Well Water Notebook
Information only, not medical advice. We never say whether your water is safe to drink. Ask a state-certified lab or your local health department. Disclaimer

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Well water testing in Summit County, Ohio

Summit County has more people on household wells than any other Ohio county in USGS's estimates, and it's one of the few places in Ohio that requires a well evaluation before a home is sold. Here's how the point-of-sale rule works, what it tests, and what it doesn't. Every fact has a source.

This page can't tell you whether your water is safe to drink. Only a test of your well can do that. For help, call Summit County Public Health, listed below.

How many people here use a private well

USGS estimates that about 108,000 people in Summit County supplied their own household water in 2015, about 20% of the county's population, the most of any Ohio county.1

Summit County's point-of-sale well rule

Summit County Public Health (SCPH) requires any residential home with a private water system (well) or a sewage treatment system (septic) to be inspected by a registered contractor before the property is transferred. The property can't be transferred until the evaluation is done and SCPH issues a Certificate of Transfer.23

What's checked:23

What counts as a problem. The evaluation flags conditions such as an unsafe bacteria sample, a hand-dug well, an unused well that hasn't been sealed, or missing treatment that's required.3 SCPH says the results don't prevent the transfer. If significant issues are found, SCPH follows up with the current owner. Buyer and seller still need to negotiate any repairs themselves.2

Exemptions include wells inspected or replaced within the previous two years and transfers exempt from the conveyance fee. Check the code for details.3

What it doesn't cover. The required lab test is for bacteria only. It doesn't include nitrate, arsenic or lead. USGS estimates about 241,000 Ohioans on private wells may have arsenic over 10 µg/L, more than in any other state.7 Buyers can order additional tests in their contract. See our homebuyer's guide.

Contact: SCPH Water Quality, 1867 W. Market St., Akron. 330-926-5600, [email protected].2

What to test and how often

Ohio State University's Ohio Watershed Network says the Ohio Department of Health recommends regular testing for total coliform, E. coli, nitrate and arsenic.5 SCPH's water sampling program tests for bacteria, nitrate, lead, copper and arsenic.4

Labs, well records and contacts

Where to get tested and treatment options

Testing: SCPH's sampling program or an Ohio EPA-certified lab. For a sale, the point-of-sale sample must go to a certified lab.2 See best way to test well water.

If a result is high: our guides cover what agencies say works:

  1. 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 ↩

  2. Summit County Public Health, "Point of Sale." https://www.scph.org/water-quality/point-sale ↩↩↩↩↩

  3. Summit County Public Health, Environmental Health Code 804, "Point of Sale Inspections" (2024) (PDF). https://www.scph.org/sites/default/files/editor/WQ/EH%20Code%20804%20Point%20of%20Sale%20Inspecitons,%202024.pdf ↩↩↩↩

  4. Summit County Public Health, "Water Sampling." https://www.scph.org/water-quality/water-sampling ↩↩

  5. Ohio State University, Ohio Watershed Network, "For Well Owners." https://ohiowatersheds.osu.edu/know-your-well-water/well-owners ↩↩↩

  6. Ohio EPA, "Testing water from private wells" (FAQ). https://ohioepa.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1057/~/testing-water-from-private-wells ↩

  7. 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 ↩