Stark County, OH well water testing: health department sampling prices
Short answer: Email the Stark County Health Department's Water Well Test Request Form to online@starkhealth.org. Staff send an invoice, then schedule a visit to take the sample. Bacteria (total coliform and E. coli) costs $80, with results in 2–3 days; lead is $13 and nitrate/nitrite $32. Canton City Public Health tests self-collected bacteria samples for $17.
In Stark County, over 80,000 households get their water from a private water system, according to the Stark County Health Department; the term covers wells as well as springs, ponds, cisterns and hauled-water tanks. [source] USGS's 2015 county estimate put the self-supplied population at about 99,000. [source]
How county sampling works
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Who runs it | The Stark County Health Department (SCHD) is approved by the State of Ohio to run the private water system program locally. [source] The program reviews plans, inspects installations and takes water samples. [source] |
| Who collects the sample | SCHD staff schedule a time to visit your property and take the sample. [source] |
| How to request | Save the fillable Water Well Test Request Form to your device, complete it, check each test you want and email it to online@starkhealth.org. Clerical staff email back an invoice and a link to pay online. Once you pay, field staff contact you to schedule the inspection. [source] Online requests are handled in the order received, along with those made in person; submitting online doesn't speed up scheduling. [source] |
| Home sales and loans | If a lender requires a water test, check which tests it wants, since each lender and loan is different. [source] The county says lenders commonly ask for nitrates, nitrites, total coliform and E. coli, and sometimes lead. [source] |
| Contact | Courtney Myers, 330-493-9904 ext. 1472, myersc@starkhealth.org. [source] Stark County Health Department, 7235 Whipple Ave NW, Suite B, North Canton, OH 44720; 330-493-9904. Environmental services hours are Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. [source] |
Prices (SCHD Water Well Test Request Form)
| Test | Fee | Approx. days for results after sampling |
|---|---|---|
| Bacteria only (total coliform and E. coli) | $80 | 2–3 |
| Property transfer water well evaluation (total coliform/E. coli, flow yield, well inspection and final evaluation) | $125 | 5–8 |
| Re-sample water well evaluation | $80 | 5–8 |
| Lead, standard | $13 | 14–21 |
| Lead, rush | $26 | 7–14 |
| Nitrates/nitrites, standard | $32 | 14–21 |
| Nitrates/nitrites, rush | $64 | 7–14 |
Fees as listed on the county's 2025 form. Rush results are available only for the lead and nitrate/nitrite tests. [source] The form doesn't list tests for arsenic, PFAS or 1,4-dioxane; for those, use a certified lab.
Free screening events: SCHD holds periodic "Test Your Well" events with free screening for iron, manganese, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, chloride, pH and total dissolved solids. The screenings use test strips, so they're a guide to what to test at a certified lab, not an official result. You can schedule an official coliform and E. coli test while you're there. [source]
Collect it yourself: Canton City Public Health lab
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Who can use it | Bacterial water testing is available to anyone using the lab's pre-approved containers, for public and private drinking water. [source] The lab is on Ohio EPA's list of labs certified for E. coli and total coliform in drinking water. [source] |
| Price and results | $17 per sample, best paid at drop-off in the birth and death records office; otherwise invoices go out around the 10th of the following month. Results come by the close of the next business day. [source] The fee schedule lists $15 for a presence-absence test without EPA reporting and $17 with reporting to other agencies. [source] |
| Drop-off | Bring the sample, refrigerated, within 24 hours of collection, with the Bacterial Sample Submission Report form. Samples dropped off Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m., are tested the same day; Monday–Wednesday drop-offs after 3:30 p.m. may be held for the next day. [source] |
| Lead and nitrate | CCPH doesn't run chemistry tests but is a drop-off site for Ream & Haager Laboratories in Dover. It charges $1 per location plus R&H's fees; samples must arrive by noon Wednesday, and results take 3 to 10 business days. Pick up bottles at the office weekdays 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. [source] |
| Contact | CCPH Laboratory, 420 Market Ave. N, Canton, OH 44702; 330-438-4671; ccphlab@cantonhealth.org. [source] [source] |
What and how often to test
The Stark County Health Department recommends testing a well every year for total coliform bacteria, and more often if small children, elderly adults or pregnant or nursing people live in the home; if the water's odor, color or taste changes; after the well is repaired or replaced; if there's a nearby source of contamination; or after flooding or a major storm. [source]
Its homeowner guide also recommends yearly tests for nitrate, pH and total dissolved solids. It says ODH and SCHD recommend regular testing for total coliform, E. coli, nitrates and arsenic, with arsenic indicated when iron is above 0.3 ppm. [source] OSU Extension's yearly list for Ohio is the same four basics: total coliform, nitrate, pH and total dissolved solids. [source] See our nitrate guide.
If coliform is found
SCHD can help you understand results, even from a sample another agency collected. If bacteria show up, chlorinating the well is usually the first step. Afterward, wait a few days and have the health district take another total coliform sample, but only once no chlorine remains in the water. If total coliform stays above four colony-forming units or E. coli persists, the county says to hire an experienced registered private water systems contractor. [source] See our coliform guide.
1,4-dioxane near the Industrial Excess Landfill
U.S. EPA, ATSDR, ODH, SCHD and Summit County Public Health have sampled private wells around the Industrial Excess Landfill Superfund site in Uniontown, and in groundwater west and northwest of it. As of the July 2023 fact sheet, 35 of 110 private wells sampled, a mix of primary and secondary-use wells, had detections, and 33 homes had been connected to municipal water. Residents with levels above 0.46 parts per billion are told to stop using the water for drinking, ice, cooking, baby formula and pets. If you live outside EPA's investigation area and want your well tested, contact SCHD; you'll likely pay a fee. [source]
New wells and well records
All new and altered private water systems must have a sample collected by the local health district and analyzed for E. coli, total coliform and nitrates. Building, altering or sealing a well needs an SCHD permit. Look up past well permits in the department's online records, or in ODNR's water well database. [source] Online records cover permits only and usually don't go back before the early 1960s. [source] Ohio law requires disclosure of old wells when a property is sold, and sealing an unused well needs an abandonment permit, with the work done by a registered contractor. [source]
Other certified labs
SCHD recommends always using a state-certified lab for drinking water. [source] See Ohio EPA's combined list of certified drinking water labs. [source]
See our Ohio guide.
FAQ
Where can I get my well water tested in Stark County, Ohio?
Email the Stark County Health Department's Water Well Test Request Form to online@starkhealth.org. Staff send an invoice, then schedule a visit to take the sample. Bacteria (total coliform and E. coli) costs $80, with results in 2–3 days; lead is $13 and nitrate/nitrite $32. Canton City Public Health tests self-collected bacteria samples for $17.
How much does well water testing cost in Stark County, OH?
The Stark County Health Department charges $80 for a bacteria test (total coliform and E. coli), $125 for a property transfer well evaluation, $13 for lead and $32 for nitrates/nitrites. Rush lead and nitrate tests cost $26 and $64.
Can I drop off my own well water sample in Stark County?
The county health department collects samples itself. Canton City Public Health's lab tests self-collected bacteria samples in its pre-approved bottles for $17, Monday through Thursday, with results by the next business day.
How often should I test my well in Stark County?
The Stark County Health Department recommends testing every year for total coliform bacteria, and more often after repairs, flooding or a change in taste, odor or color, or if children, older adults or pregnant people live in the home.
Sources
- Stark County Health Department – Water Well Test Request Form (2025 V2, PDF) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Stark County Health Department – Drinking Water (Private Water Systems) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Stark County Health Department – Online Forms (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Stark County Health Department – FAQ (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Stark County Health Department – Get Well Acquainted: A basic guide for home owners to learn about their private water system (2023, PDF) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Stark County Health Department – Septic and Well Permit records (accessed 2026-11-03)
- ODH, U.S. EPA, ATSDR, Stark County Health Department and Summit County Public Health – 1,4-Dioxane in Drinking Water, Industrial Excess Landfill Superfund Site, Uniontown (July 2023, PDF) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Canton City Public Health – Water Testing (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Canton City Public Health – Drinking Water Sample Collection and Drop Off Instructions (valid as of 08/04/2026, PDF) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Canton City Public Health – Chemistry Water Sample Collection and Drop Off Instructions (PDF) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Canton City Public Health – Laboratory Service Fees (Board of Health Resolution 2019-20, PDF) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Ohio EPA – Laboratories Certified/Accepted to Perform Analyses on Public Drinking Water (Combined Lab List, PDF) (accessed 2026-11-01)
- Ohio State University Extension (Ohioline) – Household Well Water Testing, AEX-314 (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.