Water Quality and Testing in Hamilton County

Written by Dave Bradway

There is a lot of discussion in Hamilton County about water availability and usage, but less talk about water quality. When it comes to drinking water, the quality can differ a great deal with location. The main contaminants in well water in the county are E.coli, Total Coliform bacteria, Nitrate/Nitrite, Arsenic, Lead, and Copper. Some of these contaminants show signs of sewage infiltration and contamination: E.coli and Nitrate/Nitrite. Total Coliform, Arsenic, Lead and Copper are naturally occurring in the ground but can adversely affect the health of well owner(s).



The Hamilton County SWCD offers private well testing for residents. Testing annually is encouraged to ensure the quality of your well is continuous throughout the time you own your home. The Annual Well testing package costs $65 and includes all the parameters listed above to determine the quality of the water coming into your home from your well.

We also offer several other parameters that can be tested for in certain cases such as wells on or near a brown field or industrial site. While there is increased cost for these tests, in the right circumstance, these tests could prove invaluable. If you believe these parameters would be appropriate for your location, contact the office or drop by and our staff can discuss which tests are right for you.
If you are unsure about taking the sample yourself, we also offer our assistance. We will come to your home and take the sample for you. This service costs $50 plus the cost of the test kit.

To obtain supplies to test your well, please visit our office at 1717 Pleasant Street in Noblesville and pick up one of our testing kits. The kit includes bottles, instructions for taking the samples, and some literature about well ownership. After you take the samples and return them to our office, we will transport them to the Indiana State Department of Health Laboratory for testing. Results are then sent to us and will be relayed to you along with any information and recommendations depending on the results.
Residents whose water comes from a utility, or city water supply, can contact their specific provider to obtain testing results for their water.
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For help answering questions visit https://www.hamiltonswcd.org/well-water-testing.html,  call our office at 317.773.2181, or stop by the office Monday – Friday 8:00am-4:30pm.

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