Well water testing in Cumberland County, Maine (2026)
Cumberland County has an estimated 51,058 households on private wells by EPA’s 2020 model, the most of any Maine county and 21st in the country. Outside Portland and the other utility-served towns, most homes drink from a drilled bedrock well, and that bedrock is the issue: in the state lab’s data, about 1 in 5 tested Cumberland County wells is over Maine’s uranium guideline and about 1 in 6 is over the arsenic limit. Maine has no county health department lab, so the path is the state lab in Augusta or an accredited private lab. Here is who to call, what each lab charges, and what to test for.
The short version
- Test bacteria and nitrate every year, and the rest every 3 to 5 years. Maine CDC says to test yearly for coliform bacteria, E. coli and nitrate/nitrite, and every 3 to 5 years for arsenic, uranium, radon, lead, manganese, fluoride and the other minerals.
- Don’t skip arsenic and uranium here. In MaineTracking’s private well data (state lab tests, updated 5/2023), 19.8% of tested Cumberland County wells were over the 30 µg/L uranium guideline, the highest share of any Maine county, and 17.3% were over the 10 µg/L arsenic limit. You can’t taste or smell either one.
- The state lab is the simplest full panel. HETL’s Basic Safety test is $42, its Well Evaluation (bacteria, nitrate, arsenic, uranium, metals and minerals) is $127, and the RES packages that add radon and lead are $147. Every order adds a $2 state well fund fee.
- Closer drop-off labs post lower prices. Nelson Analytical in Kennebunk lists a $125 Comprehensive panel with arsenic and lead, $150 with radon, plus uranium for $35. A&L (now Eurofins) in Auburn lists a $40 safety set and a $60 set with arsenic.
- Selling or renting? Maine doesn’t require a test at sale, but sellers have to disclose their last water test, including any PFAS result. Landlords with a private well must test for arsenic every 5 years and give tenants the results.
Who to call
- Maine CDC Drinking Water / well water help. Free advice on what to test for and what results mean: 866-292-3474 (toll-free in Maine) or 207-287-4311, ehu@maine.gov. Its private well page has the testing schedule. Low-income households can ask for help and possibly a free test kit through the well water information request form.
- Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory (HETL). 47 Independence Drive, Augusta · 207-287-2727, drop-off questions 207-287-1717. Order kits from the HETL webshop. Samples must reach the lab within 30 hours, and the lab is closed weekends and holidays, so don’t collect or mail on a Friday, Saturday or the day before a holiday (HETL water page).
- Radon questions. Maine CDC’s radon section, 207-287-5676 or radon.dhhs@maine.gov.
- PFAS questions. Maine DEP, pfas.dep@maine.gov. DEP samples wells for free only in its own investigation areas near known sources, like sludge and septage spreading sites. Anyone else can test at a Maine-accredited lab.
- No county program. Cumberland County doesn’t run a well testing lab or post well test fees, and we didn’t find a town program in the county tonight. Some towns elsewhere in Maine hold discount test days, so ask your town office.
Accredited labs for Cumberland County
Maine accredits labs through Maine CDC, and its commercial lab list (last updated 5/16/2026) says which tests each lab can do. Every lab below is on that list or is the state lab, and none sells water treatment equipment as far as we could find.
The table scrolls sideways on a phone.
| Lab | Certified for | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine HETL (state lab) 47 Independence Drive, Augusta, ME 207-287-2727 | The state lab: bacteria, full chemistry, radon in water | Basic Safety (bacteria, nitrate, nitrite) $42 · Well Evaluation $127 · Home Sales $127 · RES1/RES2 (adds radon and lead) $147 · radon in water $42 · gross alpha $122 · first-draw lead $32 · plus $2 fund fee | Order kits online and mail them back. About an hour north of Portland. The Well Evaluation includes arsenic and uranium. 30-hour limit for bacteria. |
| Nelson Analytical Lab 120 York Street, Kennebunk, ME 04043 207-467-3478 | Drinking water bacteria and chemistry | Standard $65 · Standard + arsenic $90 · Comprehensive $125 · Comprehensive + radon $150 · FHA/VA/RD $65 · bacteria $25 · arsenic $25 · uranium $35 · radon in water $30 · gross alpha $75 | In York County, about 25 miles south of Portland. The cheapest posted arsenic, uranium and radon add-ons we found. Its price page looks old, so confirm when you order a kit. |
| A&L Laboratory (now Eurofins Auburn) 155 Center Street, Building C, Auburn, ME 207-784-5354 | Drinking water bacteria and chemistry | Set C (bacteria, nitrate, nitrite, pH) $40 · Set A (adds arsenic and minerals) $60 · Set B (adds lead and sodium) $80 · FHA set $90 · bacteria $20 · single chemistry tests $20 | Posted on its older A&L site, so confirm. Open weekdays 8 to 4, with a Saturday drop box before 9. Free courier from The UPS Store in South Portland and Windham, Monday to Thursday. Ask for radon kits separately. |
| SGS Scarborough (formerly Katahdin Analytical) 600 Technology Way, Scarborough, ME 04074 207-874-2400 | Drinking water bacteria and chemistry, including PFAS | Call | The only lab in the county on the state list for full drinking water chemistry. Its homeowner form offers a Standard test (bacteria, nitrate, nitrite, chloride, pH, arsenic, fluoride, uranium and metals) and an FHA test. No prices posted. Maine DEP lists it for homeowner PFAS samples. |
The state list also has Eurofins Portland (207-846-6569), accredited for bacteria only, so don’t use it for arsenic or uranium, and Nova EnviroLabs in Portland (207-804-7327) for PFAS only. Neither posts homeowner prices, so call. We left off a Gorham lab that isn’t on Maine’s in-state accredited list and uses water treatment dealers as drop-off sites. We only list labs we could verify, and we skip anyone who sells water treatment.
What’s in Cumberland County well water
Most house wells here are drilled into bedrock. Arsenic and uranium come mostly from the rock itself, not from pollution, so they can be high in a brand-new well and differ a lot from the house next door. The figures below are from MaineTracking’s private well dashboard, which uses state lab (HETL) results updated 5/2023.
- Uranium. 19.8% of tested county wells were over Maine’s 30 µg/L guideline, the highest of Maine’s 16 counties. Uranium is in HETL’s $127 Well Evaluation, Nelson charges $35 on its own, and it’s on SGS’s Standard form. If it’s high, ask about gross alpha too.
- Arsenic. 17.3% were over 10 µg/L. That’s high nationally, though York (23.1%) and Kennebec (28.1%) are higher. Arsenic is the test landlords must run every 5 years, and it’s in every panel above except the basic safety tests.
- Radon in water. Maine CDC says all homes with wells should test water for radon. Its guideline is 4,000 pCi/L, the level where you should weigh water and air radon together, and it says to strongly consider fixing it around 10,000 pCi/L (Maine CDC radon FAQ). Radon in water is $42 at HETL and $30 at Nelson. If the home is for sale, Maine law requires a registered radon tester.
- Bacteria and nitrate. These are the yearly tests. Only 0.5% of tested county wells were over the 10 mg/L nitrate standard, but bacteria can show up in any well after flooding, well work or a cracked cap.
- Manganese and fluoride. 4.6% of tested wells were over the 0.3 mg/L manganese guideline and 2.3% over 2 mg/L fluoride. Both are in the $127 HETL panel.
- PFAS. Maine’s interim standard is 20 parts per trillion for the sum of six PFAS, and it stays in effect for private wells until April 26, 2027 (Maine DEP). Check the DEP’s PFAS investigation map for spreading sites near you. Follow DEP’s homeowner sampling instructions, because PFAS samples are easy to contaminate.
These numbers describe the county, not your lot. Results change from one well to the next, so only your own test tells you.
Home sales, rentals and new wells
Home sales. Maine doesn’t require a well test when a house sells. The seller’s disclosure has to give the water supply type, any problems, the date of the most recent water test, and whether any test was unsatisfactory or found PFAS (33 MRSA §173). Lenders often require a test, so ask which tests and lab they accept. HETL’s $127 Home Sales test, Nelson’s $65 FHA/VA/RD panel and A&L’s $90 FHA set are the posted options. Our home purchase / lender page covers the details.
Rentals. Since January 1, 2022, landlords whose rentals use a private well must test it for arsenic at an accredited lab at least every 5 years and give tenants the results within 10 days (22 MRSA §2660-Y).
New wells and after well work. Maine CDC says to test a new well, and to retest after any work on the well or a change in treatment. HETL’s New Well Test is $127.
Mail-in kits that email a PDF
If you want metals, minerals and bacteria in one report without a trip to Augusta, independent mail-in labs ship to Cumberland County. Listed prices checked October 30, 2026:
- Tap Score / SimpleLab Essential Well: $209. It covers coliform and E. coli, nitrate and nitrite, and 25 metals including arsenic, uranium, manganese and lead, plus sodium and chloride. It doesn’t test radon, VOCs or PFAS.
- Tap Score / SimpleLab Advanced Well: $399. It adds VOCs and common petroleum compounds, which is useful near old fuel tanks or industrial sites, and includes overnight shipping to the lab.
- National Testing Laboratories WaterCheck Basic: $220. It covers bacteria, 22 metals and minerals (arsenic included), and 7 inorganic chemicals. Next-day return shipping isn’t included, so budget for it on the bacteria bottle.
In Maine the in-state labs are cheaper: HETL’s $127 Well Evaluation or Nelson’s $125 Comprehensive covers arsenic and uranium. Mail-in kits make sense if you want one big report with a wider metals list. Radon in water needs its own bottle from a Maine lab. Ask a lender before using a mail-in kit for a sale.
Side by side for a Cumberland County well
The table scrolls sideways on a phone.
| HETL (state lab) | Nelson (Kennebunk) | A&L / Eurofins (Auburn) | Mail-in (Tap Score / NTL) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly bacteria + nitrate | $42 (+$2) | $65 Standard | $40 Set C | In the $209–$220 panels |
| Arsenic | $127 panel | $25 ($90 with Standard) | $60 Set A | Included |
| Uranium | $127 panel | $35 | Call | Tap Score yes |
| Radon in water | $42 ($147 RES panels) | $30 ($150 panel) | Separate kit, call | No |
| Lender / FHA | $127 Home Sales | $65 FHA/VA/RD | $90 FHA set | Ask the lender first |
| Drop-off near Portland? | No, mail | Kennebunk | UPS Store courier, South Portland or Windham | |
| Sales visit? | No | No | No | No |
Remind me to test my well every year
CDC and EPA say to test a private well at least once a year. We’ll send one email a year, about when your test is due, with your state’s lab options.
Thanks, you’re on the list. We’ll email you once a year when it’s time to test your well. Nothing else.
What to do in Cumberland County
- Never tested, or it’s been 5 years? Run a full panel with arsenic and uranium: HETL’s $127 Well Evaluation, Nelson’s $125 Comprehensive plus $35 uranium, or SGS Scarborough’s Standard test. Add radon in water ($30 to $42).
- Every year, test bacteria and nitrate. HETL’s $42 Basic Safety test or A&L’s $40 Set C. Collect early in the week, not on a Friday.
- Want one PDF with a wider metals list? Tap Score / SimpleLab or National Testing Laboratories. Radon in water is still a separate test.
- Buying, selling or renting? Check the seller’s last test date on the disclosure, ask the lender which lab it accepts, and if you’re a landlord, get the arsenic test done every 5 years.
- Got a result over a limit? Retest to confirm, and call Maine CDC (866-292-3474) for free help reading it before you buy treatment. For bacteria, shock-chlorinate and retest first. Get quotes from more than one company.
Not this if…
- You’re on public water (Portland Water District or another utility). Your supplier tests the water and publishes a yearly report.
- A lender, attorney or buyer named a lab and a form. Use that lab. Mail-in kits usually don’t meet lender sampling rules.
- Someone offered a free in-home “test” that ends in a softener or filter pitch. See the Home Depot free kit comparison.
Related: Maine well testing · Waukesha County, WI · Marion County, FL · Lancaster County, PA · Worcester County, MA · Suffolk County, NY · Oakland County, MI · How to read a well water report · PFAS 533 / 537.1 · Home purchase / lender · back to the directory.