Mecklenburg County, NC well water testing: county sampling prices
Short answer: Mail Mecklenburg County Groundwater & Wastewater Services its Request for Well Sampling form with a check payable to the Mecklenburg County Health Department. County staff collect the sample at your home and deliver it to a state-certified lab. A bacteria test costs $75, bacteria plus nitrate/nitrite $100, and bacteria, nitrate/nitrite and inorganics $160.
Mecklenburg County's 2014 State of the Environment Report says groundwater provides a water source to approximately 15% of county residents. [source] USGS's 2015 county estimate put the self-supplied population at about 180,000. [source]
How to order county testing
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Who runs it | Mecklenburg County Groundwater & Wastewater Services (GWS), part of Mecklenburg County Public Health's Environmental Health division. Its program offers testing and guidance for private and public well owners in the county. [source] [source] |
| How to order | Fill out the county's Application for Testing Your Water (the "Request for Well Sampling" form, also available in Spanish), choose a test option and mail it with a check payable to the Mecklenburg County Health Department to Mecklenburg County – Groundwater & Wastewater Services, 3205 Freedom Drive, Suite 8000, Charlotte, NC 28208. [source] [source] |
| Who collects the sample | County staff collect the samples at your home and deliver them to a state-certified laboratory. The form asks whether you have a coded gate, whether there's a working spigot on the outside of the house, and whether there are dogs on the property; dogs must be restrained at sampling time. [source] |
| If a problem is found | The county offers health risk assessments and consultation. [source] |
| Questions | GWS, 980-314-1680, WellReg@MeckNC.gov. Environmental Health business office hours are Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. [source] |
Prices (county Request for Well Sampling form)
| Test option | Fee |
|---|---|
| Option 1: bacteria analysis (total coliform bacteria) | $75 |
| Option 2: bacteria and nitrate/nitrite analysis | $100 |
| Option 3: bacteria, nitrate/nitrite and inorganic analysis (pH, hardness, lead, arsenic, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, calcium, magnesium, alkalinity, chloride, fluoride, silver, barium, cadmium, mercury, sodium, chromium, sulfate and selenium) | $160 |
| Add-on to any option: volatile organic compounds | $74 |
| Add-on to any option: pesticides | $74 |
Fees as listed on the county's form. The form doesn't list a PFAS or radiological test. [source]
What and how often to test
- Every year: bacteria. The county's testing guide says total and fecal coliform tests should be done at least yearly. [source] [source]
- After any repair work on the well, or if you notice any change in your water. [source]
- Volatile and semivolatile organics: recommended if there's an underground storage tank on your property or your well is near a neighbor's, if you live within 1,500 feet of a business with an underground tank or an industrial business, or if your well is near a landfill. [source]
- Pesticides and herbicides: recommended if your well is within 25 feet of a building foundation that has ever been treated for termites, or you live in an area that was historically farmed. [source]
Statewide, NCDHHS adds heavy metals, nitrates, nitrites, lead and copper every two years and pesticides and VOCs every five years. [source] NC State Extension says the best time for yearly testing is spring or summer following a rainy period. [source]
Nitrate, metals and stains
The county warns that nitrates or nitrites in drinking water can be very dangerous, even deadly, to infants, and that boiling water contaminated with them can increase their concentration significantly. Blue-green stains on sinks and toilets typically come from copper leached out of household piping or fixtures when the water has low pH and low alkalinity. Iron can turn laundry reddish brown and give the water a bitter metallic taste, and manganese is often a problem when iron is present. [source] See our nitrate guide.
Contaminated sites near wells
Mecklenburg County runs the Mecklenburg Priority List program, which investigates contaminated sites and samples at-risk water supply wells. The county says more than 1,900 sites in the county have documented pollution release incidents, and over half of the sites on the list have water supply wells within 1,500 feet. When contamination is found in a water supply well, the county contacts the resident or well owner. [source] You can view contaminated well sites on the county's Well Information System map. [source]
If coliform is found
The county says that if fecal coliform is present, the water should not be used for drinking or cooking. [source] Its chlorination guidance: pour the chlorine solution into the well through the vent and let it settle for three hours, recirculate it through a hose into the well for 30 minutes, run every outside and inside faucet until you smell chlorine, then let it stand in the well and plumbing for at least 24 hours before running it off. Heavily chlorinated water must not be discharged into the septic system or over the drainfield, and the county recommends a chlorine test kit to confirm it's all flushed. If you have water treatment equipment, check with the manufacturer or your well driller first; you can also hire a registered well driller. [source] See our coliform guide.
New and repaired wells
All new wells in the county are tested as part of the permitting process, and the cost is included in the permit fee. [source] The county's fee schedule lists $550 for a new water supply well permit and $100 for a major repair; minor repairs need no permit but must be registered within 10 working days. [source] Statewide, new private wells must be tested within 30 days of completion. [source]
Other certified labs
You can also hire a lab certified by the N.C. Division of Public Health; search the State Laboratory certified laboratory search. [source] NC State Extension says your county Extension office can also provide a list of certified water quality labs. [source]
See our North Carolina guide and Wake County guide.
FAQ
Where can I get my well water tested in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina?
Mail Mecklenburg County Groundwater & Wastewater Services its Request for Well Sampling form with a check payable to the Mecklenburg County Health Department. County staff collect the sample at your home and deliver it to a state-certified lab. A bacteria test costs $75, bacteria plus nitrate/nitrite $100, and bacteria, nitrate/nitrite and inorganics $160.
How much does well water testing cost in Mecklenburg County, NC?
The county's Request for Well Sampling form lists $75 for a bacteria test, $100 for bacteria plus nitrate/nitrite and $160 for bacteria, nitrate/nitrite and a full inorganic panel. Volatile organic compounds or pesticides can be added for $74 each.
Does Mecklenburg County collect the well water sample?
Yes. Groundwater & Wastewater Services staff collect the samples at your home and deliver them to a state-certified laboratory. Mail the form and a check to 3205 Freedom Drive, Suite 8000, Charlotte, NC 28208, or call 980-314-1680.
How often should Mecklenburg County well owners test?
The county recommends testing for bacteria every year and after any repair work on the well. It also recommends volatile organics testing near underground fuel tanks, industry or landfills, and pesticide testing near termite-treated foundations or former farmland.
Sources
- Mecklenburg County Public Health – Groundwater and Wastewater Services (accessed 2026-10-30)
- Mecklenburg County Groundwater & Wastewater Services – Should I Have My Water Tested? / Application for Testing Your Water (PDF) (accessed 2026-10-30)
- Mecklenburg County Environmental Health – What to Test For (accessed 2026-10-30)
- Mecklenburg County Environmental Health – Well Chlorination (accessed 2026-10-30)
- Mecklenburg County Environmental Health – Well Protection: Taking Care of Your Well (accessed 2026-10-30)
- Mecklenburg County Environmental Health – Mecklenburg Priority List (accessed 2026-10-30)
- Mecklenburg County – Well Information System (map of contaminated well sites) (accessed 2026-10-30)
- Mecklenburg County Environmental Health – Water Supply Well Fee Schedule (accessed 2026-10-30)
- Mecklenburg County – 2014 State of the Environment Report: Water (archived copy) (accessed 2026-10-30)
- NCDHHS – Private Well Water Testing FAQs (accessed 2026-10-23)
- NC State Extension – Should You Have Your Water Tested? (AG-473-2, reviewed Oct. 28, 2024) (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NC State Laboratory of Public Health – Certified laboratory search (accessed 2026-10-23)
- USGS – Estimated Use of Water in the United States, County-Level Data for 2015 (domestic self-supplied population) (accessed 2026-10-23)
Informational only, not health, medical, legal or real-estate advice. Programs and fees change; confirm with the official source. See our disclaimer and affiliate disclosure.