City offering free well water testing

WEST CARLETON – With winter over (almost?) now is the perfect time to get you well water tested, and the City of Ottawa will do it for you for free.

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is providing free well water testing and recommends spring is the time to get it done.

“Spring runoff can contaminate wells with harmful bacteria, like Coliforms and E.coli, that may cause stomach cramps, diarrhea, and other health concerns,” OPH staff released in a statement. “The Ontario Ministry of Health funds free well-water testing.”

West Carleton and all Ottawa’s rural communities rely on their wells for drinking water. Testing your well water once a year in spring, summer and/or fall is recommended.

There are more than 50,000 private wells in the Ottawa area. Well owners are responsible for ensuring water from their wells is safe to drink, and their wells are not contaminating the groundwater. Wells must be properly designed and maintained to ensure that drinking water is safe.

Common types of wells include dug and bored wells (with casings 60 to 120 cm/24 to 48 in.) are less expensive to install than drilled wells. Like sand point wells, dug/bored wells are prone to near-surface contamination and shortages. Drilled wells (casings 10 to 20 cm/4 to 8 in.) cost more but penetrate deeper aquifers.

“Well water can contain harmful bacteria that causes stomach cramps, diarrhea and other health concerns,” OPH said. “Private well owners are encouraged to get their water tested every spring, summer and fall, even if it looks, tastes and smells fine. Whether your test results are positive or negative, understand that the sample you collected is just a snapshot of your well’s water quality. The more samples you have tested, the more confident you can be about the quality of the water you are drinking.”

In addition to regularly testing well water, owners should inspect their well at least once a year to make sure it is free from damage and in good working condition.

Public Health Ontario (PHO) Laboratories test for the indicators of bacterial contamination (coliforms and E. coli). The sample is not tested for any other contaminants (e.g. nitrates, sodium). Click here for a list of licensed labs that can test your private well water for chemicals.

To test your water, first pick up a water sample bottle. In West Carleton, there are six locations where water sample bottles can be picked up and dropped off including the Constance Bay Pharmacy (131 Constance Bay Rd.), Nicholls General Store (3798 Dunrobin Rd.), the West Carleton Community Complex (5670 Carp Rd.), the Kinburn convenience store (3084 Kinburn Side Rd.), the Carp branch of the Ottawa Public Library – drop-off only (3911 Carp Rd.) and MacEwen Gas (1794 Dunrobin Rd.).

Drop-off of water samples at all locations are Wednesdays only.

“Plan to sample your well water when you are sure it can be delivered to a drop-off location within 12 hours of the collection time,” OPH said. “Remove any aerator, screen, or other attachment from your kitchen faucet. If you cannot do this, take a sample from an inside faucet with no aerator, such as the bathtub. Do not take a sample from an outside faucet or the garden hose. Turn on the cold water and run for two to three minutes to remove standing water.”

For explicit instructions, click here.

“You can usually get your test results two to four business days after you drop off your sample,” OPH said.

Test results are available by phone at 1-877-723-3426 and key in the barcode number from the sample bottle (PIN) to hear an automated message with your test results and interpretation; by mail If you indicated on the form you want the report mailed or made no choice, the report will be mailed to the name and address written on the form; or In-person at 2380 St. Laurent Blvd. ​If you indicated on the form that you will pick up the report at the laboratory and show your photo identification at the reception desk during regular operating hours.