Last checked:
Well water testing in Elkhart County, Indiana
Elkhart County has more people on household wells than any other Indiana county in USGS's estimates. The county health department says some areas have naturally high arsenic, and it requires new wells to be tested. Here's what to test, where, and what to know if you're buying. Every fact has a source.
How many people here use a private well
USGS estimates that about 92,000 people in Elkhart County supplied their own household water in 2015, about 45% of the county's population, the most of any Indiana county.1
Arsenic and other concerns
- The Elkhart County Health Department says "some areas in Elkhart County have naturally occurring high levels of Arsenic."2
- Elkhart County is in northern Indiana, north of the Wisconsin glacial boundary. In IDEM's statewide groundwater sampling, 119 of the 127 samples over the arsenic standard came from that glaciated area.4
- USGS estimates about 162,000 Indiana residents on private wells may have arsenic over 10 µg/L.5
County rules for wells
Under Elkhart County Ordinance 2017-24, the county health department requires a permit for new wells, and new wells must be tested for total coliform, E. coli, nitrate and arsenic.2
What to test and how often
The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) says to test well water at least once a year.6 Its lab suggests bacteria and nitrate every year and fluoride, arsenic, lead and copper every five years.7 Given the county's arsenic warning, don't skip arsenic.
Buying a home with a well in Elkhart County
- State rules: we found no Indiana requirement to test a well at sale. The seller's disclosure form asks whether the well is defective.9
- Ask for the well permit and test results if the well was drilled under the county's 2017 ordinance, and for the well record from IDNR's database.210
- Test before closing for at least coliform/E. coli, nitrate and arsenic, the same list the county requires for new wells.2
Our Indiana page and homebuyer's guide cover contingencies, flow tests and negotiating.
Where to test
- IDOH Laboratories: $10 each for bacteria, nitrate and fluoride; $20 each for arsenic, lead and copper; plus shipping.7
- Labs near Elkhart County: the county health department publishes a drinking water testing lab list (PDF) (dated February 2018).3 Confirm certification on IDOH's certified lab page.8
Records and contacts
- Well records: IDNR Water Well Record Database.10
- Elkhart County Health Department, Environmental Health Services: 4230 Elkhart Rd., Goshen. 574-971-4600; well permits 574-523-2283; [email protected].2
- Purdue Extension is a resource IDOH recommends for well owners.6
Where to get tested and treatment options
Related guides
- Buying a home with a well
- Private wells in Indiana
- How much does well water testing cost?
- How to read your well water test results
-
Dieter, C.A., and others, 2018, Estimated Use of Water in the United States County-Level Data for 2015 (ver. 2.0), U.S. Geological Survey data release. https://doi.org/10.5066/F7TB15V5 ↩
-
Elkhart County Health Department, "Well Permits." https://health.elkhartcounty.com/en/environmental-health/about-environmental-health/well-permits/ ↩↩↩↩↩
-
Elkhart County Health Department, "Drinking Water Testing" laboratory list (February 13, 2018) (PDF). https://health.elkhartcounty.com/documents/164/DrinkingWaterTesting.pdf ↩
-
Spindler, K.M., and Denney, M. (Indiana Department of Environmental Management), "Occurrences of Arsenic in Indiana Ground Water," abstract, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, 2018 (Paper 318466). https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2018AM/webprogram/Paper318466.html ↩
-
USGS, "Drought May Lead to Elevated Levels of Naturally Occurring Arsenic in Private Domestic Wells" (March 18, 2021). https://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/drought-may-lead-elevated-levels-naturally-occurring-arsenic-private ↩
-
Indiana Department of Health, "Well Water Quality and Testing." https://www.in.gov/health/eph/well-water-quality-and-testing/ ↩↩
-
Indiana Department of Health Laboratories, "Well Water." https://www.in.gov/health/laboratories/testing/well-water/ ↩↩
-
Indiana Department of Health Laboratories, "Drinking Water Laboratory Certification." https://www.in.gov/health/laboratories/drinking-water-laboratory-certification ↩
-
Indiana, "Seller's Residential Real Estate Sales Disclosure," State Form 46234 (PDF). https://forms.in.gov/Download.aspx?id=16805 ↩
-
Indiana DNR, "Water Well Record Database." https://www.in.gov/dnr/water/ground-water-wells/water-well-record-database/ ↩↩