What Should New Hampshire Homeowners Test Their Well Water For?
Private well water can look, smell, and taste normal while still containing substances that cannot be identified without testing. Other concerns, such as staining, scale, or odor, may be obvious but can have more than one cause. A laboratory report gives homeowners a reliable starting point.
A.J. LeBlanc Heating collects water samples and sends them to an independent laboratory. We use the results to recommend treatment for concerns within our scope instead of choosing equipment from appearance alone.
What NHDES recommends testing
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services recommends a standard group of private-well tests that covers both health-related contaminants and water characteristics that affect treatment selection. Its guidance includes:
- Arsenic
- Bacteria, including total coliform and E. coli
- Chloride
- Copper and lead
- Fluoride
- Hardness
- Iron and manganese
- Nitrate and nitrite
- pH
- Radon
- Sodium
- Uranium
NHDES also recommends PFAS testing and may recommend volatile organic compound testing based on nearby land use, spills, fuel storage, or other risk factors. The right test package depends on the property and its history.
When should well water be tested?
NHDES recommends testing private well water for bacteria and nitrate every year, with a broader Standard Analysis and Radiological Analysis every three to five years. Testing is also important when buying a home with a private well, after work on the well or plumbing, and whenever there is an unexplained change in taste, odor, color, or clarity.
Additional testing may be appropriate after flooding, nearby blasting, a fuel spill, or another event that could affect groundwater. A single old report does not describe every future condition, and treatment equipment should not be assumed to cover contaminants it was not designed to address.
Why appearance is not enough
Orange or brown staining may suggest iron, while dark staining can point toward manganese. White scale often accompanies hardness. A rotten-egg odor may involve hydrogen sulfide, bacteria, or a water-heater anode reaction. Those clues are useful, but they are not a substitute for the laboratory.
Testing also reveals combinations that affect treatment design. NHDES notes that iron and manganese treatment depends on concentration, physical form, and other water characteristics such as hardness or sulfide. The correct treatment may require one process or a planned sequence.
How A.J. LeBlanc Heating uses the results
We review the report with the homeowner, identify the concerns they want to solve, and recommend treatment that matches the water. Depending on the results, that may include sediment filtration, oxidation and filtration for iron or manganese, a water softener, activated carbon, ultraviolet disinfection, or under-sink reverse osmosis.
We do not treat every number simply because it appears on the report. Some values relate to taste, staining, plumbing performance, or treatment selection. Others are health-based and deserve discussion with the laboratory, NHDES, or the appropriate specialist. If radon in water is confirmed, we can provide contact information for an independent radon-mitigation company.
Water testing and treatment from A.J. LeBlanc Heating
Our role is to make the process understandable. We collect the sample, use an independent laboratory, explain the results within our expertise, and size the equipment around the actual water and household demand.
Learn about well-water filtration, review our water-treatment services, or request water testing.
Frequently asked questions
Can clear well water still have a problem?
Yes. Some contaminants have no color, taste, or odor. Laboratory testing is the only reliable way to know whether they are present.
Does a standard home inspection test the well water?
Not always, and test packages vary. Home buyers should confirm exactly which parameters were included and whether the samples were analyzed by an accredited laboratory.
Should I test before buying treatment equipment?
Yes. The results help identify the proper treatment method, equipment size, pretreatment needs, and follow-up testing.
Can one filter remove everything?
No. Different contaminants and water conditions require different technologies. A system should make only the reduction claims for which it was designed and certified.
Does A.J. LeBlanc Heating test the sample in-house?
No. We collect samples and send them to an independent laboratory so treatment recommendations begin with third-party results.
Sources
Last reviewed: July 2026.