website contains information about contaminant levels that can be harmful in drinking water and what you can do to protect your household’s health.

Special Water Test Fees

Test	Fee
Fluoride	$38
Hardness	$56*
Iron	$38
Iron Bacteria	$75
Sodium	$38*
Sulfate	$38

*The water drawn for these tests must not go through a water softener.

PFAS:

Due to the need to prioritize sampling being conducted by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the county has suspended fee-for-service PFAS testing. For more information on MDH’s response, please see this website. MDH can help you with well testing for PFAS if you are in the sampling area. You can look at the MPCA Interactive Map to see if you are within this area. Please use the MDH Well Sampling Request Form to submit your request.

VOCs:

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (including trichloroethylene or TCE) is still currently available. Call the department at 651-430-6655 and a Sampling Request Form will be mailed or emailed to you. A VOC sample is $170. After you request the test, county staff will come out to your property to take the sample and send it to the MDH Public Health Laboratory for analysis. Results and a description of what they mean will be mailed to you from MDH approximately six to eight weeks from the date of sampling.