City water is tested constantly by the utility. A private well is tested when the owner decides to test it, and in many homes that has never happened. The water can look, smell and taste perfectly fine and still carry bacteria, nitrates or metals — and some contaminants have no taste or smell at all.

Well testing in South Carolina is handled by SCDES, the agency created in 2024 when the old DHEC’s environmental functions were split off. If you remember sending samples to DHEC, it is the same service under a new name.

How to test through SCDES

At the time of writing, the process works like this.

1. Pick up a kit from your local SCDES regional office or health department. There are two kinds: one for coliform bacteria, and one for metals and minerals. Each has a sterile bottle, a form and instructions.
2. Follow the instructions exactly. Bacteria samples in particular are easily contaminated by the tap, your hands or the bottle cap.
3. Return it promptly, on a day SCDES accepts samples — currently Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
4. Do not pay at drop-off. The invoice comes with your results.

SCDES lists the coliform bacteria test at $20. Fees and procedures change, so check the SCDES residential wells page for current details before you go.

What to test for

Coliform bacteria	The most requested test. Coliforms themselves are usually harmless, but their presence means surface water may be getting in. If found, the same sample is tested for E. coli, which can cause illness.
Metals and minerals	Iron, manganese, hardness, pH and similar. Explains staining, taste, scale and specks in the water.
Nitrates	Worth testing near farmland, pasture or septic systems, and important if there is an infant in the house.
PFAS	So-called “forever chemicals”. Tasteless and odourless — only a test finds them. See below.

The PFAS assessment for private wells

SCDES runs an assessment program for PFAS in private drinking water wells. Well owners apply, and SCDES staff or contractors collect the sample, test it and provide recommendations. Where PFAS are detected, owners may be eligible for filtration equipment or for funding to connect to a public water supply.

Earlier sampling found elevated levels in a small number of private wells statewide, mostly in the Midlands, with some detections in York County. That does not mean your well has a problem — but because PFAS cannot be seen, smelled or tasted, the application is worth considering, particularly near industrial sites, airports or land where biosolids have been applied.

When to test

• Every year for bacteria, as routine.
• When anything changes — taste, smell, colour, clarity. A sudden sulphur smell is covered in well water smells like rotten eggs.
• After flooding or heavy rain that pooled around the wellhead. Assume the water is contaminated until tested.
• After work on the well — a pump replacement, a repair to the casing or cap.
• When cloudiness follows rain. Red or orange water after a storm suggests surface water is reaching the well. See sand or sediment in well water.
• When someone in the house becomes more vulnerable — a new baby, a pregnancy, or an illness.
• After a long drought. Falling water levels can change what the well draws from.

If the test comes back positive for bacteria

Do not panic, but do not ignore it. The usual sequence is:

1. Use bottled or boiled water for drinking and cooking until the problem is resolved, particularly if E. coli was found.
2. Inspect the wellhead. A cracked cap, a missing vent screen, a casing that ends at ground level or water pooling around it are the most common ways bacteria get in.
3. Fix the entry point first, then shock chlorinate the well and plumbing.
4. Retest once the chlorine has been fully flushed out.

Shock chlorinating without fixing the entry point usually only works until the next heavy rain.

What to remember

1	Nobody tests it for you. Private well water is the owner’s responsibility.
2	Bacteria once a year. Inexpensive through SCDES.
3	Any change means test. Taste, smell, colour, or after flooding or well work.
4	Buying a house? Certified lab. Not the SCDES residential kit.
5	Fix the entry point before chlorinating. Otherwise the bacteria come back.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get my well water tested in South Carolina?

Pick up a sample kit from your local SCDES regional office or health department, follow the instructions, and return it on an accepted day. Kits are available for coliform bacteria and for metals and minerals. Payment is invoiced with the results.

How much does well water testing cost in South Carolina?

SCDES lists its coliform bacteria test at $20. Metals and minerals analysis and commercial laboratory tests cost more. Check the SCDES website for current fees.

How often should I test my well water?

At least once a year for bacteria, and any time the water changes, after flooding, after work on the well, or when someone in the household becomes more vulnerable.

Does South Carolina regulate private wells?

SCDES must be notified before a new private well is drilled, and water quality testing is part of that process. After that, the state does not regulate private well water quality, and testing is up to the owner.

Can I use an SCDES test when buying a house?

SCDES recommends against using its residential tests for real estate transactions. Use a state-certified commercial laboratory instead.

Should I test my well for PFAS?

PFAS cannot be detected by taste or smell, so testing is the only way to know. SCDES runs an assessment program for private wells, with support for filtration or connection to public water where PFAS are found.

What should I do if my well tests positive for E. coli?

Stop drinking the water or boil it, find and fix how surface water is getting into the well, shock chlorinate the system, and retest once the chlorine is flushed out.

Read the Upstate well owner’s guide and the annual well maintenance check for the rest of the yearly routine.