How Often Should You Test Well Water in New Brunswick?

If your home, cottage or camp relies on a private well, it helps to know what testing the province recommends and how often to do it. Knowing the schedule in advance can make the question feel less uncertain, especially if you have just bought a property with a well.

This article walks through the testing schedule that the province recommends, where to get a test kit, and what to do about arsenic. It is general information about how things usually work, not advice about your particular well.

This article covers the law of New Brunswick.

What the province recommends testing for

Government of New Brunswick guidance groups well water tests into two main types: bacteria and inorganic compounds. Each has its own suggested schedule, set out below.

• Bacteria (total coliforms and E. coli): test twice a year.
• Inorganic compounds (arsenic, uranium, fluoride and nitrate): test when a well is first drilled, before you start drinking the water, and every two years after that.

These are recommendations from the province. The guidance described here does not present them as a legal requirement for a homeowner.

A simple schedule to follow

A practical habit is to put both schedules in your calendar when you first get the results, so the next test does not slip by unnoticed.

Where to get a test kit and which lab to use

Test kits are available from Service New Brunswick offices or from RPC Analytical Services, which has locations in Fredericton and Moncton. The province advises using an ISO 17025 accredited lab.

Accreditation matters because it tells you the lab has been assessed against a recognized standard for testing work. If you are unsure whether a lab qualifies, ask it directly before you pay for analysis.

• Read the instructions that come with your kit carefully, and ask the lab if anything about taking or returning the sample is unclear.
• Keep the lab report with your property records.
• Note the date of each test so you can see changes over time.

Arsenic: why a lab test is the only way to know

Arsenic can only be detected by laboratory testing. You cannot see, taste or smell it, so water that looks and tastes fine may still contain it.

The Maximum Acceptable Concentration for arsenic in drinking water is 0.01 mg/L. If arsenic is detected, a second test is advised.

A second test helps confirm the first result. What to do after a confirmed result, such as treatment options, depends on your situation, so it is worth confirming with a qualified water professional. This article does not give limits for other substances.

Buying or selling a property with a well

Whether an offer includes a water test condition is a matter of the contract between buyer and seller. It depends on what the agreement of purchase and sale says, so it is worth raising early rather than at the last minute.

• Ask the seller for recent bacteria and inorganic test results, and note their dates.
• Consider whether you want your own test done before the deal becomes firm.
• Check that any test you rely on was done by an accredited lab.
• Have a lawyer review any water-related condition before you sign.

What to do next

• Find out when your well was last tested for bacteria and for inorganic compounds.
• Pick up a kit from a Service New Brunswick office or RPC Analytical Services.
• Submit samples to an ISO 17025 accredited lab.
• If arsenic shows up, arrange a second test.
• Set reminders: twice a year for bacteria, every two years for inorganic compounds.

If you are buying a property with a well and are unsure how to word a testing condition, a lawyer can help you read and adjust the agreement.

Frequently asked questions