Florida Well Water Testing

USGS counted 2,460,295 Floridians on household wells in 2015, 12.1% of the state, and nearly all of them pump from the Floridan or surficial aquifers. Florida does not require routine testing of a private well, even at sale, so the job falls to the owner.

Florida DOH recommends a bacteria and nitrate test every year and a lead test every three years. Its guidance says county health departments usually charge $20 to $30 per sample, and the state Bureau of Public Health Laboratories lists a private bacteria test at $40.

Permits

Step 1: Order the annual pair, bacteria and nitrate, through your county health department or a NELAP-certified lab; Florida DOH lists an extra $30 to $40 when county staff collect the sample for you.

Step 2: Ask the county health department whether your area needs more. Florida DOH says some county health departments enforce local rules requiring tests of new or repaired wells, naming Brevard, Broward, Citrus, Duval, Flagler, Highlands, Hillsborough, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Sarasota and Volusia.

Step 3: Well construction and repair permits come from the water management districts or the county health departments they delegate to; under Rule 62-532.400, F.A.C., a permit is valid for one year. SWFWMD's Rule 40D-1.607 sets $50 for a standard private well.

Step 4: Delineated areas, mapped by FDEP under Chapter 62-524, F.A.C. because of known groundwater contamination, add construction and testing rules for drinking-water wells.

Step 5: Rule 62-6.005, F.A.C. requires 75 feet between a septic system and a private drinking-water well. Check it before installing treatment, then retest the treated water.

Local conditions

The Floridan aquifer is limestone, so central Florida well water is usually hard; Water Quality Portal samples show well medians around 151 to 158 mg/L as calcium carbonate in Pasco and Marion counties.

Florida DOH's odor and staining fact sheet says hydrogen sulfide can occur in wells anywhere in the state and ties red staining to iron and iron bacteria, the two nuisances air-injection filters are built for.

Nitrate is a karst problem. Where limestone sits near the surface, as in the Silver Springs basin of Marion County, fertilizer and wastewater nitrogen reach wells quickly, according to USGS.

Near the coasts and along the St. Johns River, saltwater raises chloride and dissolved solids, the case for reverse osmosis rather than a softener.

What drives local prices

Testing is inexpensive: Florida DOH puts county tests at $20 to $30 per sample, while state lab bacteria tests are $40 private or $17 through a county health department.
Equipment follows the result. HomeGuide's published installed ranges are $1,200-$3,800 for a softener, $1,000-$3,500 for an iron filter and $800-$3,500 for sulfur treatment.
Nitrate and chloride are drinking-water fixes: under-sink reverse osmosis runs $300-$950 per HomeGuide, whole-house far more.
County location changes which of those you need more than it changes labor rates. A Marion County nitrate problem, a Lake County grove-chemical screen and a Pasco County iron and salt problem lead to three different shopping lists, which is why our county pages start from the local test data rather than a generic package. Ask every installer to quote from the same lab report so the bids can be compared line by line.

Common jobs

Softeners for hard Floridan water
Air-injection iron and sulfur filters
Reverse osmosis for nitrate or chloride
Whole-house carbon in former grove areas
Annual bacteria and nitrate testing

Service area

This hub links our Florida county page for Marion County (Ocala, Dunnellon, Belleview).

In central Florida, well permits come from DOH-Marion under SWFWMD delegation, DOH-Lake for the St. Johns River district, and SWFWMD directly in Pasco.

Communities: Marion County, Ocala

If it is an emergency

After a hurricane or flood, assume a private well is contaminated until it is disinfected and a bacteria test comes back clean. Your county health department can tell you where to get bottles.

Questions about Florida

Does Florida require well testing when a house is sold?

No. Florida DOH says there is no state requirement, but it recommends coliform bacteria, nitrate and lead tests for a home with a well.

How often should I test my Florida well?

Florida DOH recommends bacteria and nitrate every year and lead every three years, plus a test after flooding or repairs.

Who permits wells in Florida?

The five water management districts, or county health departments they delegate to, under Chapter 62-532, F.A.C.

Is Florida well water hard?

Usually, because the Floridan aquifer is limestone. A lab hardness result in grains per gallon sizes the softener.

What is a delineated area?

An area FDEP has mapped for known groundwater contamination, often from old agricultural chemicals, where extra well construction and testing rules apply.

Sources

County pages in Florida

Florida well drilling (Well Drilling Pros)

Fees and rules change; confirm with the county office before you order. Compare installed prices in the treatment system cost guide, or run the treatment selector with your lab results.