Waukesha County, WI well water testing: county lab prices
Short answer: Use the Waukesha County Environmental Health Division's state-certified lab. Order a kit online or by phone at (262) 896-8300, or pick one up at its Waukesha office. A coliform bacteria test costs $35 ($40 if the kit is mailed to you), nitrate $30 and fluoride $20. The lab accepts samples Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Waukesha County says it has over 40,000 private wells, but most are not tested for coliform bacteria and other contaminants on the recommended yearly basis. [source] USGS's 2015 county estimate put the self-supplied population at about 132,000. [source]
How to order county testing
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Who runs it | The Waukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use, Environmental Health Division, runs a state-certified lab that tests well water for coliform bacteria, nitrates, fluoride, hardness, chloride and iron. [source] The lab is certified by the Wisconsin DNR for nitrate analysis and by DATCP for bacteriological testing. [source] |
| How to order a kit | Order online at wauk.co/wellwaterkit, or call (262) 896-8300 and pay by Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express; mailed kits carry a $5 handling fee. You can also pick up a kit at the office Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. The kit includes a sterile bottle, sampling instructions and a lab reporting slip. [source] The county's brochure also accepts a $40 check payable to "Waukesha County" by mail. [source] |
| Dropping off samples | The lab accepts samples Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–3 p.m., and not on Fridays. Call for lab hours during holiday weeks. [source] |
| Nitrate, fluoride, hardness, iron | For these tests you can bring a cup of water in a clean container to the office. [source] The brochure asks for an 8-ounce sample brought in the same day it's collected. [source] |
| Address and contact | 515 W. Moreland Blvd., Suite AC260, Waukesha, WI 53188. Phone 262-896-8300, fax 262-896-8298, eh@waukeshacounty.gov. Office hours are Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. [source] |
Prices (county fee schedule)
| Test | Fee |
|---|---|
| Coliform bacteria | $35 ($40 if the kit is mailed) |
| Nitrate | $30 |
| Fluoride | $20 |
| Hardness | $15 |
| Chloride | $15 |
| Iron | $15 |
Fees as listed on the county's Environmental Health fee schedule. [source] The $40 mailed bacteria kit includes a $5 mailing or handling fee. [source] [source] The county's lab page lists only these six tests, so it doesn't offer arsenic, lead or PFAS testing for homeowners' kits. [source]
What and how often to test
- Every year: the county encourages testing for coliform bacteria every year, and suggests making it a springtime routine. [source] [source]
- Nitrate: test if someone in the home is pregnant or there's an infant under 6 months. [source]
- Also test after the well is modified, after flooding, or when the water's taste, odor or appearance changes. [source] [source]
Statewide, Wisconsin DHS recommends testing for bacteria and nitrate at least once a year, and for arsenic and lead at least once every five years. [source] Since the county lab doesn't list arsenic or lead for homeowner kits, use another state-certified lab for those. [source] [source]
Reading your results
- Bacteria: an "unsafe" result means coliform bacteria were found in the sample. [source]
- Nitrate: above 10 mg/l is a health risk to infants 6 months and younger. Don't give the water to infants or use it to make formula, and don't boil it, because boiling concentrates nitrate. [source] For high nitrate, the county says to contact a well driller or plumber. [source] See our nitrate guide.
- Fluoride: share the result with your doctor or dentist. [source]
- Hardness: the county calls water above 100 mg/l "hard" and below 50 mg/l "soft." [source]
Groundwater in Waukesha County
The county's 2022 Land and Water Resource Management Plan says most of Waukesha County has moderate to high potential for groundwater contamination in the shallow glacial drift and Niagara aquifers. The most vulnerable areas are where both the Niagara dolomite and the water table are near the surface. Isolated cases of contamination have been traced to runoff, septic system discharges and chemical spills or leakage. [source]
If coliform is found
The county says to resample to confirm. If the second sample is also unsafe, don't drink the water unless it's been boiled at a rolling boil for at least 5 minutes. If there's no obvious source of contamination, have a well driller, pump installer or the owner disinfect the system. If there are obvious sources, or disinfection doesn't work, call (262) 896-8300 to speak with a sanitarian. [source]
The county's chlorination procedure uses 1 gallon of 5% laundry bleach (or 10 ounces of dry calcium hypochlorite) per 100 gallons of water in the well. Bypass the water softener, run each faucet until you smell chlorine, and let it stand 24 hours. Then run the water to a spot away from the house, usually the roadside ditch, until the chlorine odor is gone. Wait a week to 10 days before resampling, and if it's clean, take a second sample 1–2 months later. Don't chlorinate the well yourself if the pump or piping connects to the well cap or the well is flowing or pressurized; the county says to use a licensed pump installer or well driller because of the risk of pump damage and electric shock. [source] See our coliform guide.
Buying or refinancing a home with a well
The county offers well and septic evaluations for property sales and refinancing: a visual check of the system plus a bacteria test. Email the application to sod@waukeshacounty.gov. [source] Submit it at least 2 weeks before your deadline. The county's sanitarians are certified by the DNR as Private Well Inspectors, and the evaluation checks the well against Wisconsin's NR 812 well code. [source]
| Evaluation | Fee |
|---|---|
| Well evaluation (bacteriological test only) | $175 |
| Well and septic evaluation for real estate transfer (coliform, nitrates and arsenic) | $233 |
Fees as listed on the county's fee schedule. [source]
Unused wells
Since June 1, 2008, only licensed well drillers and pump installers may abandon (fill and seal) a well. Cost-sharing grants may be available through the county's Land Resources Division; call Environmental Health at 262-896-8300 for details. [source]
Help paying for testing
Through Wisconsin's Well Testing Access Program (WellTAP), well users may be eligible for no-cost testing through their local or Tribal health department. The well must serve your primary residence and someone who is pregnant, a child 12 or under, or a person with a weakened immune system, and a financial or other burden must keep you from testing on your own. Contact your local health department to check eligibility. [source]
Other certified labs
The DNR's list of labs certified to test drinking water for bacteria includes the Waukesha County lab and Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories in New Berlin, (262) 727-6006. [source] Call any lab first to confirm it accepts private well samples. For other contaminants, see the DNR's certified laboratory lists, and get bacteria samples to the lab within the 48 hours the DNR says an accurate test requires. [source] [source]
See our Wisconsin guide for the statewide testing schedule.
FAQ
Where can I get my well water tested in Waukesha County, Wisconsin?
Use the Waukesha County Environmental Health Division's state-certified lab. Order a kit online or by phone at (262) 896-8300, or pick one up at its Waukesha office. A coliform bacteria test costs $35 ($40 if the kit is mailed to you), nitrate $30 and fluoride $20. The lab accepts samples Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
How much does well water testing cost in Waukesha County, WI?
The Waukesha County Environmental Health fee schedule lists $35 for a coliform bacteria test, $30 for nitrate, $20 for fluoride and $15 each for hardness, chloride and iron. A bacteria kit mailed to you costs $40, including a $5 mailing fee.
Where do I drop off a well water sample in Waukesha County?
Bring it to the Environmental Health Division at 515 W. Moreland Blvd., Suite AC260, Waukesha. The lab accepts samples Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and not on Fridays.
How often should Waukesha County well owners test?
The county encourages testing for coliform bacteria every year, after the well is modified, and whenever the water's taste, odor or appearance changes. It also recommends a nitrate test if someone is pregnant or there's an infant under 6 months.
Sources
- Waukesha County Environmental Health – Private Well Water Quality and Laboratory Services (accessed 2026-10-31)
- Waukesha County Environmental Health – Fee Schedule (accessed 2026-10-31)
- Waukesha County Environmental Health – Test Your Well Water Annually (brochure E49, PDF) (accessed 2026-10-31)
- Waukesha County Environmental Health – Well Chlorination Procedure (PDF) (accessed 2026-10-31)
- Waukesha County Environmental Health – Well and Septic Evaluation brochure (PDF) (accessed 2026-10-31)
- Waukesha County – Land and Water Resource Management Plan, 2022 Update (PDF) (accessed 2026-10-31)
- Wisconsin DHS – Drinking Water: Private Wells (accessed 2026-10-31)
- Wisconsin DNR – Test your private well water annually (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Wisconsin DNR – Certified laboratory lists (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Wisconsin DNR – Labs certified to test drinking water for bacteria (accessed 2026-10-31)
- 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.