Private Water Supplies

Drinking and Recreational Water

         Water samples must be submitted using the appropriate collection kit provided by the local health department.
Tests Available and Methods: (All tests require a 100 ml sample.)

• Total coliform bacteria - Membrane filtration, Chromogenic/Fluorogenic presence/absence (P/A)
• E. coli bacteria - EC with MUG Broth P/A, Chromogenic/Fluorogenic P/A
• Heterotrophic plate count (HPC) - Pour plate

Private Drinking Water

        Property owners may submit samples from private wells or other drinking water sources for bacterial testing. Samples must be submitted in collection kits provided by the local public health department. There is a $10 fee assessed upon completion of the test. Samples submitted for official actions (including most real estate transactions, facility inspections or legal proceedings) must be collected and submitted by an official of a local public health agency. There is no fee for testing official samples.

        For technical assistance in determining the condition of your private water supply, sampling and testing your well, or disinfecting your well, please contact the Environmental Public Health Specialist at your local public health agency.

Tests Available and Methods: All tests require a 100 ml sample.

Contact the Mississippi County Health Department for more information by email or call 573-683-2191 or 573-649-5502.